How to Cut a Foam Drawer Liner

When you store tools in a drawer, they can become disorganized. You can keep the tools in a drawer organized by adding a foam drawer liner to the drawer. A foam drawer liner holds tools in place when you open and close the drawer because the tools are embedded in the foam.

Things You'll Need

• Ruler or measuring tape
• Pencil
• Paper
• Heavy-duty vellum
• X-acto knife
• Foam liner with one adhesive side
• Liner base with one adhesive side
• Tape

Instructions

1. Select the set of items you want to place in the drawer with the foam liner. Set the items aside.

2. Measure the interior dimensions of the drawer in which you will be placing the liner, using a ruler or measuring tape. Write down the dimensions, both side-to-side and front-to-back. Subtract an eighth of an inch from both measurements to reduce the dimension by one sixteenth of an inch along each edge.

3. Place a sheet of vellum on a flat table or work desk whose surface will not be damaged when you cut across it with an X-acto knife. Trace guiding lines with a ruler and pencil on the vellum using the new dimensions. Cut the vellum using an X-acto knife along the guiding lines to the new dimensions. Place the vellum over sections of foam liner and adhesive base and cut each to the dimensions of the vellum, then set them aside.

4. Orient the vellum in the same way the foam will be oriented in the drawer. Mark the edge of the vellum that will correspond to the front of the liner in the drawer with a pencil. Arrange the items you previously set aside on the vellum. Leave at least a half inch of clearance between the edges of the vellum and items you place on it and an inch of clearance between each of the items. Place items you will use more frequently nearer the marked front edge of the vellum and other items nearer the back.

5. Trace the items on the vellum when you are satisfied with their arrangement. Hold the item you want to trace in place with one hand. Use a pencil to trace the exterior of the item onto the vellum with the other hand. Remove the items from the vellum when you have traced all of them.

6. Secure the vellum to the non-adhesive side of the foam liner with a half-inch strip of tape along each edge, aligning the edges carefully.

7. Cut along each of the traced outlines with an X-acto knife. Cut through both the vellum and the foam liner. Leave each cut piece in place until you have cut all of the pieces to maintain the foam's stability. Remove the pieces when you have cut all of the outlines.

8. Remove the paper that covers the adhesive side of the foam core. Pull the covering away gently so that the paper comes off in a single piece.

9. Place the adhesive base adhesive-side down on the table or work. Place the foam liner adhesive-side down over the base. Start by aligning one corner of the base and foam, then press the foam lightly onto the liner until the foam is completely attached to the base. The foam and base are now ready to be placed in the drawer.

References

• Instructions on cutting foam liner on the University of Texas website (PDF)

Resources

• Sample foam liner products: Delta C Dynamics website