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How to Build a Countertop Hutch

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a classic countertop hutch.

This is the perfect solution to add practical storage to your kitchen, dining room, or pantry because it’s designed to sit on top of an existing base.

Wooden countertop hutch with crown molding and shiplap back

So if you have base cabinets, a console, or a dresser already there, you can simply set this hutch on top to add additional shelving for dishes, books, etc.

I built it to go in my pantry that I’ve been slowing remodeling since the beginning of the year (it’s July, so when I say slowly, I mean SLOWLY ha!).

This was a really fun and simple project to put together, so I’m excited to show you how to build it below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to Know Before Building

To keep this project budget friendly…and also to give it that subtle country vibe I wanted in my pantry, I built this hutch from 1x construction lumber (spruce/pine).

Close up 1x12 spruce lumber on workbench

I think it turned out exactly how I’d hoped, but if pine isn’t your thing, I get it. You can substitute for any other kind of wood you’d like OR even use ¾″ plywood instead.

Overall Dimensions

The overall dimensions of this hutch are roughly 15 ½″ deep x 46″ tall x 65 ½″ wide. Note that that includes crown molding around the front and sides.

Overall dimensional diagram of DIY countertop hutch shelf

Without the crown molding, the hutch itself is roughly 12 ¾″ deep x 43″ tall x 60″ wide.

Installation Considerations

I built this hutch to fit perfectly between the wall and an existing cabinet in my pantry. So it can work really well in a nook.

Countertop hutch fit into a nook between a cabinet and a wall

Or, it can also work where both sides are open and it’s more of a “stand alone” piece. (That’s how I’m showing it in the plans as that’s likely a more common choice.)

If you’re building it to fit into a nook, I recommend carefully measuring your space and building the hutch body a little smaller than your opening. (I built my hutch about 1 ½″ narrower than my opening.)

Then, build the face frame the exact size of the opening. Since the face frame would be larger than the hutch, just let it overhang the sides of your hutch a little on each side.

This makes installation much easier–if you need to shave a little off for it to fit, it’s much easier to sand down or shape the edge of a face frame vs the entire side of a cabinet.

Once the hutch is in place on its base, it should be secured to the wall studs behind it with screws through the back supports to prevent accidentally tipping over.

Finishing Tips

I chose to finish this hutch using Minwax Water Based Stain (semi-transparent) in Driftwood. If you’re not familiar with water based stains, they provide a great finish, but are a bit tricky to apply.

Usually, I prefer to wait until the project is assembled before staining or painting, but because water based stains dry so fast, they’re a bit difficult to apply and wipe away evenly on larger projects.

Close up of Shara Woodshop Diaries applying water based stain to 1x12 boards on workbench with foam brush

Instead, I opted to stain each piece separately before putting them together (you can see this in the build video). Personally, I find this method more difficult and time consuming, so I only do it when using a water based stain.

RELATED: How to stain wood projects

You may find these resources helpful throughout the build:

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How to Build a Countertop Hutch

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

YouTube thumbnail image showing hutch with text "how to build a hutch"

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable countertop hutch building plans here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

  • (5) 1x12x6 boards
  • (3) 1x3x8 boards
  • (2) 1x2x6 boards
  • (1) 8ft long piece crown molding
  • (5) 1x8x8 shiplap boards
  • 1 ¼″ pocket holes screws (100 count box)
  • Wood Glue
  • 1 ¼″ brad nails
  • 1 ¼″ wood screws (1 lb box)

Step 1: Assemble Sides and Top

I assembled the main body of this hutch using 1×12 boards, so I started by cutting down three pieces–two sides and a long top.

All the dimensions and full cut list can be found in the printable plans.

Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting 1x12 boards on miter saw

I mentioned earlier that I sanded and stained these pieces before assembling. Notice that I only stained the insides of these pieces (you don’t see stain on the outside in the image below), because the outside wouldn’t see seen once completed.

After staining, I drilled pocket holes into the ends of the top piece to connect them between the sides with pocket hole screws.

RELATED: How to use pocket holes in DIY furniture

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling countertop hutch using pocket hole screws

Step 2: Install Hutch Shelves

Once the sides and top were together, I needed to cut two vertical dividers. I cut these from 1x12s, as well, but I wanted the bottom of the dividers to have like a curved cut out.

This was almost like a built in corbel, but super simple. So I traced a curve along the front bottom corner of these dividers and cut it with a jig saw.

Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting arch out of hutch divider boards with jig saw

Then, I cut four 1×12 pieces for the shelves on the left and right side of the hutch and four pieces of 1×3 to run along the top and bottom as supports.

These 1x3s will be used to secure the hutch to the wall once completed.

I test fit all these pieces together to make sure they worked before sanding and staining them.

Shara Woodshop Diaries dry fitting hutch dividers and shelves together on workshop floor

After staining the shelves, dividers, and back supports, I drilled pocket holes into the ends of all four shelves and 1×3 supports.

I attached the 1x3s between the sides and dividers flush to the back with pocket hole screws first like you see below.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing hutch back supports with pocket hole screws

Then, I secured the dividers to the top panel with wood screws. At that point, I installed the left and right shelves with pocket hole screws.

After the left and right shelves were in, I carefully measured between the dividers in the middle section and cut two more 1x3s and two more shelves to fit.

Completed countertop hutch body with two dividers and six shelves

I installed these middle section pieces with pocket hole screws as well. So each section of the hutch should have two 1×12 shelves and two 1×3 back supports.

Prefer to print? Grab the printable building plans for this countertop hutch project here.

Step 3: Build and Install Face Frame

Once the hutch was together, I needed to add a face frame onto the front. For this, I used 1x3s for the sides and top and 1x2s for the bottom and the two dividers.

I drilled pocket holes to assemble the face frame.

A standard size pocket hole jig can work fine, BUT, when building face frames, I recommend using a Kreg Micro Jig with pan head pocket hole screws. The smaller holes and screws are less likely to cause splits.

Learn more about how, when, and why to use the Kreg Micro Jig here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling face frame on workbench for countertop hutch build

Because I was building this hutch to fit into a nook, I built my hutch body about 1 ½″ smaller than my nook opening. Then, I built my face frame exactly the same width as my nook opening.

So when I glued and brad nailed it onto the front, it will overhang each side about ¾″.

Shara Woodshop Diaries brad nailing face frame onto front of hutch

NOTE: The reason for this is that if it’s a tight fit and the hutch needs to be trimmed a bit to fit snugly into the nook, it’s a lot easier to sand or shave a little off the overhanging face frame edge than to have to resize the entire cabinet.

However, if your sides will be open, it’s best to build your face frame the same width as you cabinet so the edges are flush along the sides (no overhang).

Step 4: Add Shiplap Back

For the back, I wanted to stick with the “rustic” vibe, so I thought shiplap would be a fun choice. Shiplap comes in various widths, but I used 1×8 pine/spruce shiplap boards.

I cut enough boards to cover the entire back of the cabinet (in my case, that was 9 pieces). I fit these pieces together on the shop floor and laid the hutch on it’s back on top of them.

Close up of shiplap overhang on sides of hutch body

They stuck out the sides of the hutch a little on both sides, so I centered it, marked the overhang, and trimmed the left and right shiplap boards so they’d be flush to the sides.

Then, I secured these boards along the back with 1 ¼″ wood screws at the top and bottom.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing shiplap boards across back of hutch shelf

Ready to build your own? Grab the printable countertop hutch building plans here.

Step 5: Install Crown Molding

The last piece was adding the crown molding around the top. Now, again, since this was going into a nook, I cut my crown molding square on both ends and only nailed it onto the front.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing crown molding across front of hutch

If your hutch is open on the sides, you’d want to wrap the crown molding around the sides as well. Learn how to cut crown molding here.

And with that, this simple hutch is ready for a clear coat finish (I already stained it, it just needs a sealer) and to be installed in my pantry.

Completed DIY pine wood countertop hutch with shiplap back

The great thing about a hutch like this is that it can be placed on almost any kind of base. You can build custom cabinets for it to set on, place it on existing cabinets you’ve already got installed, on a console, dresser, etc.

Once on its base, it should be secured through the 1×3 back supports into the wall studs behind it to prevent tip over. In case you’re wondering why it’s not in these photos, it’s because the pantry is so cramped, it’ll be difficult to get a good photo of it after it’s in.

Rustic DIY pine wood shiplap hutch shelf on countertop

Looking for more shelving ideas?

Enjoyed this project, but looking for more DIY shelving ideas? Here are a few favorites you’ll enjoy browsing. Just click on the image(s) below to see how to build it:

DIY Classic Bookcase
Modern Plywood Shelf
DIY Ladder Bookshelf
DIY Corner Shelf
Turn a Closet Into Built Ins
How to Build a Larder Cabinet

If you would like to save this project for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social platform!

Pinterest collage image showing overall dimensional diagram of countertop hutch at top and Shara Woodshop Diaries with completed hutch project at bottom with text "how to build a countertop hutch"

Until next time, happy building!

DIY Guitar Scrap Wood Bookends

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In this post, I’m sharing how to make a set of guitar themed scrap wood bookends!

But even if guitars aren’t your vibe, that’s okay! You can take this same concept and apply it to any shape (think animals, instruments, monograms, etc) to make your own custom bookends.

DIY Scrap Wood Project--Simple Guitar Shaped Bookends made from scrap wood and a few simple tools! Build several shapes and sizes to make your own DIY bookends

I love a good practical scrap wood project. Sometimes larger projects, while fun, can be overwhelming and expensive.

So changing pace to something that’s quick and (basically) free to make is like a quick win to keep me motivated. It’s also nice to get rid of some of these ever growing piles of scraps!

So if you’re ready to build some of your own, I’ve got the how to below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

**This post was originally published in May 2018, but was updated in July 2025.

How to Make Scrap Wood Bookends

These bookends are SO easy and fun to build. It’s a great weekend or quick weeknight woodworking project that should only take about an hour or two to finish.

The only reason it even takes over an hour is because the glue has to dry.  If you opt for a quick dry wood glue, you could likely get this finished in under an hour.

Looking for more scrap wood project ideas??  Click any of the images below for the tutorial to make them!

Scrap Wood Drink Coasters
Tea Box with Mug Holder
Scrap Wood Tiered Plant Stand
DIY Continuous grain walnut box with tile top
How to make a super easy DIY scrap wood fall sign

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Tools & Materials

  • Scrap wood (1×6 or 1×8 boards will work best)*
  • Jig saw
  • Wood Glue
  • Miter Saw (optional)
  • Clamps
  • Drill
  • Speed Square

*NOTE: I used poplar wood for the bookend parts and cherry wood for the guitar.  If you like the two tone look, but you don’t have different wood types in your scrap pile, you could stain whatever wood you’re using two different colors for the same effect.

Step 1: Cut Out Scrap Wood Guitar

First, I cut down a piece of my scrap cherry wood to cut out my guitar shape from.  This piece was roughly 5″ x 11″, but you can make your shape larger or smaller as desired.

If you are good at free hand drawing feel free to draw your own guitar–or any design you prefer. 

I’m terrible at free hand drawing, so I did a quick Google search for “guitar clip art” and printed off a pattern to cut out and trace onto my board. (I also used it to cut a practice guitar out of plywood before I cut my real one from the cherry wood.)

Scrap wood guitar template traced to cut

TIP: If you aren’t familiar on how to do this, simply find an image shape you like and copy paste it into a Word document.  I like Word because it allows me to resize the image to the size I want with the rulers along the top and side of the page.  Then you can print it out and use it as a template.

On that note, this doesn’t even have to be a guitar at all.  You can make these bookends be anything you want them to be.  Get creative 🙂 

Once I had my template, I traced it onto my cherry board and cut it out with a jig saw.

Scrap wood guitar cut out for bookends

I then, sanded it and used a drill with a large bit to drill a hole in the middle of the guitar.

Step 2: Divide Guitar Between Bookends

Now, since there is a left and right bookend, this guitar has to be divided.  I used a speed square and placed my guitar on top like shown. 

Mark where to cut guitar to make left and right bookends

Then I used a pencil to draw a line across the neck of the guitar where it stuck off the right side of the square. 

Everything on the left will be on one bookend and everything on the right will be on the other bookend. (Also that mark on the far right was a mistake…ignore that haha)

Basically, whether you’re working with a scrap wood guitar or something else, you just need to kind of divide it how you want between the two bookends.

Then, I used my jig saw again to cut along this line.

Cut scrap wood guitar in half

Step 3: Assemble Bookends

Next, I cut four pieces of the 1×6 poplar scrap board to make the bookends–two pieces 5″ long and two pieces 6″ long.

Scrap wood Guitar pieces cut to assemble bookends

I glued the 5″ boards onto the bottom edge of the 6″ boards to make two identical L shapes like shown. 

Apply glue to attach book end pieces
bookends glued and clamped together

Once the glue was dry, I sealed the pieces separately with a light coat of clear poly. You can paint, stain, finish as desired.

Step 4: Glue Guitar Shape onto Scrap Wood Bookends

Then, I added a small drop of wood glue to the parts of the guitar that will touch the bookend and set it in place.

