How to Line Cabinets with Parchment Paper

When I was still renting, one of the first things I would do on moving in, was to line all the cabinets and drawers with parchment paper. Why, you might ask?

Parchment paper lining the inside of a cabinet

Parchment paper keeps drawers and cabinets clean. It catches spills and leaks, and takes marks that otherwise would have ended up on the cabinet or drawer surface.

This saves a ton of time on cleaning. Instead of having to clean spills and marks from these surfaces, I could just remove the parchment paper when I was moving out, leaving things as clean as when I’d moved in (sometimes cleaner).

This works well when you own, too. Especially in cabinets where there’s plumbing that can leak. Most leaks are slow, and parchment paper can collect a lot of moisture before letting it seep into the wood and start rotting it.

Just remove and replace the parchment paper when you think it’s needed. It can probably go quite a few years unless you have something like a leak or spill.

And this is so easy to do. You don’t even really need to measure. I’ll show you with pictures how I do it.

Materials

All you’re going to need is parchment paper. I also used scissors, because it cuts the parchment paper more easily than the box edge. I also ended up using tape because I didn’t use scissors at first, and tore my parchment paper.

  • Parchment Paper
  • Optional: scissors
  • Optional: tape

Parchment paper with tape and scissors on wooden surface

Step 1: “Measure”

No need for a ruler. Put your parchment paper box inside the cabinet or at the drawer. Roll some parchment paper out of the box across the surface to get an idea how much you need.

You could measure it, but there’s really no need because there’s no point getting it exact.

Parchment paper partially unrolled from its box in the cabinet

Step 2:

Roll out more than you need to cover the cabinet surface, by at least an inch or two. Cut it off using the box edge or scissors.

Cabinet surface lined with parchment paper

Step 3: Lay it down

Insert the liner shiny side down. That will give your surfaces more protection from spills.

Parchment paper showing shiny side down

Step 4: Fold at corners

You’ll have an extra inch or two of parchment paper at either side of your cabinet or drawer. Just fold it at the corner where the sides and bottom meet and let it go a little ways up the side.

You could cut it off, but having it go an inch or two up the side gives the sides a little bit of protection. And it won’t be very noticeable once you put all your items into the cabinet or drawer.

Bonus Tip: If You Get a Tear

It’s very easy to accidentally tear your parchment paper, especially if you use the box edge to cut it instead of scissors. But there’s no need to throw away the torn piece.

Tear in side of parchment paper

Just cut a small strip of parchment paper that’s big enough to cover the tear.

Small strip of parchment paper to cover tear

Tape them together, with the strip covering the tear. Remember to tape it shiny side down.

Small strip of parchment paper taped onto torn piece

Now you can insert the taped pieces into the cabinet.

Repair the liner with tear covered

And that’s it! This is one of the simplest tips for reducing cleaning in your drawers and cabinets.

Parchment paper lining the inside of a cabinet
Yield: Lined drawers and cabinets

Line Cabinets & Drawers with Parchment Paper

Prep Time: 1 minute
Active Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 6 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Estimated Cost: Under $10

Parchment paper lining will save your cabinets and drawers from dirt, spills and even minor plumbing leaks. This makes cleaning so much easier, and can potentially save on repairs!

Materials

Tools

  • Scissors

Instructions

  1. Roll some parchment paper out of the box. Put it inside the cabinet or drawer to get an idea how much you'll need. This is as close to measuring anything as you need to get. Parchment paper partially unrolled from its box in the cabinet
  2. Roll out more than you need to cover the cabinet surface. Cut it off using the box edge or scissors (I prefer scissors to make sure it doesn't tear). Cabinet surface lined with parchment paper
  3. Insert the liner shiny side down.Parchment paper showing shiny side down
  4. Fold the excess parchment paper at either side of the cabinet or drawer surface. You could cut it off, but having it go an inch or two up the side only offers more protection, which is good. Parchment paper folding at corner where wall and bottom meet

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