Well Susan you told us you were once young and the religion of fella who's idea failed. What we need to know is exactly what material the door surface is,the color and grain,preferiably with picture(s). It would also be good if we knew your level of woodworking skill along with kind of tools owned.

Thank you for your fast response. I am so sorry I didn't include enough pertinent details The doors are solid red oak, they are a deep what used to be called Spanish Oak (Minwax) stain. The finish is exceptionally smooth probably due to the years of beeswax I have used to polish the cabinets. Given the age of the cabinets, the finish is probably varnish as opposed to urethane. The grain of the wood is very defined and quite pretty.

I do not intend to refinish them myself. There are many Amish furniture refinishers in the area who do amazing work. Several have done various refinishing jobs for me, but none I have queried have any idea except plugs. One Amish gentleman who refinishes gun stocks suggested using sawdust stained with a dark stain, mixed with glue, packed into the hole, allowed to dry and then sanded smooth. However, he is not interested in tackling 18 cabinet doors.

And I'm sorry, I don't have a clue how to submit a photo here!

There's no sense getting deep in details you can't relate to so I'll just say how I handle holes on the face of furniture. For long term restoration quality repair I use chisels and/or router to remove material where wood veneer patch is glued. Carful selection of patch (esp if you have several samples to chose from) can yield closly matching grain. Sand patch level,blend grain and color with artist brushes and stain. On your doors, I would fill with putty stained to match one color in door then fill in other grain color(s) with artist brush and stain,use clear varnish to touch up and call it done.

Your best option would be to find someone who can do burn-in repairs. It's a good skill, but done by the right person can make an imperceptible repair.