Glue applied to attach guitar to base of book ends

I used regular wood glue (Gorilla wood glue to be exact), but if you wanted to opt for a quick dry wood glue (like Krazy Glue Wood Glue), you can give that a try insteadl. I feel like regular wood glue takes longer to dry, but is a bit stronger.

Guitar glued onto scrap wood

Because the glue surface is small and these are hard to clamp in place. So I found it easiest to set it in place so that it kind of stayed on it’s own and didn’t touch it again until the glue dried. 

Since the guitar neck piece was leaning, it kept falling over, so I flipped it over and leaned it against the other bookend so it would stay in place until the glue dried.

Scrap wood guitar bookends glue drying on guitar shapes

Some painters tape can also help to kind of “clamp” these pieces in place until the glue dries as well.

And once the glue had dried, they were ready to use!

Quick and easy scrap wood bookends shaped like a guitar

I LOVED how these turned out and I love how simple this project is.  You could make these any shape you wanted–letters, names, shapes, animals, whatever. 

I’ve played guitar for SEVERAL years, so I thought the guitar was a cute idea for my every growing book collection 😉

Quick and easy scrap wood project--DIY Bookends with Guitars!

I hope you guys enjoyed this quick little scrap wood project and if you want more scrap wood ideas, check out a few of my favorites below 🙂

DIY Wooden Sunflower Art
Scrap Wood Plant Stand
DIY Arched Lanterns
Cutting Board Drink Coasters
DIY Continuous grain walnut box with tile top
Floating wall shelves from scrap wood with industrial details
https://woodshop.imarkdev.com/diy-accordion-coat-rack/

Until next time, happy building 🙂

DIY Wooden Driveway Gates

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In this post, I’m showing you how I built my own custom wooden driveway gates!

We live in a very rural area where gravel roads are not uncommon. So our gravel driveway often get’s mistaken for a road–which can be a bit…annoying.

Adding some driveway gates seemed to be the best solution, but if you’ve ever priced driveway gates, they’re crazy expensive. So instead of buying them premade, I built some and they turned out even better than I’d hoped!

DIY wooden driveway gates closed across gravel driveway with wooden fence on each side

It’s a surprisingly simple project (if you don’t mind a little digging to set the posts) and the best part is you can easily customize the design and the size. So if you’re ready to dive in, I’ve got all the details and the how-to below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

Why I Chose to Build vs Buy My Gates

There were three main reasons that I chose to build my own gates vs buy them:

  • Cost
  • Aesthetics
  • Size

First–cost. Unless we wanted to buy the hollow tube cattle style gates (like the ones you see at Tractor Supply), the cheapest options we were finding for driveway gates in the width we needed were about $2700-$3000.

I was able to build these cedar gates for about $350-400. That’s a significant savings!

Second–aesthetics. I wasn’t loving the look of most of the prebuilt designs plus they were pretty much all metal and I much preferred wood.

Third–the size. Most of the driveway gates we were finding online were 6′ tall and I felt like that height would look really odd.

Building them myself would allow me to customize the size however I wanted.

An added bonus to wooden gates is that if they get damaged from a storm, a vehicle, or animal, it’s usually fixable and/or you can replace parts of it. With a metal one, if it gets bent or damaged, it’s likely going to require a full replacement.

What to consider before building your own gates

One of the biggest things to consider when building a driveway gate is the size and placement.

Where should we place our gates?

Proper placement is crucial because you want to make sure that vehicles have enough room to pull into the driveway and be out of the road while waiting for the gates to open.

You also want to make sure that if you ever bring a trailer up the drive, that there’s enough room to pull in off the road and straighten up to fit between the gates.

We ended up placing our gates about 80′ from the road. This allowed plenty of room to pull in a truck and trailer from either direction and get straight before pulling through the gates.

Photo of driveway with diagram showing gate placement 80 ft from main road

Deciding on Gate Size

Once I determined WHERE to place the gates, I measured across the driveway at this point (it was about 14′ across) and added an extra foot for some wiggle room on each side. That gave me 15′.

Since I was building double gates, I divided this by 2 and decided to build each gate 90″ wide (which is 7 ½′). And I decided to build them 4′ tall–this just looked right proportionally.

Dimensional diagram of wooden gates

You can certainly make wooden gates other sizes within reason. Keep in mind the wider the gate, the more likely it is to sag simply because of the long span.

Choosing a Gate Material

Since this is an outdoor project, it’s important to choose a material that can last outdoors.

I built these gates from cedar because it is naturally rot and insect resistant material. (Teak and/or red wood are also great options depending on what’s available in your area.)

Close up photo of cedar boards used to build driveway gates

Cedar is a great choice because it’s lightweight. These gates ended up weighing only about 53 lbs each once complete. Other options (like pressure treated wood) may be too heavy to be practical for a gate this size.

Ideally, you want to choose a gate material that is strong, lightweight, and rot resistant.

NOTE: For the 6×6 posts (that go into the ground), we used ground contact rated pressure treated lumber.

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How to Build Wooden Driveway Gates

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

YouTube thumbnail image of driveway gates video

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

Step 1: Assemble Gate Frame

I built my gate frames using 2x4s for the sides and top and a 2×8 for the bottom. Basically, I cut a 2x4x8 board in half (48″ each) for the sides and cut another 2×4 and a 2×8 to 83″ long to run between them.

I used a Kreg XL pocket hole jig to drill pocket holes into the ends of the long 2×4 and 2×8 board. Learn how and when to use the Kreg XL pocket hole jig here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries drilling pocket holes into the ends of 2x4 cedar board on workbench

Then, I assembled this gate frame with 2 ½″ long XL pocket hole screws. I installed the 2×8 flush to the bottom edge of the 2×4 sides like shown below.

Shara Woodshop Diaries driving pocket holes in gate frame

And I secured the top 2×4 about 3″ below the top of the sides. Once I had one frame together, I repeated to make another just like it. The overall dimensions of each frame was 48″ x 90″.

Wooden Gate frame assembled with pocket holes and screws on concrete floor

Step 2: Add Diagonal Brace

Next, I added a diagonal brace. This 2×4 brace will help hold the gate square and add some extra support.

The ends of this brace will need to be cut to fit into the frame opening. So, I laid a 2×4 across the back side of the frame so that the corners lined up in the center of the board. Then, I marked where they intersected.

2x4 diagonal board laying across gate frame

These were odd angles and there wasn’t any reason to figure them in order to cut them on the miter saw. You can if you’d like, but I just used a circular saw to carefully cut along the lines I had marked.

Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting diagonal brace ends with circular saw

This diagonal brace should fit snugly inside the frame once trimmed. I repeated for the second gate, but this time, I ran the diagonal the opposite direction so that the gates are mirrored.

Diagonal brace cut to fit into wooden driveway gate frame

Once cut and fit, I secured the diagonal braces into the frame using some 3″ wood screws. I drove three screws on each end in different directions (you’ll have to kind of “toenail” them in at an angle like shown below).

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing diagonal brace of large wooden gate with screws

Step 3: Install Gate Slats

Next, I added twelve 2×2 slats onto the back side of each gate. Before screwing them on, I trimmed the ends with a 45 degree angle–not the entire end, but just like the corners like you see below.

After evenly spacing them out, I secured with 2 ½″ screws at the top, bottom, and along the diagonal.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing gate slats across back side of frame with screws

Then, just for one more added detail, I used a router with a chamfer bit to route along the top edges of the two ends of each gate. This is completely optional–it just adds a subtle detail.

Shara Woodshop Diaries routing around gate ends with chamfer

My cedar splintered pretty bad after routing, so I had to give it a good sanding to smooth things out afterward. Whoops…

Step 4: Add Additional Corner Brackets

At this point, the gates are ready for finish. You can finish with any kind of outdoor sealer you’d like–or leave it unfinished and let it age into that worn grey patina (some people love that look!).

I applied a coat of Cabot Australian Timber Oil in Honey Teak to each gate (it’s my favorite outdoor stain and sealer!).

Once that had dried, I added some additional support brackets to the gates. These brackets came in packs of four (find the straight brackets here and find the L brackets here).

So I installed a straight bracket at the top each gate and an L bracket PLUS a straight bracket at the bottom. Basically, I added both on the bottom just because the single L bracket looked a little funny on this wider board. I thought the extra straight bracket looked better proportionally.

Completed wooden driveway gate with black metal hardware brackets installed on the hinge side

I only wanted to add these brackets on the hinge side of the gates, so I had to choose which way I was going to hang them before installing. There’s a lot of debate on which direction is best to run your diagonals, so you can do your own research.

Some say it’s better to run them from the bottom hinge up (compression), and some say it’s better to run them from top hinge down (tension). In this case, I really don’t think it matters either way, but I ran mine top hinge down.

Step 5: Install Gates to Posts

Now the gates are finished and it’s time to hang them. I dug post holes about 36″ deep to set my 6×6 posts in. I made sure to set the posts far enough apart to fit both my gates, plus the hinges, plus a 2″ gap between them.

NOTE: There are a lot of ways to set a post. I just poured dry concrete in the hole after the post was in and made sure they were straight, level, and square to each other, then backfilled on top with dirt. I didn’t add water because the ground was soaking wet already and it was going to rain soon.

However, that may not work in your area if your climate is very dry. So set your posts at the proper depth and the proper method that is recommended for your area.

Shara Woodshop Diaries checking that 6x6 gate post is level in ground

I installed these heavy duty gate hinges to each gate–one toward the top and one toward the bottom. Then I set the first gate up on spacer blocks (just some scrap 2x4s like you see below) to get it level.

Once level, I used a pencil to mark on the post where my hinge holes landed. Then, I could move the gate out of the way, drill pilot holes at these marks, and attach the gate to the post.

Shara Woodshop Diaries checking that gate is level before installing onto post

Once the right side gate was on the post, I placed the left side gate up on blocks the same way until it was level to the existing gate. I marked the hinge holes on the post, drilled pilot holes and hung it up the same way.

My driveway slopes at this point, so the gates are level and even to each other…the ground just isn’t. It is what it is haha.

Shara Woodshop Diaries closing double wooden gates on driveway

Optional Driveway Gate Upgrades We Added

Once the gates were up, we added a few more optional upgrades to make them a bit more practical.

Solar Lights

To light up the posts/gate when it’s dark, I added a pair of simple solar light post caps to my 6x6s. These simply screw into the top of the post and the solar light twists in place.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing solar light post caps on gate posts

They’re a little small, but we can always upgrade them later if we decide. For now, they work great!

Fencing

To prevent people from just driving around the gates (and to make it look a bit more finished), I added a wooden fence on both sides.

I won’t go into too much detail on how to install a fence–that would be a whole separate post. But, essentially, I set treated 4×4 posts evenly spaced out until it reached the existing barb wire fence. I trimmed them all so they were out of the ground about 54″.

Then, I cut to fit treated 2×6 boards to run between them spaced about 10″ apart (I just screwed these to the front of the 4×4 posts).

DIY wooden fence half completed extending out from driveway gates

Then, I attached post caps to each post and added treated 1x4s on the front of each post to cover up the joints of the 2x6s. It’s a very simple and common fence style.

Automatic Gate Opener System

And finally, we added an automatic open/closing system to the gates. There are several brands to choose from, but we opted for Ghost Control gate openers. You can power these different ways, but we went with solar.

The system comes with openers (similar to garage door openers), but we also installed a wireless keypad on a post outside of the gates (like you see below) so that guests can enter with a code.

Finished DIY wooden driveway gates installed on posts with fencing extending out both sides. Keypad for gate entry mounted on post on left side of driveway

Of course an automatic opener system is totally optional. You can absolutely manually close the gates with a latch, chain, rope, hook, etc.

DIY wooden driveway gates opened on gravel driveway

And at this point, the gates are finished and I can finally mark this project off my to do list. I do plan to revisit this and stain the fence black this fall after the treated wood has had time to dry out a bit. And I’ll probably decorate it a bit with planters, or landscape eventually.

Shara Woodshop Diaries standing next to DIY wooden driveway gates on gravel

But for now, I’m SO happy with how these turned out and love the elegance this adds to the entrance. It’s hard to believe this was the (WAY) cheaper option!

Looking for More Outdoor Project Ideas?

Enjoyed this project and looking for more outdoor builds? Here are a few of my favorite outdoor projects you might enjoy browsing. Click on the image(s) below to see how to build each one:

DIY Outdoor Table & Benches
DIY Outdoor Garden Cart
DIY Enclosed Garden
DIY Privacy Fence
DIY Outdoor Storage Box

If you enjoyed this project and want to save it for later, don’t forget to pin it or save to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing assembling driveway gates at top and completed DIY wooden gates at bottom with text "how I built my own driveway gates and saved $$$"

Until next time, friend, happy building!

DIY Outdoor Storage Box

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a simple, sturdy, and stylish DIY outdoor storage box.

I built this storage box specifically to hold my outdoor cushions so they stop blowing away during wind storms, but it also works great for pool toys, yard games, outdoor décor and more!

