Simple fix: Filling holes in furniture

Hey heeeey. I’m back today with a quick DIY tip! This one will come in handy if you ever go to paint furniture or kitchen cabinets and want to change out the hardware while you’re at it.
I’ve shared how to fill holes in the wall, but this takes a little more finesse. Maybe because I’m pickier on furniture. :) I like this method because it gives you a finished look on both sides of the drawer or door.
I shared this dresser than I repainted a few weeks back:

If you remember I hated the hardware so it had to go:

These handles left especially large holes that couldn’t be filled with just putty or wood filler. I mean, they could – but because the back was open it would be a pain to try to get enough in there and get it all smooth. It would take numerous fillings and sandings. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
The hole on the top is the size I was dealing with – there’s an easy way to take care of these:

I’ve heard a few ways of filling bigger holes like this – toothpicks is one and wood plugs is another. Both work great, but I was going for the easiest, quickest and cheapest fix – the wood dowel:

(source)

I took the hardware to the store with me so I could figure out the perfect sized dowel.

I actually got a couple to make sure I got the right fit. I pushed it through the hole in the drawer and marked where I needed to cut – this way the hole would be filled on both the inside and outside of the drawer. (Although I’m not picky enough to make the inside look perfect).

I cut the small bit of dowel down and then covered it with wood glue:

Put the dowel in the empty spot (I’m tired of saying hole) and make sure it’s flush.

You’ll want to let it sit for a bit to dry, but it was ready quicker than I thought it would be. When the wood glue is dry and the dowel is secure you can use some wood filler to even it out even more:

You’ll want to sand it down (lightly) and you may need to reapply the filler two or three times (and sand between) to get it nice and flush with the surface.
After paint you won’t even notice it was there!:

This is a GREAT tip for anyone painting kitchen or bathroom cabinets and wanting to change out the hardware at the same time. Dowels are usually about three feet long and are super cheap – mine was less than a dollar. One would probably get you through a whole kitchen. :)
Of course if you read the post about our dresser you know I decided to keep the hardware (that I used to hate) at the last minute. It looked great with the new color and I fell in love with it!:

So I ended up just drilling the dowel rods out – gah. I had only filled the top two anyway so not a big deal.
But this is a great little tip that should save you some time and some wood filler. :) I love easy and inexpensive fixes! Do you have a trick like this for holes in walls or furniture?