Furniture drawer slide spacer and shipping strap apparatus

A method of using a universal spacer apparatus to secure a drawer slide of nearly any size to a furniture internal side panel, the method comprising:

• a) selecting a drawer slide of an appropriate size to fit a drawer within a furniture cabinet, wherein said slide comprises a guide rail component and a slider component;
• and wherein said guide rail component comprises at least two mounting holes to secure said rail to said furniture panel;
• b) drilling at least two pairs of vertically aligned holes into said furniture panel, wherein one hole within said pair lies above and one lies below said guide rail's mounting hole;
• c) attaching one spacer apparatus over each of said panel's pairs of vertically aligned holes;
• d) placing the guide rail component onto said spacer apparatuses such that the mounting hole within said guide rail component is aligned with the screw receiving hole in the center of each of said apparatuses;
• e) threading a screw or bolt into said guide rail's mounting hole and then into said spacer apparatuses' receiving hole to secure the guide rail component to said panel;
• f) repeating steps (b) through (e) on the opposing furniture internal side panel one time;
• g) securing a slider component to each of the drawer's two external side panels as per the drawer slide manufacturer's instruction;
• and,
• h) placing the sliders within said guide rail components and moving the drawer into said furniture cabinet by pushing said sliders through the length of said guide rails.

A method of securing drawers within furniture to prevent dislodgement of said drawers during transport, the method comprising:

• a) providing a packaging assembly comprising flexible strap-like members;
• b) affixing said members to the external surface of the back of said drawers;
• c) drilling holes within the back panel of said furniture, wherein said holes are aligned with the drawer;
• d) positioning the drawers within the furniture while threading the strap-like members through said holes;
• e) affixing said strap-like members to the external surface of the back of said furniture;
• f) transporting the packaged furniture;
• and,
• g) removing said strap-like member from said furniture and said drawer.