DIY outdoor storage box built with cedar 1x4s with lid in open position on porch

Even if you don’t need storage OUTDOORS, this would make a beautiful cedar chest for indoor use as well.

The entire project is made from cedar 1x4s to keep things simple and inexpensive.

It’s also an easy project to customize, so feel free to modify the size as needed. I’m sharing all the details, plans, and how to build your own in the post below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building

While this is an outdoor storage box, it’s important to note that it’s not a waterproof box. If you’re wanting something that is totally waterproof, you’d be best to get a plastic or a resin box vs a wooden one.

There are intentional small gaps between the slats on the sides and in the top. This allows water to drain THROUGH the box vs sitting and pooling ON the box (which can cause damage to the wood).

outdoor wooden storage box in yard with lid open showing bottom slats spaced out for drainage

The bottom slats are also spaced apart so that the water can quickly drain out and the gaps allow airflow to dry out quickly.

Overall Dimensions

The overall dimensions of this outdoor storage box are approximately 24 ½″ tall x 25″ deep x 49″ wide. The inside dimensions are 21″ x 21″ x 45″.

overall dimensional diagram of DIY outdoor storage box

What Type of Wood to Use for Outdoor Furniture

You can build outdoor projects from any wood type, but some will last MUCH longer than others.

RELATED: How to shop for lumber

Untreated pine (basic construction lumber) will work fine for outdoor furniture, but is best for projects that will be under cover–like on a porch. If exposed to a lot of sun and rain, it will deteriorate quickly.

It’s the most budget friendly option, but may not be the most durable for outdoor use.

Pressure treated pine is a little more expensive, but is made specifically for outdoor use. It’s a very common material to build decks with.

It’s treated with chemicals to make it more rot resistant and will usually last SEVERAL years outdoors even if left uncovered.

While durable and budget friendly, this material is heavy, treated with chemicals and can take a while to dry out.

Pressure treated lumber on workshop floor
Pressure treated pine lumber

Cedar, red wood, and teak are all naturally decay and insect resistant wood options that look really nice.

But, these wood types can be a bit more expensive and sometimes hard to find depending on where you live. For example, I can’t get red wood where I live, but I can get cedar–so that’s what I used here.

So when building for outdoors, consider your budget, availability, and the pros and cons of each option before choosing your wood type.

Don’t forget when building outdoor projects–make sure the hardware (screws), glues and finish you use are rated for exterior use.

If building this for indoor use–like for an indoor storage trunk or chest–cedar, pine, poplar or oak are all great options to use.

You may find these resources helpful throughout the build:

Are DIY projects your thing? Sign up for our newsletter for priority access to the latest projects and build plans!

How to build a wooden outdoor storage box

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

YouTube video thumbnail showing outdoor storage box with text "how to build an EASY outdoor storage box"

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable outdoor storage box building plans here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

*I used cedar 1x4s for this project. See notes above about other wood options to build this with.

Step 1: Assemble Storage Box Legs

To get started, I chose two 1x4x8 boards to make my legs with. I left one of these full size, but I ripped the second one to 2 ¾″ wide on the table saw.

Then, I glued and clamped the narrower piece that I cut onto the full width 1×4 like shown below to make an “L shaped” piece.

Shara Woodshop Diaries clamping cedar boards into "L shape" to make storage box legs

That’s why I ripped the one board narrower–so when it’s glued together, both sides of the “L” are equal width. You don’t have to do that, I just think it looked better for them to be even.

Once the glue was dry, I trimmed this piece down into four equal sized “L shaped” legs.

Shara Woodshop Diaries trimming storage box legs on miter saw

TIP: Once trimmed, I recommend sanding away any glue residue or squeeze out. If you wanted, you could add some nails or screws in addition to the glue to help secure these together.

Step 2: Assemble Storage Box Frame

Now that the legs were ready to go, I needed to cut the rest of the pieces to build the frame of the box.

By the way…This entire project was made from 1x4s, so everything I trimmed here was just more 1x4s to keep things simple.

I cut four long pieces to frame the front and back of the box and four short pieces to frame the sides. And I drilled ¾″ pocket holes into the ends of each board.

Shara Woodshop Diaries drilling pocket holes into ends of cedar board

The easiest way to modify the size of this box is to adjust the lengths of these frame pieces. If you want it wider, make the front and back pieces longer. If you want it deeper (front to back), make the side pieces longer.

You can find all the dimensions used here in the printable plans.

Then I installed these pieces between the legs like you see below using pocket hole screws.

RELATED: How to use pocket holes to build furniture

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling outdoor storage box frame in workshop

I installed the top pieces flush to the top of each leg and the bottom pieces so that they were about 2″ up from the bottom of each leg.

cedar storage chest frame assembled with pocket holes on workbench

It’s already looking amazing with just the frame. Cedar projects are my favorite!

Step 3: Line Box Sides with Slats

I was basing this design loosely off of one that I had seen online that had narrow slats that lined the sides. I wanted that same look, but didn’t want to have to completely cut down all my 1×4 boards.

So instead, I “faked it” by setting my table saw blade height to about ¼″ and cutting a small kerf right down the middle of a few of my 1x4s.

Shara Woodshop Diaries running 1x4s through table saw to cut kerf down center of boards

Then I trimmed these boards down to make my slats for the sides of the box.

I found a thin piece of scrap in my trash can that was about the same thickness as my saw blade, and I used this between each slat as I installed them so there was a little gap between each one. That way, visually, the kerf and the space between slats will be even.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing slats on sides of outdoor storage box with a spacer block

I glued and nailed each slat around the sides of my box starting from the center and working my way out. I did the long sides first.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing slats onto long sides of outdoor box

Then, I installed the slats on the short sides.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing slats on short sides of storage box

The glue will be what holds these in place (once dry), not the nails. The nails just help tack each piece in place while the glue dries. However, if you wanted to use screws for an even stronger hold, you certainly can.

Step 4: Install Bottom Slats

Next, I cut 5 more pieces of 1×4 for the bottom slats. I drilled pocket holes into the ends of each and installed these between the front and back frames flush along the bottom with pocket hole screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing bottom slats of outdoor box with pocket holes and screws

I mentioned this earlier that these bottom slats are intentionally installed with plenty of open space between them for water to drain out and to promote air flow.

But if you wanted to add some more slats here, you absolutely can. Just make sure to leave SOME space between so it doesn’t hold water and air can move.

Prefer to print? Grab the printable building plans for this storage box project here.

Step 5: Build and Install Box Lid

The top, or the lid (whichever you’d like to call it haha), of this box was made with…you guessed it…more 1x4s. Essentially, I cut two long pieces to the length I wanted my top (which was 1″ wider than my box so it would overhang both sides ½″).

Then, I cut three pieces to connect them–one on each side and one in the middle. I assembled this frame using pocket holes and screws.

Then, I added 1×4 slats to fill the two openings. Just like with the sides, I used a spacer to space these slats apart a bit as I installed them.

Shara Woodshop Diaries driving pocket holes to assemble storage box lid on workbench

This allows the water to drain through instead of pooling on top.

After the top was together, I installed it onto the box using some simple butt hinges. Now, you’ll see below that I just used 2 hinges, but I actually recommend using three. I came back later and added a third one in the center.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing lid to storage chest using butt hinges

I made sure to install these so that the top was centered on the box (when it was closed) with equal overhang on all sides. You may find it easier to lay the box over on it’s back to get the top installed.

Once it was hinged, I added some basic chest lid supports to hold the lid in the open position when needed. You could also use gas struts or soft close lid supports as well.

Now at this point, the top is sturdy and I could sit on it, but I’m not sure how much more weight it could hold. So I thought it might be a good idea to add some additional supports just to help keep the slats nice and flat.

So I cut two more 1x4s and screwed these across the slats–one across each set of slats–on the bottom side of the lid.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing lid supports to bottom side of storage box lid slats with screws

This helps hold the slats nice and flat to the frame to give it some extra support.

Step 6: Finish Outdoor Storage Chest

And with that, this build is complete, and is ready for finish. I’ll be honest, I haven’t finished my storage box yet because I can’t decide if I want to stain it to match my outdoor sectional or if I want to add a clear coat to keep that natural cedar tone.

Completed DIY outdoor storage box in yard with lid open--outdoor cushions, lanterns, and decor stored inside

So for now, I left it as is until I make up my mind. But if you plan to keep yours outside, it can weather and turn grey quickly if left unfinished. So I recommend finishing it sooner rather than later to keep it looking nice.

Check out this post for tips on finishing outdoor furniture.

And of course, here’s a shot with the lid actually closed, too.

Completed DIY outdoor storage box with lid closed on porch

Ready to build yours? Grab the printable plans to build this outdoor storage box here.

Looking for more storage projects?

Enjoyed this project, but looking for some more ideas and inspiration? Here are a few of my favorite storage options for both indoor and outdoor. Click on the image(s) below to take you to the tutorial for each:

DIY Hope Chest
Tote Storage Cart
Free building plans to make your own DIY Storage chest
Simple DIY Storage Chest
DIY Storage Bench
DIY Storage Bench-Modern Rustic Style with Rough Sawn Plywood--Free plans and tutorial
Plywood Storage Trunk

If you’d like to save this project for later, don’t forget to pin it to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing outdoor storage box at bottom wit lid open and dimensional diagram at top with text "how to build an outdoor storage box"

Until next time, friend, happy building!

DIY Console Table with Drawers

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a DIY console table with drawers at the top and a shelf underneath.

This design is a classic style for entryways or behind the sofa to provide some extra storage and a place to drop things like keys and accessories.

DIY console table with three drawers and a shelf--modern geometric pattern on drawer fronts

But to give this piece some extra character, I added a modern (and multicolor) overlay to the drawer fronts.

If you’re ready build your own console table with drawers, I’m sharing the step by step below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building

This console table is a quick build that you can complete in a day or over a weekend. The assembly is pretty simple (pocket hole joinery) and it’s made of common materials.

Material Choices

Any wood type you’d like to use would work fine. Construction lumber (like pine, fir, spruce) and birch plywood are great budget friendly options, so that’s what I used here.

When building furniture pieces, I highly recommend using cabinet grade hardwood plywood (like maple, birch, oak, etc). It’s a little pricier than other plywood options you may see at the store, but it’s smooth, super durable, and finishes really nice.

birch plywood
Birch Plywood

You can learn more about choosing the right plywood for your project here.

I used 2x2s for the legs of this console table. It’s often challenging to find good, straight 2x2s precut at the store. They sometimes look more like bananas than wood!

So I personally prefer to cut my own 2x2s from 2x4s. If you’d like to learn how to do that, check out this guide to cutting your own 2x2s.

Adding a Back Panel

You can see in the video (linked below) and in this post that I did not add a back panel to the console that I built. I typically don’t like to add backs onto pieces with drawers (it’s just a personal preference).

However, I have included instructions for adding a back panel in the printable plans in case you’d like to add one to yours. The back panel is optional.

Console Table Dimensions

The overall dimensions of this project are approximately 17″ deep x 32 ¾″ tall x 47″ wide.

Overall dimensional diagram of DIY console table

Drawer Front Overlay Design

I highly encourage you to check out this video for additional tips, and details on adding the drawer front overlay design. The drawer fronts shown in the plans are cut from ¾″ plywood. No additional trim or overlay is required–slab fronts will work fine.

But if you’d like to dress them up a little like I did, you can use ¼″ plywood scraps to create a design to glue onto the plywood drawer fronts.

Close up of drawer front overlay design on console table with drawers

If you watch the video, you’ll see that I cut some hexagon shapes using a laser cutter and stained them different colors before gluing.

If you don’t have a laser cutter, you can use a jig saw to cut an overlay design instead. OR, you could even use painters tape to tape off your design and stain it directly on the ¾″ plywood drawer fronts.

Feel free to customize your drawer fronts however you’d like–OR leave them plain.

You may find these resources helpful throughout the build:

Are DIY projects your thing? Sign up for our newsletter for priority access to the latest projects and build plans!

How to Build a Console Table with Drawers

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

YouTube Thumbnail image of modern console table video

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable console table building plans here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

Step 1: Assemble Console Table Frame

First, I assembled the sides of the console.

I cut four console table legs from 2x2s and tapered the bottom inside corners of each leg on the miter saw. The taper is purely for decorative purposes, so you can skip it if you’d like. I find a little taper adds a nice subtle detail.

By the way, if you struggle to find good 2x2s precut from the store, I highly recommend making your own 2x2s like this.

Then, I attached a ¾″ plywood side panel between each pair of legs using pocket holes and screws. Learn how to use pocket holes here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling side panels of console table on workbench

Once I had two identical side panels like shown above, I cut four pieces of 1×3 to attach between them–two at the front and two at the back.

I installed these, again, using pocket holes and screws. The two top 1x3s should be flush to the top and the two bottom 1x3s should be even with the bottom edge of the side panels.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing the top supports of console table frame on workbench

I planned to add three drawers into this console, so I cut two pieces of ¾″ plywood to use as the drawer dividers.

I’ll be adding overlay fronts in a later step, so I made these pieces 1″ narrower than the overall depth of my frame. That way, these will be inset the front edge (like you see below) when installed.

The drawer fronts will cover these pieces when installed. I made sure the openings were all equal, then screwed these dividers in place using screws through the top and bottom supports at both the front and the back.

Shara Woodshop Diaries attaching drawer divider panels into console table frame with screws

Prefer to print? Grab the printable console table building plans here.

Step 2: Install Shelf

Next, I added the shelf that goes into the bottom of this frame.

I could have (maybe should have) added this in step 1, but I didn’t decide that I wanted one until later in the project. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to add at any point, so you can change your mind anytime ha!

For the shelf, I cut 1×3 boards to attach between the legs on the sides, front, and back. I drilled pocket holes into the ends of each board and installed them vertically, flush to the INSIDE of each leg toward the bottom using pocket hole screws.

Console table frame assembled on workbench with shelf supports added around the bottom

Then, I cut a piece of ¾″ plywood to fit into the opening in this frame. I made sure it fit (trust me–make sure it will fit first!), then drilled pocket holes around all the edges and secured it to the 1x3s using pocket hole screws from the bottom side.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing shelf panel into console table frame using pocket holes and screws

You can absolutely install this so that it’s flush to the very top edges of these 1x3s, but I actually installed it about ¼″ down from the top edge so that there’s a little “lip” around the shelf.

Step 3: Add Drawer Slides

Next, I added the drawer slides into the console openings at the top. I installed 3 pair of 14″ ball bearing drawer slides so that they were 1″ inset from the front of the console table frame.

RELATED: How to install side mount drawer slides

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing drawer slides into openings in top of DIY console table to add drawers

Prefer to print? Grab the printable console table with drawers building plans here.

Step 4: Attach Top

Next, I cut a piece of ¾″ plywood that was about 2″ longer than the width of my table base and 1″ wider than the depth.

I applied iron on edge banding to the sides and front of this piece to cover the plywood edges. This is totally optional, but just looks nice and clean.
Learn how to apply iron on edge banding here.

Then, I placed this piece on my console table frame so that it overhung both sides 1″ and the front 1″ and secured using screws through the top supports.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing the top panel onto console table base using wood screws through top supports

TIP: Much of this build can be done in random order–all the pieces don’t have to be assembled in a specific step. However, whatever order you assemble in, I do recommend installing the top before installing the drawer boxes.

Step 5: Build and Install Console Table Drawers

Now all that’s left is adding the drawers! I assembled three small drawer boxes to fit into the openings in the top of the console.

I built my drawer boxes using ¾″ plywood scraps for the four sides. I assembled them using pocket holes like you see below.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling small drawer boxes on workbench using pocket hole screws

Then, I cut ¼″ plywood panels to fit over the bottom of each box. I glued and stapled these onto the bottom.

Now, if you have seen me build drawers in the past, you know that typically, I like to cut dadoes and install my ¼″ plywood drawer bottoms into those.

But since these drawer boxes are so shallow, gluing the bottom on gives me just a little extra space inside for storage. Cutting dadoes takes away some of the drawer depth.

Shara Woodshop Diaries stapling drawer bottoms onto drawer boxes on workbench

After all three boxes were together, I installed them into the console onto the slides. Again…even though I’ve mentioned it already several times, these needed to be 1″ inset from the front edge.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing drawer boxes into console table frame onto drawer slides

The drawer fronts in the next step will go on the front and be inset the frame.

Step 6: Customize and Attach Drawer Fronts

I cut three drawer fronts from ¾″ plywood–one for each drawer box. I mentioned earlier that these plain fronts would work totally fine on the console.

But, I wanted to add a fun design to give it a little more character. To do this, I used a laser cutter. I know not everyone has a laser cutter handy, so if you don’t have one, you can cut a design using a jig saw OR you can also just use a stencil or painters tape to stain a design directly onto the plywood.

There are TONS of options to dress up a drawer front, so feel free to get creative.

For the laser cutter, I go into more detail in the video here, but essentially, in the design software, I drew a rectangle the same size as my drawer fronts, then added hexagon shapes inside of it.

Hexagon ¼" plywood pieces cut and arranged on drawer fronts after being cut on laser

I cut this out on ¼″ plywood. Once it was cut, these pieces would fit perfectly over my drawer front–almost like a puzzle. I stained them randomly in three different colors–Minwax Weathered Oak, Early American, and True Black–before gluing them onto each front.

Shara Woodshop Diaries gluing drawer front overlay design onto drawer fronts after stain

While I was staining, I went ahead and stained the console table Minwax Early American as well. After the stain had dried, I attached the drawer fronts to the drawer boxes using a couple screws from the inside.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing drawer fronts onto drawer boxes of console table

Then, I added these simple drawer pulls. Now, I will say that because of the additional ¼″ plywood overlay, these don’t overhang the drawer front very much, so there’s not much to grab to pull it out. So these may not be the BEST option, but they do work.

But, I just really didn’t want to drill holes to add knobs, so I’m going to live with this for a while and I can always change my mind later and add a different knob or pull if needed.

So with that, this console table is complete and I’m loving the modern vibe. It’s such a simple piece, but so practical.

Completed DIY modern console table with drawers at top and a shelf at bottom. Drawer fronts have multicolor modern hexagon overlay design with black accented drawer pulls

If you’d like to build your own, don’t forget to grab the printable console table plans here.

Looking for more console table designs?

Enjoyed this build, but looking for more fun ideas? Here are a few favorites you’ll enjoy browsing! Click on the image(s) below to take you to the how to for each project:

Arched Door Console Cabinet
Mid Century Lowboy Console
DIY Display Console Cabinet
Stenciled Door Console
DIY Modern Console Cabinet
How to build a DIY X Base Console Table--free building plans!! Minwax Early American stain makes this inexpensive console table look like a million bucks! Perfect for living room, bedroom, or dining room for displays and storage!
X Base Console Shelf
DIY Display Shelf with Storage

If you enjoyed this project and want to save it for later, don’t forget to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing overall console table dimensions at top and completed DIY console table at bottom with text "how to build a modern console table"

Until next time, friend, happy building!

How to Build a Small Bathroom Vanity

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In this post, I’m showing you how to build a simple sink sink bathroom vanity with fluted trim details!

This stylish design features double doors at the top and a drawer at the bottom for versatile storage options and a centered sink and faucet.

Small single sink bathroom vanity with fluted trim detail on the doors and drawer front--DIY bathroom vanity with trim

I built this beauty for our hallway bathroom remodel (which isn’t quite ready for the vanity to go in yet, so for now, it’s just staged in my workshop). And I wanted it to match the larger vanity that I built for our other bathroom last year.

To kind of “tie” the two designs together, I used fluted trim boards on the doors and drawer fronts and built them both from the same wood type–red oak.

If your bathroom could use a stylish new vanity, I’m sharing how to build this one in the steps below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building

While this project is small and pretty easy to assemble, I’d consider it an intermediate level build, simply because of the fluted trim details. This requires some precise cutting and patience.

Red oak bathroom vanity with drawer on bottom and two doors on top with fluted trim detail

However, this project would work well with or without the fluted trim, so if you’d rather keep it simple, basic shaker style doors and drawer fronts would look great, too!

This post shares 7 ways to build a cabinet door (or drawer front–you can build drawer fronts the same way as you would build doors), so that you can choose a method you prefer.

Overall dimensions & Countertop Size

The overall dimensions of this vanity is approximately 21 ½″ deep x 34 ½″ tall x 35″ wide (including the trim added around the bottom).

Diagram of DIY small bathroom vanity with fluted trim detail

This single sink vanity was designed to fit a standard 22″ x 36″ vanity top with a centered sink. You can find several options of premade countertops this size from big box and home improvement stores OR you can usually have your local granite shop cut you a top from scraps.

NOTE: The bottom panel of this project is 12 ¾″ up from the ground. All plumbing parts and fixtures (like P-traps and supply lines) will need to be above this height once installed. If it is not, you’ll need to either modify your plumbing and/or adjust the bottom panel/drawer to accommodate.

Are DIY projects your thing? Sign up for our newsletter for priority access to the latest projects and build plans!

Helpful Resources

You may find these resources useful as you build to make your DIY the best it can be:

How to Build a Small Fluted Bathroom Vanity

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

YouTube thumbnail image with text "how to build a small bathroom vanity with fluted details"

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable bathroom vanity building plans here:

Tools & Materials

This project was built using solid red oak lumber and plywood. However, any wood type would work fine for this if you wanted to use something different.

For a more budget friendly option, pine wood and birch plywood is a great option. Learn how to choose the right plywood for your project here.

Keep in mind when using pocket holes and screws that you need to use fine thread pocket hole screws when driving into hardwood (like oak) and coarse thread pocket hole screws when driving into softwood (like pine) and plywood.

Learn how to choose the right screws for your projects here.

Tools:

Materials:

Step 1: Assemble the Vanity Frame

The vanity frame consists of a few different parts and materials. First, I cut the four legs from 2x2s. To give them some extra detail, I wanted to taper my front two legs on the inside corners.

So I set my miter saw to 70 degrees and cut the bottom corners of the two legs like you see below. (I know most miter saws don’t go to 70, so you can taper your legs 45 degrees if needed–it doesn’t have to be a specific angle.)

Red oak 2x2s cut for vanity legs with tapered end on miter saw

Then I cut two ¾″ plywood side panels to attach between the legs with pocket holes and screws.

RELATED: How to use a pocket hole jig

TIP: Make sure the tapered legs are at the front and both panels are flush to the inside edge of the legs.

Shara Woodshop Diaries holding two assembled side panels for DIY single sink bathroom vanity made with red oak

Then, I cut a ¾″ plywood strip for the back support, 2 pieces of 1×2 for the front supports and a ¾″ plywood piece for the bottom panel.

I secured all of these pieces between the two side panels with pocket holes and screws to complete the frame. Again, make sure the tapered legs are toward the front.

TIP: The front edge of the bottom panel will be exposed in the finished project, so if desired, consider applying edge banding to it to cover the plies. Learn how to apply iron on edge banding here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling DIY small fluted bathroom vanity frame using pocket holes and screws on workbench

Then, I went ahead and installed a pair of 18″ ball bearing drawer slides into the vanity in the bottom section. I installed these about 1 ¼″ inset from the front edge.

RELATED: How to install drawer slides

Shara Woodshop Diaries flipping over bathroom vanity frame on workbench with drawer slides installed

Prefer to print? All dimensions, diagrams, and cut lists can be found in the printable plans.

Step 2: Assemble the Drawer Front

This was my favorite step! I cut ¾″ plywood to use as the drawer front that will go into this bottom section.

RELATED: How to size drawer fronts

For the fluted trim detail, I used these red oak casing boards. They come with this profile–notice the fluting in the middle, but the flat pieces on each side.

Close up of fluted oak casing trim

To make this work, I ripped the flat pieces off each side of the board using my table saw–these made strips almost like square dowels.

Fluted oak casing trim cut into three pieces--two square ends and a fluted center

I cut these square pieces with mitered ends to go on the plywood drawer front flush to the edges to kind of frame it out.

Then, I cut the middle fluted section of the board down into small pieces to fill inside the frame.

After making sure the pieces all fit together well, I glued and clamped them on the plywood drawer front and allowed to dry.

Fluted drawer front assembled and glued together

Step 3: Add Optional Trim

While this was drying, I cut to fit 1×2 pieces to trim both side panels. I added one at the top, one at the bottom, and one centered with the bottom panel on the front.

I glued and clamped these pieces and allowed them to dry. If you’re impatient, you could glue and brad nail these instead.

Shara Woodshop Diaries gluing 1x2 trim pieces onto sides of DIY bathroom vanity build

Then, I used some of that square edge ripped from the fluted trim in step 2 to kind of “wrap around” the vanity sides and front to add some extra detail and dimension.

This is totally optional (and you could also opt for a completely different kind of molding if you’d like!), but I just cut to fit these pieces with mitered front corners and glued onto the vanity frame.

Shara Woodshop Diaries applying painters tape to hold trim pieces on vanity while glue dries

Feel free to customize your trim details, but I added one strip of trim flush to the bottom edge and the other centered on the bottom panel and side trim.

TIP: For places where it’s difficult to clamp, try painters tape to hold pieces while glue dries!

Step 4: Build and Install Drawer Box

Next, I assembled a basic drawer box to go into the bottom section of this vanity.

To build my drawer box, I cut four pieces of ¾″ plywood for my drawer box sides and cut a ¼″ dado into them to slide the ¼″ plywood bottom into.

Then, I screwed the box together (sliding the bottom into the dadoes before adding the last piece) using pocket holes and screws.

RELATED: How to build a drawer box

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling large drawer box on workbench using pocket holes and screws

Once the box was assembled, I installed it onto the slides in the bottom section of the vanity. I’ll attach the drawer front in a later step after everything is stained.

Step 5: Build Fluted Doors

I cut 1x3s to assemble two door frames for the vanity. I used wood glue and dowels to glue the frames together. Learn how to use a dowel jig here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling red oak frame using wood glue and dowels

Then, after the glue dried, I routed a ⅜″ wide x ¼″ deep rabbet on the back side to install a ¼″ plywood panel into. Learn 7 ways to build a cabinet door here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries fitting ¼" plywood panel into door frame

After gluing the plywood panel into the rabbet, I added the fluted trim onto the front.

Just like with the drawer fronts, I ripped the flat parts off the oak casing molding and cut the fluted pieces to fit inside my door frames on the front.

After making sure everything fit well, I glued and clamped all the fluted trim pieces on both doors.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing fluted trim pieces into door frame with glue

After this had dried, I drilled concealed hinge cup holes on the back side of both of my doors using my Kreg Concealed Hinge Jig. I’ll install the hinges into these holes in the next step.

RELATED: How to install concealed hinges

NOTE: I didn’t love how the seam looked between the door frame and the plywood panel on the back side. So I cut and glued some thin lattice trim around the edges as you can see in the image below. This is completely optional.

Shara Woodshop Diaries gluing trim around back side of fluted vanity doors

Prefer to print? Grab the printable bathroom vanity building plans here.

Step 6: Finish Vanity & Install

Now that the vanity frame, drawer front, and doors are all assembled, I stained these pieces separately with Minwax Weathered Oak stain. Then, I sealed it with a few coats of Minwax Polycrylic.

It’s usually it much easier to stain and seal the pieces separately, then once everything is dry, install the drawer front and the doors.

RELATED: How to stain wood furniture

I attached the drawer front with screws from inside the drawer box.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing drawer front onto drawer box of small DIY bathroom vanity

Then, I installed the doors into the top section of the cabinet using frameless inset concealed hinges. I had already drilled the hinge cup holes, so I simply attached the hinges to the door, then screwed the doors onto the cabinet.

Simple sink sink bathroom vanity with fluted trim detail--double doors open in top section where plumbing will go

Because inset doors tend to close too far inward, I added a simple catch on the bottom to stop the doors and I added some simple black knobs to finish this project up.

And with that, this vanity is ready to install! Unfortunately, like I mentioned earlier, our bathroom isn’t ready for it just yet.

But, when we get ready to install it, we will secure the vanity base to the wall studs through the back support. Then, we can install the countertop, and hook up the sink and the plumbing.

Fluted detail on DIY red oak bathroom vanity

Even if you didn’t want to use this in an actual bathroom, the design would be perfect for a little dresser, accent cabinet, or entryway table.

If you want to build your own, grab the printable building plans here!

Looking for more Bathroom Vanity Ideas?

If you enjoyed this post, but are looking for more bathroom DIY projects and inspiration, check out these fun builds:

DIY Cedar Vanity
DIY Single Sink Vanity with Drawer
DIY Vanity with Off Center Sink
DIY Double Vanity
Simple Bathroom Cabinet

If you’d like to save this project for later, don’t forget to pin it or share it to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing vanity with doors open at top and vanity with doors close on bottom with text "how to build a bathroom vanity"

Until next time, friends, happy building!

DIY Outdoor Woodworking Projects

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Looking for some fun, new DIY outdoor woodworking projects to build this season?

You’re in the right place! Whether you’re wanting to outfit your patio with outdoor furniture, upgrade your garden with planters, or make it more convenient to grill out, you’ll find a project for that below.

Shara Woodshop Diaries walking in enclosed garden

Over the years, some of my all time favorite projects have been for the backyard, patio, garden, or porch. So while summertime isn’t really my favorite (I prefer the autumn vibes), I do always look forward to the weather getting warmer because that means it’s outdoor project season!

I’ve shared some of my top outdoor picks plus some helpful tips to consider when building for exterior use in the post below. I hope they inspire you to get outside and get building!

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What type of wood should you build outdoor projects with?

Untreated pine is the most budget friendly option to build with, but I personally don’t recommend it for outdoor projects unless it’s going to be under cover (like on a covered porch).

It can last several seasons outdoors if properly finished (sealed and/or painted) and kept under cover, but will deteriorate quickly if exposed to a lot of sun and moisture.

RELATED: How to shop for lumber

untreated pine lumber on workbench
Untreated pine lumber

One of the great things about untreated pine, though, is that it is inexpensive and readily available. So it’s not a major investment even if you do have to replace your project every couple of years.

Pressure treated wood is another budget friendly option and is intended for use outdoors. It will last a long while even when exposed to the elements. However, it’s heavy and is treated with chemicals you may not want to handle.

treated pine lumber on floor
Treated pine lumber

It’s a great option for furniture and fencing, but you may not want to use it for vegetable gardens or raised beds you’ll be eating out of.

Cedar, red wood, and teak are all naturally decay and insect resistant wood options that look really nice. But, that comes with a price tag. These wood types can be quite expensive and sometimes hard to find depending on where you live.

cedar lumber on workbench
Cedar lumber

So when building for outdoors, consider your budget, availability, and the pros and cons of each option before choosing your wood type.

Don’t forget when building outdoor projects–make sure the hardware (screws), glue and finish you use are rated for exterior use.

RELATED: How to choose the right screws for your projects

Are DIY projects your thing? Sign up for our newsletter for priority access to the latest projects and build plans!

DIY Outdoor Projects for the Garden

It doesn’t matter whether you’re starting from scratch, or looking to upgrade, these fun builds are perfect for the garden!

Raised Garden Beds

The great thing about raised garden beds is that it’s a simple and inexpensive way to start a garden even if you have limited space.

They can come in all shapes and sizes depending on what you’d like to grow. When we decided to grow cucumbers in our garden, I built these raised beds with an arbor trellis between them.

Shara placing planters on garden arbor on outdoor raised garden bed with trellis
Raised Garden Beds with Trellis

The trellis gave the cucumber vines plenty of room to spread out and grow, and we still had room inside the beds to plant other things like tomatoes and squash!

But if you’re looking for a simpler or smaller garden bed idea, this simple DIY raised garden bed was made from inexpensive pine 2x boards and can be made in under an hour.

raised garden bed with wooden trellis made from pine lumber
DIY Raised Garden Bed

The optional trellis is fun to customize with any design you’d like, but you can skip adding it and just leave more room for larger plants to spread out–like pumpkins or watermelons.

DIY Garden Arbor

Whether you’re growing flowers, vegetables, or fruits, a garden arbor is a great way to let your plants spread out (or spread up, I guess).

But even if you don’t have anything to grow around it, you can use it to break up a fence and make it an entrance to the back yard. This simple arbor is a quick build and I’m sharing the plans for this garden arbor both with AND without a gate here.

Cedar garden arbor with woven wire fence on sides
DIY Garden Arbor

DIY Enclosed Garden

If wildlife is a problem where you are, an enclosed garden might be the solution! A few years ago, we planted several berry bushes and some grapevines.

But as you can see in the photo, we have a lot of nearby woods and the deer, rabbits and squirrels are frequent visitors. So I built an enclosed garden fence to keep the critters out.

Enclosed walk in garden with two arbors and fencing all around
DIY Enclosed Garden

So far, so good–we’ve had zero problems with animals getting into our fruit since we built it. Plus–it’s beautiful! Check out how to build your own enclosed garden here.

Easy to Build Outdoor Furniture Projects

Whether you need seating for the porch, a place to set drinks on the patio, or a table for the deck, these outdoor furniture projects have been fan favorites over the years.

A porch swing bed is the perfect place to relax on a summer afternoon or to drink your coffee in the mornings.

Shara sitting in DIY porch swing bed small
DIY Porch Swing

To keep things simple, I designed the DIY porch swing bed plans to be made in either a crib or a twin size, so you can use an inexpensive foam mattress for the cushion!

Or if a hammock is more your style, this unique hammock stand offers both privacy and a bit of cover.

Grab the plans to build a floating deck hammock stand here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries sitting in hammock on DIY hammock stand
DIY Hammock Stand

Gather around the fire pit in a classic Adirondack chair. This modern take on a long-time favorite is lightweight so you can carry it from the porch to the yard, if needed.

Build a few to share with your friends at your next summer hang out. Check out the plans to build your own modern Adirondack chair here.

DIY modern Adirondack chair in yard
DIY Adirondack Chair

Looking for a simple way to add some seating to your garden or small porch? This planter bench is a fun way to add some greenery and seating without taking up a lot of floorspace!

Grab the plans to build a simple DIY planter bench here.

DIY Planter Bench against garage doors outside
DIY Planter Garden Bench

Invite your friends over for dinner outside at this trestle table with benches. A simple, but sturdy design provides the perfect place to gather and enjoy grilled burgers while watching the sun set.

Build your own outdoor dining table and benches with these plans.

DIY outdoor Trestle dining table with matching benches
DIY Outdoor Trestle Table and Benches

DIY Outdoor Furniture Collection

This matching outdoor furniture collection has a little of everything! The sturdy, modern, and sophisticated design makes the chair, loveseat, or sofa a cozy place to hang out. Plus, you can add a matching side or coffee table to complete the set.

If you prefer to print, grab the 5 piece outdoor furniture collection printable plan bundle here.

Collage image of outdoor DIY furniture collection showing 3 seating options and two table options
Matching Outdoor Furniture Collection

Or you can check out the individual pieces here:

And if sectionals are your thing, this matching set includes two different styles–an L shaped sectional sofa (shown below) or a chaise sectional.

Shara Woodshop Diaries sitting on DIY outdoor sectional sofa
DIY Modular Sectional Sofa

Mix and match the pieces to customize your own design. Grab the modular sectional printable plans here.

And finally, one of my favorite pieces to the matching set–the chaise lounge. This is the perfect place for lounging on the deck or by the pool.

Build your own DIY chunky chaise lounge chair with plans here.

DIY chunky chaise lounge chair in grass
DIY Chaise Lounge Chair

DIY Outdoor Décor Ideas

Simple and stylish, these quick projects can add outdoor charm to any space. Even better–many of them can be made from scraps!

These simple arched outdoor lanterns are my all time favorite scrap wood project! They’re SO cute and only take a few minutes to build. Mix and match sizes and stain colors to add some adorable décor (and solar lighting!) to your gathering space this season.

Learn how to build these simple arched lanterns here.

arched lanterns made from cedar fence pickets--three sizes side by side
DIY Arched Lanterns

I know we have been focused on summer, but pumpkin season will follow shortly and this little wooden wheelbarrow is such a fun project to build to display your picks.

Or, if you’re more of a flower person, fill it with your favorites all spring and summer long.

Wooden DIY wheelbarrow filled with pumpkins
DIY Wooden Wheelbarrow

Whether you need a potting bench, a grilling cart, or an outdoor cart for entertaining and drinks, this one fits the bill.

Grab the plans to build a versatile garden cart here.

Mobile potting cart on wheels
DIY Outdoor Garden Cart

While they’re perfect for mums in the fall, they’re also perfect for ferns in the summer and mini trees in the winter.

These adorable X trim planter boxes are a year round favorite that I love to keep on each side of my front door!

Grab the plans to build your own X trim planter boxes here.

Two cedar planter boxes with X trim on sides with red mums
DIY Fall Planter Boxes

DIY Projects for Outdoor Grilling

Summertime is grilling time and if you’re looking for something to make grilling out a little more convenient, here are a couple projects that can help.

This mobile cart is pretty large, so it provides extra work surface to prep, grill, and serve from, but is easy to roll out of the way when not needed.

The shelf below provides space for charcoal, ice, drinks and whatever else you may need to make the most of your grill out.

The best part? You can make it with just a few basic tools! Grab the mobile grill cart plans here.

mobile bbq cart prep table small
2 Tool Outdoor Grill Cart

If you’ve got a ceramic grill (or two!) this mobile grill cart is designed for it to be built in, plus provides worksurface for prepping your food and storage below and inside for accessories and more.

And–it’s on wheels so you can easily move it as needed. Grab the ceramic grill cart plans here.

Mobile grill cart with two ceramic grills inside
DIY Grill Cart

How should you seal outdoor projects?

When you build a piece of furniture for use outdoors, you want to make sure it’s properly protected from weather damage from sun, rain, and snow.

For outdoor furniture, I recommend using an outdoor stain and sealant combo (these are often referred to as deck stains).

These come in a wide variety of brands, colors, and opacities. Thompson’s Water Seal, Olympic, Cabot, Valspar are all common outdoor stain and sealant brands you can find readily available in the big box store or local hardware stores.

Can of Cabot Australian Timber Oil on workbench

Most of the options you see available off the shelf come in a clear transparent, a tinted transparent, a tinted semi-transparent, and a tinted solid.

Basically anything with a tint is a stain and sealant all-in-one and the “less transparent” you go, the more protection it provides. Solids provide more protection than transparent. However, transparent allows you to see the wood grain more.

So choosing one is mostly based on how you want it to look and how often you want to reapply. Transparent stains will need to be reapplied more often than solids. But, none of these products will last forever, so be prepared to reapply every 2-5 years regardless.

Shara Woodshop Diaries applying Cabot Australian Timber Oil to outdoor sectional project

Once water no longer beads up on the surface, it’s time for another coat.

To apply/re-apply, make sure to read to manufacturer’s instructions as applications will vary brand to brand. In most cases, there’s no need to follow up with a clear coat or any additional sealant since this is already built into the stain.

NOTE: If you are staining an OUTDOOR project, you CAN use an indoor stain as long as you cover it with an exterior rated sealant. However, both are likely to fade over time and will need to be refinished often.

Looking for more outdoor project ideas?

If you’re hunting for more even DIY outdoor projects you can build this season, I got you!

Check out the full list of all of our outdoor DIYs here!

If you enjoyed this post and want to save it for later, don’t forget to pin it or share it to your favorite social channel!

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Until next time, friends, happy building!

Garage Makeover with DIY Cabinets and Workbench

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In this post, I’m sharing how I upgraded the crowded and cluttered shelves in my sister’s garage with DIY cabinets and a mobile workbench.

The original open shelves in this garage were okay–but not ideal.

Cluttered garage with 2x4 and plywood shelving

While these basic shelves did provide several layers of storage to get things off the floor, there was quite a bit of wasted space between each one.

And it was really difficult to see or reach what was in the back.

So, to better utilize this wall space, I built them custom garage cabinets with pull out drawers, adjustable shelves, and a mobile workbench with tote storage.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing storage tote in storage tote workbench between gray garage cabinets

I’m so excited with how this turned out, so I’m sharing plans to build your own garage cabinets with workbench storage just like these in the post below!

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building

These simple cabinets and tote workbench pack a TON of storage and can easily be built in just a couple days.

While they were designed and built for a garage, this same design could be used inside the home, too (think: craft room or home office!).

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s address some common questions you may have about building your own garage cabinets.

What kind of wood should you use for garage cabinets?

Garage cabinets and workbenches can be made from many different materials–metal, plastic, wood, etc. Wood is a great, inexpensive option to build with.

In this case, I built the cabinets using 100% plywood and the workbench was made from construction grade 2x4s.

Cabinet grade hardwood plywood (like the birch plywood I used for these) is a great option for cabinets because it’s dimensionally stable and very strong.

birch plywood sheet leaning against workbench

This means it can stand up to temperature and humidity fluctuations and can hold all those heavy items you’re typically storing in the garage or workshop.

I highly recommend using a hardwood plywood (like birch, maple, or oak) for cabinets. However, sanded pine plywood is another option that might save a bit of money.

RELATED: How to choose the right plywood for your project

Note that sanded pine is more likely to warp, can’t hold as much weight, and tends to be much rougher than hardwood plywood. But for garage applications, that might be fine.

If you’d like to see what sanded pine plywood looks like, I used it to build this miter saw station.

TIP: If your garage floor sweats, it can damage the bottom of plywood cabinets over time. If you have a lot of moisture in your shop or garage, be sure to shim up your cabinets so they’re not sitting directly on the ground or consider installing a moisture barrier between them and the floor.

You may also consider building a simple base made of treated wood to rest your cabinets on.

Is it cheaper to buy or build your own cabinets?

Which is cheaper–building or buying? This is always the number one question I get about projects like this.

This is the 14th set of cabinets I’ve built for either a garage, closet, workshop, laundry room, home office, or a kitchen. Prices have changed a lot over the years, but in every case, building my own was DEFINITELY cheaper than buying them.

Simple set of black storage cabinets with worksurface between them
An example of a past cabinet project: DIY Garage Cabinets

Of course, everything depends on your location, the type of cabinets you’re buying/building, how many, and the layout of your space. So the exact savings will vary.

But for reference, the cabinets and workbench built in this post cost approximately $900 in lumber and materials (in April 2025). A similar set of prefabbed cabinets (the cheapest option I could find) cost well over $1600 (and that doesn’t even include a workbench).

On top of that, the cabinets I built here were made from hardwood plywood and the prefabbed cabinets were made from particle board. So the ones I built were both cheaper AND better quality.

Want to build your own garage cabinets (plus workbench) without the guesswork? Grab the printable building plans here!

Overall Dimensions

The great thing about building your own garage cabinets is that you can customize the size, mix and match pieces, or add extra cabinets to make this work for your own space.

I built this project in 5 pieces: the workbench, two tall pantry style cabinets, a large upper cabinet that goes above the workbench and a smaller upper cabinet that goes on one side of one of the taller cabinets.

This particular design, once assembled and installed, measures approximately 24″ deep x 84″ tall x 163 ¼″ wide.

Overall dimensional diagram showing dimensions of garage cabinets and workbench

The tall cabinets are 31 ½″ wide, the small left cabinet is 36″ wide and the middle upper cabinet is 64 ¼″ wide.

You might find these resources helpful throughout the build:

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How to build Garage Storage Cabinets with Workbench

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

YouTube Thumbnail showing Shara Woodshop Diaries with garage cabinets and text "DIY garage makeover"

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable garage cabinets with workbench building plans here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

Step 1: Assemble Mobile Tote Storage Workbench

I assembled the workbench first because it’s one of the easiest parts to build. This mobile workbench frame was made from inexpensive construction grade 2x4s.

It’s designed to house 5 plastic storage totes–two larger ones in one side and three smaller ones in the other.

I’ve got all the details on exactly how I built this mobile tote storage workbench in a separate post here.

Essentially, I made two frames–one for the front and one for the back. Then I installed 2×4 supports between them that were spaced apart a little over the height of the storage totes.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing supports for tote storage workbench

Then, I cut and added a ¾″ plywood top and some caster wheels to make it mobile.

DIY tote storage workbench made from 2x4s

Once the workbench was together, I rolled it aside so I could build the cabinets.

Step 2: Assemble Tall Storage Cabinets

Next, I built two tall pantry-style cabinets to go on each side of the workbench. These large cabinets would provide the bulk of the storage in the garage.

I cut ¾″ plywood to build these cabinet boxes from. Each cabinet would need 2 large side panels, 2 back support strips and three panels to connect at the top, middle, and bottom. All dimensions can be found in the printable plans.

To keep things simple, I assembled these cabinet boxes using pocket holes and screws.

RELATED: How to use pocket holes

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling tall garage storage cabinet on workbench with pocket holes and screws

The two back support strips go underneath the top and middle panels–this gives you somewhere to secure them to the wall studs when installing.

NOTE: I notched out the front bottom corners of the side panels to make a toe kick.

I assembled two identical cabinets just like this.

Shara Woodshop Diaries with tall pantry style garage cabinet box in workshop

To make the most efficient use of the space inside, I wanted to add adjustable shelves into the top section, but I wanted to add pull out shelves (or basically shallow drawers) into the bottom section.

I’ll install the shelves in the next step, but first, I needed to install the drawer slides under the middle panel in each cabinet for the pull out shelves.

In order for these slides to clear the doors when they’re added later, I needed to mount them onto some scrap blocks. So before installing the slides, I glued and screwed 3 pair of ¾″ plywood strips to the inside of each cabinet.

Then, I installed 22″ drawer slides onto these scrap blocks so that I could add three pull out shelves in each tall cabinet.

RELATED: How to install side mount drawer slides

Close up of installing drawer slides for pull out shelves in tall garage cabinet box

Once the slides were in, I cut and stapled a ¼″ plywood panel over the back side of each cabinet and flipped everything back upright to see how things were fitting together so far.

Two tall cabinet boxes with drawer slides on each side of tote storage workbench in Woodshop Diaries workshop

Prefer to print? Grab the printable garage cabinet with workbench building plans here.

Step 3: Add Shelves to Garage Cabinets

Things were starting to take shape, so next, I needed to add the shelves inside the cabinet.

For the adjustable shelves, I drilled shelf pin holes in both cabinets above the middle shelf. Learn how to install adjustable shelves in this post.

But for the bottoms, I assembled six total (three for each cabinet) shallow drawer boxes for the pull out shelves.

To make these, I ripped 2 ½″ wide strips of ¾″ plywood and screwed them together at the corners to make the sides. Then I glued and stapled ¼″ plywood over the bottom.

Shara Woodshop Diaries stapling bottom panel onto pull out shelf

Then I installed these into my cabinets onto the slides. These are so nice for storage because you can pull them out to grab or see whatever is tucked away in the back.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing pull out shelves into tall garage cabinet

Finally, to finish up these tall cabinets, I cut two tall ¾″ plywood cabinet doors to cover the front of each cabinet.

I made sure these fit first, but waited to install them until after painting. See step 5.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing large cabinet doors against front of large cabinets

Step 4: Assemble Upper Cabinets

Now that the tall cabinets were built, I just needed to build the two upper cabinets to finish things up. I built both of these upper cabinets using ¾″ plywood.

One of these upper cabinets will go above the workbench between the two tall cabinets. So it built it about ¼″ wider than the workbench top so that there would be a little wiggle room between the cabinets to roll this in between them.

Since this cabinet was so long, I assembled it with two sides, a long top and bottom, but I added a middle divider and two back supports to help prevent it from sagging.

Large upper cabinet box assembled and setting on workbench top

The smaller upper cabinet is completely optional. In my design, I planned to add a small shelving unit on the left side of the left tall cabinet. The shelf I had bought wasn’t very tall, so I had plenty of space above to add another cabinet.

I figured I might as well use that space, but if you don’t need or want the extra cabinet on the side, feel free to skip it.

This smaller cabinet is assembled just like the larger upper cabinet except without a middle divider. It’s just four sides and a back support.

To finish these up, I cut ¾″ plywood doors for each cabinet. I cut two doors for the smaller upper cabinet (shown below). And I cut four doors for the larger upper cabinet–two doors for the left section and two doors for the right section.

Diagram of small upper garage cabinet with doors installed--showing cabinet door dimensions and hinge locations

I recommend waiting to to install all the doors onto the cabinets until after they were painted.

Step 5: Finish Cabinets

Now that all the pieces were cut and assembled, I primed and painted the cabinets and the doors.

Learn how to paint DIY cabinets and furniture here.

I applied one coat of primer and two coats of paint. The color used here was Behr Power Gray.

Once the paint was dry, I installed the hinges to the door, then hung the doors onto all four of the cabinets.

RELATED: How to install concealed hinges

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing large cabinet doors on tall garage cabinets

After adding some handles and knobs to the doors, I loaded them up to transport to my sisters garage to install.

Step 6: Install Garage Cabinets

I installed all of these cabinets by driving screws through the back supports into the wall studs behind the drywall.

You can install these just about any order that you want, but we started with the far right tall cabinet first. Once we positioned it where we wanted, I used a few shims to get it level (most garages will have uneven floors, so use shims to get cabinets level) before securing to the studs.

Then, I placed the large upper cabinet next to it so that they were even at the top and secured it to the wall studs through the back supports as well.

To give my brother in law somewhere to hang his tools, I hung a piece of pegboard underneath this cabinet–which is totally optional.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing peg board panel under upper garage cabinet

Then, we placed the other tall cabinet to the left and secured it to the wall studs just like the first one. And finally added the small upper cabinet next to that.

At that point, I could roll the mobile tote storage workbench into place and slide the totes in.

Garage cabinets installed with mobile workbench rolled into pace--Shara Woodshop Diaries installing storage totes into workbench

To give them somewhere to put their shoes and other “quick grab” items, I added a simple shelving unit under the smaller upper cabinet.

Completed DIY garage cabinets with storage tote workbench and shelving unit

I also mounted the battery chargers to a piece of plywood to hang above the workbench. I did the same thing for my parents’ garage makeover last year.

This is a really simple way to create a consolidated battery charging station.

Two tall garage cabinets with workbench in the middle and upper cabinets above workbench with pegboard panel and battery charger

If you’re ready to build your own garage cabinets with workbench, grab the printable building plans here!

Looking for more garage storage and organization ideas?

Enjoyed this project, but looking for more garage and shop storage ideas? You’ll love these, too! Click on the image(s) below to see how to make each one.

Large Workbench with Storage
Small Space Mobile Workbench
4 Tier Garage Shelf
Battery Charging Station
Garage Makeover with Storage
DIY Garage Cabinets
Easy Garage Shelves

If you enjoyed this project and want to save it for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing overall garage cabinet dimensional diagram at top and completed DIY cabinets and workbench installed on bottom with text "how to build garage cabinets with mobile workbench"

Until next time, friend, happy building!

DIY Mobile Tote Storage Workbench

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a simple workbench with tote storage!

This would not only make a great workbench in your shop or garage, but could also be a handy addition to your craft room, laundry room, and more.

DIY mobile tote storage workbench made from 2x4s and plywood--three large black totes with yellow lids in the left side and three smaller black totes with yellow lids in the right side

The main base is made using 2x4s, which makes this a super sturdy, but inexpensive build, and it’s customizable to fit just about any size tote you’d like to use.

The great thing about using storage totes in a workbench is that it’s a really easy and budget friendly alternative to drawers. You get the hidden storage, protection (from things like dust) and organization of a drawer, but without the time and the expense of building them and buying the slides.

So if you’re ready to build the easiest tote storage workbench, I’m excited to show you how below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building

This is a super quick and easy project that you should be able to complete in just an hour or two and with just a few basic tools.

The overall dimensions of this tote storage workbench are approximately 23″ deep x 39″ tall x 64″ wide.

Overall dimensional diagram of 2x4 tote storage workbench

NOTE: Total height will vary based on the exact casters used. Workbench height without casters is 36 ½″.

Choosing Caster Wheels

I recommend using caster wheels with a plate vs caster wheels with a threaded bolt. You can use any size wheel you’d like, but I used 2″ caster wheels here–it doesn’t need anything huge.

Close up of 2" caster wheels used on mobile storage tote workbench

Note that overall height of workbench will vary based on the exact style and size wheels you install.

Choosing Storage Totes

Storage totes come in thousands of shapes and sizes. This workbench is designed to fit two HDX brand (found at The Home Depot) 27 gallon totes in one side and three HDX brand 14 gallon totes in the other side.

27 gallon and 14 gallon totes loaded into workbench frame

If you wanted to use two 27 gallon totes in both sides or three 14 gallon totes in both sides, that’s fine, too! Just adjust the number and location of tote supports as needed in step 2.

If you choose to use another size or brand of tote, you will need to modify these dimensions to fit.

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How to build a tote storage workbench

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

YouTube thumbnail showing tote storage workbench between cabinets with text "DIY garage makeover"

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable storage tote workbench building plans here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

Step 1: Assemble the Front and Back Frames

To keep things simple and budget friendly, I built the majority of this project with basic construction grade 2x4s.

So, first, I cut down my 2x4s into four pieces about 63″ long and 4 pieces 32 ¾″ long to make the front and back frames.

Before assembling, I gave them a quick sanding. I know it’s just a workshop project, but sanding is still a good idea! Learn how to sand your projects here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries sanding 2x4 boards on workbench top

Then, I assembled these pieces into two simple frames using 2 ½″ wood screws at each corner. TIP: Be sure to predrill pilot holes before driving the screws to prevent the wood from splitting!

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling tote storage workbench frame wiht 2 ½" screws

After I had the two front and back frames together, I added another 2×4 down the center of each one to divide the workbench into the left and right sections. Again, I just secured this piece using 2 ½″ wood screws to keep things simple.

Two 2x4 frames with dividers on workshop floor

Prefer to print? Grab the printable tote storage workbench building plans here.

Step 2: Install Tote Supports/Shelves

Next, I cut several pieces of 2×4 to run between these frames to complete the workbench base, but also to support the totes.

Because I wanted one section of the workbench to house 3 smaller totes, I screwed 3 pair of 2x4s into the right section between the front and back frames.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing 2x4 tote supports with screws

I installed 3 on the inside of the far right legs first. For proper spacing for my totes, I installed these so that the tops were 8 ¾″, 19 ½″ and 30 ¼″ up from the bottom.

Then I installed 3 more 2x4s at the same heights on the right side of the middle divider.

Once the right side supports were in, I did the same for the left side, only I installed 2 pair to house the two larger 27 gallon totes.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing tote support shelves into workbench frame

The tops of these pieces were 13 ¾″ and 29 ¾″ up from the bottom.

Feel free to mix and match the spacing and number of supports in each section if you’d rather have two larger totes or 3 smaller totes in both sides.

Step 3: Attach Casters

Once the tote supports were all installed, I flipped this workbench upside down to install 6 caster wheels–one at each corner and two in the middle.

Shara Woodshop Diaries screwing caster wheels onto bottom of workbench frame

I simply drove screws through the holes in the caster wheel plates. If your screw heads are smaller than the holes in your caster wheel plates, you can use washers.

A NOTE ABOUT ROCKING:

Because 2x4s are not always perfectly flat, once assembled, when you flip this workbench over onto the casters, you may find that your workbench frame tends to rock a bit at the corners (this may not be the case–it’s just a potential issue with a 2×4 frame).

If you find your workbench rocking due to a warped frame (OR this could also be caused by uneven floors), you can fix this by loosening the screws in the caster wheels and adding a shim where needed between the wheel(s) and the frame.

I like to use small pieces of edge banding–this makes an excellent shim! Once you’ve shimmed so that the frame no longer rocks, retighten the screws in the caster wheels.

Step 4: Add Workbench Top

Next, I cut a piece of ¾″ plywood to about an inch larger in depth and length as my base frame.

RELATED: How to cut plywood sheets

This can be any type of ¾″ plywood, but cabinet grade plywood makes a nice looking and smooth worksurface, so I highly recommend it. I used birch plywood here.

RELATED: How to choose plywood for your project

I centered the plywood panel onto the frame and secured it using screws from the bottom side.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing ¾" plywood top to workbench frame using screws from the underside of top supports

And with that, the workbench is complete and it’s time to add in the totes! These HDX totes fit perfectly, but you can absolutely use any size, brand, style you’d like. Just make sure to size your supports to fit them.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing totes into workbench frame

This could be an excellent addition for extra storage and worksurface in the garage, laundry room, craft room and more.

Using storage totes like this is a much cheaper and easier option to organize your stuff than adding drawers. And it keeps out the dust and hides everything much better than shelves. So it’s kind of like the best of both worlds!

Completed DIY tote storage workbench frame made with 2x4s and a plywood top--five black totes with yellow lids inside frame

If you’re ready to build one of your own, grab the printable building plans here!

Looking for More Easy Workshop Ideas?

Enjoyed this project, but looking for more workbench and shop storage ideas? You’ll love these, too! Click on the image(s) below to see how to make each one.

Large Workbench with Storage
Small Space Mobile Workbench
Workbench with Drawers
DIY Mobile Workbench
Battery Charging Station
Scrap Wood Cart

If you enjoyed this project and want to save it for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage showing dimensional diagram of tote storage workbench at top and completed workbench at bottom with text "DIY tote storage workbench"

Until next time, friend, happy building!

How to Build a DIY Entertainment Center

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a beautiful DIY entertainment center with shelving and storage.

This large entertainment center can be used as a stand alone piece or built in. It’s the perfect piece to gather around for family movie night or the big game!

Shara Woodshop Diaries with Large DIY Entertainment center in living room

This design packs plenty of storage underneath for DVDs (does anyone still use those or is it just me?), board games, and gaming systems. And it’s got shelves on each side for displaying your family photos, your favorite books, and décor.

But, since its main purpose is to be used as a TV stand, it obviously leaves room for a large TV to be front and center. Got to keep the main thing the main thing, you know?

It was such a fun project to build (and USE!) so I’m excited to show you how to build your own in the steps below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

**This post was originally published in December 2019, but was updated in April 2025.

What to know before building

This project is large in size, but is broken into three pieces to keep things simpler (and easier to move!)–two side cabinets and one center cabinet.

The trim adds a lot of extra detail to make it look more “high end.” Feel free to customize the trim types to make it better fit your personal style.

Overall Dimensions

The overall dimensions of this project are approximately 18 ¾″ deep x 87″ tall x 111″ wide. These dimensions include the crown molding around the top.

Overall dimensional diagram for DIY entertainment center

Keep in mind that crown molding comes in various sizes, so the overall dimensions may vary a bit depending on what size crown molding you use. Without the molding, the cabinets alone measure approximately 16″ deep x 84″ tall x 106 ½″ wide.

What size TV can this fit?

The center opening is approximately 62 ½″ wide, so it can fit a TV with overall width of about 62″ or less. Keep in mind that TV size is measured across the diagonal of the screen–not the overall width. The TV shown in the photos is a 65″ screen and there is still room on both sides.

Cabinet Door Options

There are hundreds (probably thousands, really) of ways to build a cabinet door. The method shown here requires using a table saw or router to cut a dado to install the center panel.

But, if you don’t have a table saw or a router, that’s OKAY! You can make very similar cabinet doors without them. This post details 7 ways to build a cabinet door.

Shara Woodshop Diaries with 7 cabinet doors leaning against wall
7 Ways to Build a Cabinet Door

You might find these resources helpful throughout the build:

Are DIY projects your thing? Sign up for our newsletter for priority access to the latest projects and build plans!

How to Build a DIY Entertainment Center

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable entertainment center building plans here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

Not sure what type of lumber to use for this project?

1x LUMBER & TRIM: If painting, preprimed pine, spruce, or poplar are great budget friendly options. And if staining, usually, you want to use the same wood type as your plywood so that they match once stained. Check out this post to learn how to shop for and purchase lumber for your project.

PLYWOOD: I recommend using cabinet grade hardwood plywood (like birch, maple, oak, etc). Check out this post to learn how to choose the right plywood for your project.

Step 1: Assemble Side Cabinets

To get started, I cut down the plywood sheets to build my two side cabinets with. These cabinets are made using ¾″ plywood for the body and ¼″ plywood for the back panel.

RELATED: How to cut down plywood sheets

Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting plywood on workbench with circular saw and Rip Cut

The full cut list and plywood cut diagrams can be found in the printable plans.

Each side cabinet body consists of two tall side panels and three smaller panels for the top, middle, and bottom.

I assembled the two side cabinet boxes using ¾” pocket holes and 1 ¼” pocket hole screws.

Diagram showing side cabinet assembly of DIY entertainment center

RELATED: How to use a pocket hole jig

After these were together, I cut and stapled a ¼″ plywood back panel onto both cabinets.

Staple backing onto side cabinet carcasses of DIY Entertainment center

Next, I assembled two face frames to frame out the front side. I used 1x3s for the sides and top and 1x4s for the middle and bottom pieces.

I attached the face frame together using wood glue with ¾″ pocket holes and 1 ¼″ pocket hole screws.

Diagram showing how to assemble face frame for entertainment center cabinet

A standard size pocket hole jig can work fine, BUT, when building face frames, I recommend using a Kreg Micro Jig with pan head pocket hole screws. The smaller holes and screws are less likely to cause splits.

Learn more about how, when, and why to use the Kreg Micro Jig here.

I attached the face frames to the front of both cabinets using wood glue and just brad nailed them in place.  The frames should be flush along the bottom and the sides of the cabinet.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing face frame onto cabinet boxes

Prefer to print? Grab the printable plans complete with cut list, dimensions, and diagrams here.

Step 2: Add Trim and Molding to Side Cabinets

Now that the cabinets are built, it was time to add the molding to dress them up a little.

NOTE: These two smaller cabinets will butt up to the larger center cabinet once complete, so the trim shouldn’t wrap around both sides. It should only be added to the front and left side of the left cabinet and to the front and right side of the right cabinet.

You can customize the trim details on this however, you’d like, but, first, I cut to fit some crown molding around the front and ONE side of each cabinet.

RELATED: How to cut crown molding

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing crown molding onto top of side cabinets of entertainment center

The crown molding gets cut square at the ends, but I also added some baseboard around the bottom and chair rail molding around the middle.

The base and chair moldings should be cut square at the back edge of the cabinets but at the front, on the end that will butt up to the middle cabinet, they should be beveled 45 degrees for an inside corner.

Diagram with color coded trim showing how to install it onto side cabinets

That way, the trim details can butt together at the corners. You’ll see this more in a later step.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing chair rail molding onto side cabinets of entertainment center

Step 3: Build Middle Entertainment Center Cabinet

Now the two side cabinets are finished (except for shelves and doors–we will come back to that later), so it’s time to build the center cabinet to go between them.

This cabinet, just like the others, is made with ¾″ plywood for the main body. So I cut two tall side panels and a top and middle shelf to run between them. I assembled this large cabinet box with pocket holes and screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling middle cabinet of entertainment center in workshop

After the sides, top and middle shelf were together, I cut a divider and two bottom panels to go underneath this middle shelf. I installed each piece with pocket holes and screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing the bottom panels of large cabinet on workshop floor

One quick note: The front edge of the vertical middle divider will be seen in the finished project when the doors are open to this cabinet. For this reason, you may consider applying edge banding to this edge to hide the plies and give you a smoother finish.

RELATED: How to apply edge banding

Once the middle cabinet body was assembled, I cut and stapled a ¼″ plywood back panel across the back side of the bottom of this cabinet. The top section was left open.

Shara Woodshop Diaries attaching backing onto middle entertainment center cabinet

Now, just like with the side cabinets, I assembled a face frame to frame out the front of this cabinet. For this face frame, I used 1x3s for the sides, top and middle and a 1×4 for the bottom piece.

I glued and brad nailed this frame onto the front of the cabinet–it should be flush along the sides and bottom of the cabinet.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing face frame onto middle cabinet box

Prefer to print? Grab the printable plans complete with cut list, dimensions, and diagrams here.

Step 4: Add Trim Detail to Middle Cabinet

Next, I added the same trim to this middle cabinet as I did to the sides. The crown molding will wrap around the front and both sides because this middle cabinet is taller than the sides, so the crown moldings don’t meet.

Diagram showing how to match up trim on entertainment center cabinets

However, for the chair rail and baseboard, the trim on the middle cabinet needs to “meet up with” the trim on the side cabinets.

So, I placed the cabinets side by side to help me position my trim. I ran the chair rail and baseboard across the front of the middle cabinet and down the sides only until it reached the side cabinets.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing baseboard onto middle DIY entertainment center cabinet bottom

The outside corners are beveled 45 degrees one way to wrap around the outside corners, but the inside corners should be beveled the other way so that this trim wraps around the inside corner.

Close up of Trim meeting together at 45 degrees

Step 5: Build Doors and Shelves For Entertainment Center

Now that all three cabinets were built and trimmed out, I circled back to build the doors and the shelving. The middle cabinet needs a pair of double doors and the side cabinets each need one door for the bottom section.

Like I mentioned in the notes earlier in this post, there are many ways to build a door, but for these, I used 1x3s for the door frame and ¼″ plywood for the door panels.

I cut dadoes in the frame pieces to install the center panel, and assembled the mitered corners with wood glue and dowels. You can see this process in detail in this post showing 7 ways to build a cabinet door–this is method number 5.

NOTE: In addition to dadoes, I also routed a roundover (that’s totally optional) on the inside of my door frame pieces to give it some extra detail and dimension.

Shaker style cabinet door made with dowels

Then, I drilled shelf pin holes inside the top sections of each side cabinet so I could add adjustable shelves. I love adjustable shelves because you can rearrange, add more, or remove shelves as needed if you change your mind on what you want to place on them.

Learn how to add adjustable shelves to your projects here.

Close up of drilling shelf pin holes with a shelf pin jig

I cut two ¾″ plywood shelves for each cabinet and applied iron on edge banding across the front edges since they’ll be visible in the finished project. Edge banding will make these edges nice and smooth when they’re painted.

I also drilled shelf pin holes at the top of my middle cabinet to be able to add another ¾″ plywood shelf above the TV.

This shelf is really long since this cabinet is really wide. So, I wanted to give it a little extra support to keep it from sagging in the middle. To do this, I used pocket holes and screws to attach a piece of 1×3 along the front edge

attaching shelf front support with pocket holes

Prefer to print? Grab the printable plans complete with cut list, dimensions, and diagrams here.

Step 6: Paint & Finish

Now the cabinets, doors, and shelves are all assembled, so before putting them all together, I painted them separately.

Painting is not my favorite part of any project, but is sometimes necessary haha. I primed everything first, then painted the doors, shelves, and cabinets in SW Alabaster.

RELATED: How to paint DIY furniture without a sprayer

Close up of paintbrush dripping into paint can
How to Paint Furniture & Cabinets

Step 7: Install Doors

Once the paint was dry, I could install the doors and place the shelves to wrap this project up.

I used my Kreg concealed hinge jig to drill the holes into the doors to install the hinges.

RELATED: How to install concealed hinges

Close up installing concealed hinges onto cabinet door
How to Install Cabinet Hinges

Now, these doors were designed to be inset.  But inset concealed hinges for face frame cabinets (like the ones I built for this project) are hard to find and expensive. 

So I used inset hinges for frameless cabinets and mounted a spacer block inside the cabinets. This allows you to “fake” a frameless cabinet in regard to how the hinges are installed.

Learn more about the different types of hinges and how to choose which ones you need here.

Attach doors onto spacer blocks in entertainment center cabinets
close up image of spacer block being used to install door hinges

Double doors are installed to the middle cabinet and single doors installed to the side cabinets.

Step 8: Set Up Finished Entertainment Center

At this point, this project is ready to be moved into its final spot–my parents’ living room. We placed the cabinets side by side and secured them together with wood screws through the side panels.

TIP: Once the cabinets are screwed together, caulk the seams and the trim if desired for a more seamless look. Anchor cabinet(s) to the wall to prevent tip over.

And finally, I added some shelf pins and placed the shelves into the cabinets where Mom wanted them.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing shelves into completed DIY Entertainment center

Now it was ready to add the most important part–the TV. And with that, it’s ready for the next big game or your family movie night.

This was a huge project, but it was really fun to put together.  Nothing too complicated…just large in size.  It’s definitely a great focal point when people come visit!

DIY Entertainment center in living room painted white with shelving and cabinetry

Plus it gives them plenty of storage for books, DVD’s, whatever, and mom has more surface area to display her décor. 

Left side of DIY entertainment center with cabinets and shelves

If you’re ready to build your own, grab the printable building plans here!

Looking for more DIY furniture projects?

If you enjoyed this project and want to see more DIY furniture projects, here are a few favorites!

DIY Display Console Cabinet
DIY Classic Bookcase
DIY Home Office Built Ins
DIY Double Vanity
DIY 9 Drawer Dresser
Library Bookshelf with Desk

If you enjoyed this project and want to save it for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

How to build a DIY entertainment center with storage and shelving

Until next time, friend, happy building!

Shara Woodshop Diaries with Large DIY Entertainment center in living room

DIY Entertainment Center

Yield: 1 DIY entertainment center

How to build your own DIY entertainment center for your family room or living room.

Materials

Tools

Instructions

  1. Make all the cuts per the plans.
  2. Assemble side cabinet carcass boxes of entertainment center.
  3. Add back panel to side cabinets.
  4. Attach face frame to side cabinets.
  5. Add trim and molding to side cabinets.
  6. Build middle cabinet carcass box.
  7. Add backing to middle entertainment center cabinet.
  8. Add face frame and trim on middle cabinet.
  9. Make doors and shelves for entertainment center cabinets.
  10. Paint and finish.
  11. Drill shelf pin holes.
  12. Attach doors.
  13. Install in your living space!
© Shara, Woodshop Diaries
Project Type: Furniture / Category: DIY Furniture Plans

How to Build a Large Mobile Workbench with Storage

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In this post, I’ll show you how to build a large mobile workbench with tons of storage for your workshop or garage!

If you’ve got the space for it, a large workbench is a valuable asset to a workshop. The large worksurface gives you room to assemble, plan, and place your tools.

Large mobile workbench with storage shelf and drawers in workshop against wall of cabinets

But the best part about a large workbench is having so much space underneath to store your stuff!

This design utilizes shelves, cubbies, and drawers so there’s plenty of room to store and organize your big bulky items (like vacuums) and your small parts (like screws).

I even built this mobile workbench to be the exact same height as my table saw so it serves as the perfect outfeed table, too.

If you’re ready to add some storage AND function to your workshop, I’m sharing how to build and customize your own large workbench below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building a workbench

If you’re thinking this workbench looks familiar, it’s because I’ve actually had it for 6+ years! You can see the original version of it here.

After 6 years of heavy use, the top was pretty dirty and it was about time to replace it. And also after those 6 years, I had some ideas on how to make it better, so I decided to change things up a bit while rebuilding it.

DIY large mobile workbench with storage in workshop--one drawer open to reveal containers for small parts storage

While this “new” workbench is very similar to the original, it includes additional storage with drawers on each side to better utilize the open space underneath.

Mobile Workbench Size

The overall dimensions of this large mobile workbench are 51″ x 99″ x 34 ½″.

Dimensional diagram of large mobile workbench with storage showing 34 ½" tall x 51" wide x 99" long

A comfortable workbench height is between 34″ – 36″. This specific workbench design is 34 ½″ tall because that’s the height of the top of my table saw.  So this works out perfect for an outfeed table. 

If your table saw isn’t 34 ½″ tall like mine or you don’t care to use it as an outfeed table and want it taller or shorter, simply adjust the height of your legs in the plans.

NOTE: Double check the actual overall height of your caster wheels before assembling. Caster wheel designs will vary and they come in various sizes. Without the wheels, the workbench frame is 30 ¾″ tall.

What kind of wood should you build a workbench with?

If aren’t on a budget, hardwood is a great option for a workbench. However, in most cases, since workbenches will get beat up and be well used, you probably don’t want to splurge on materials.

So in that case, construction lumber is a great option as it’s budget friendly, readily available, strong (they literally build houses out of it!), and comes in various sizes.

Close up of sanded pine plywood sheet

I used basic pine/spruce construction lumber for all my workbench framing and I used sanded pine plywood (shown above) for everything EXCEPT the top.

Since my workbench top will be subject to more wear and tear, I opted for a hardwood birch plywood for it since it’s a little more durable.

*I used birch plywood on my original workbench top and it still worked great after 6 ½ years of heavy use. If I had just been more careful not to spill stain and paint all over it all the time, it would have lasted even longer ha!

Other Workbench Options

If this workbench isn’t quite what you’re looking for, or you need something smaller, here are some other great mobile workbench options you might enjoy browsing:

Small Space Mobile Workbench
Workbench with Drawers
DIY Mobile Workbench
Small Kreg Mobile Workbench

You might find these resources helpful throughout the build:

Are DIY projects your thing? Sign up for our newsletter for priority access to the latest projects and build plans!

How to build a large mobile workbench with storage

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

YouTube thumbnail showing workbench with text "I built my workbench...again"

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable large mobile workbench building plans here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

Step 1: Assemble Mobile Workbench Frame

First, I assembled two frames from 2x4s that were 4′ wide x 8′ long so that they were the same size as a full sheet of plywood.

I assembled these using 1 ½″ pocket holes and 2 ½″ pocket hole screws. One will be used for the top and one will be used for the bottom.

RELATED: How to use a pocket hole jig in woodworking projects

2x4 frame assembled with pocket hole screws laying on concrete floor of workshop

TIP: If you wanted your workbench smaller, simply modify the overall size of the frame in this step.

Then, I screwed one of my plywood sheets (I used sanded pine plywood for this bottom panel) onto one of the frames using 1 ¼″ wood screws from the top side. (If you didn’t want to see the screw heads, you could use 2″ screws from the bottom side instead.)

Diagram showing full plywood sheet attached to 2x4 frame

Obviously, if you made your frames smaller, you will need to trim your plywood sheet to fit it. For tips on cutting plywood sheets, check out this guide to cutting down plywood sheets using a circular saw!

Next, I cut four corner posts/legs from 4x4s. If you didn’t want to use 4x4s, you could also just glue and screw 2x4s together to make your own 4×4 posts.

NOTE: 4×4 posts are 3 ½″ x 3 ½″. If you screw 2x4s together to make your own, this will give you 3″ x 3 ½″. So you may need to adjust some other measurements in the plans.

Diagram showing how to attach 4x4 posts/legs to mobile workbench frame

If the legs are cut to 26 ¼″ long, this workbench is 30 ¾″ tall without the casters. So consider the height of your caster wheels and adjust the length of the legs, if desired.

I used wood glue and 3″ long wood screws to attach these posts from the bottom side of the 2×4 frame at each corner.

TIP: I found it easiest to set this bottom frame up on some saw horses, sturdy boxes, or a table to access the bottom side to attach the legs.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing caster wheels to bottom of workbench frame

Next, I attached caster wheels at each corner and added two in the middle along the long sides to help prevent sagging.

You can use just about any size and style of caster wheel you’d like (I used 3″ caster wheels), but make sure they are heavy duty since this workbench (and what you put on top of it) will be pretty heavy.

Shara Woodshop Diaries attaching top frame of mobile workbench to corner posts with screws

Then, I brought out the second 2×4 frame and secured it to the top corners of the legs using 2 ½″ wood screws.

Prefer to print? Grab the printable building plans for this project here.

Step 2: Install Workbench Dividers

Now the main frame is together and it’s time to start adding the storage into the bottom.

I cut a piece of ¾″ plywood to fit into the workbench like shown below to serve as a divider. I drilled pocket holes along the top and bottom edges to secure it to the frame with pocket hole screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing middle divider panel into workbench frame

Then, I cut and installed two small side panels–one on each side of the workbench. I used pocket holes and screws to secure this to the framing and the legs.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing side panels of mobile workbench with pocket hole screws

Then I added another divider panel (just like the first one) right behind these side panels.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing divider panel up to side panels in workbench frame

Of course, you can customize the spacing and sizing here to fit your needs and what you plan to store here, but it’s important to make sure the two large divider panels stay parallel to each other (equal distance apart at the top and bottom).

Step 3: Install Drawer Slides and Shelf

Next, I added 6 pair of 20″ ball bearing side mount drawer slides onto the dividers. This will give me three drawers on each side of the workbench. If you wanted more drawers, you can absolutely add more slides.

RELATED: How to install drawer slides

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing 6 pair of drawer slides between divider panels in large workbench

Next, I added a shelf into the end section between the side panels. In my original workbench, I cut my shelf from ¾″ plywood and screwed some ¾″ plywood triangles through the bottom to divide the shelf into “cubbies” for easier organization.

That has worked well over the years, so I just kept that same shelf and put it back in just like it was. But in step 6, I’ll show you how I customized one part of it.

Diagram showing how the shelf is installed into the end of the workbench

Prefer to print? Grab the printable building plans for this project here.

Step 4: Attach Workbench Top

Next, I placed my birch plywood sheet on the top frame and secured it from the underside using 2″ wood screws around all sides.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing top panel to top frame of workbench from bottom side

This is optional, but to add some strength and protect the edges of the plywood top from dents and dings, I attached some 2x4s around the top.

Because 2x4s usually have rounded corners, I ran these through the table saw to square off the top edge before attaching. This isn’t necessary, but it makes the top nice and smooth without a divot where the plywood joins the 2×4.

Diagram showing how 2x4s are attached around plywood top of workbench

I screwed these 2x4s into the top frame (NOT THE PLYWOOD) using 2 ½″ wood screws around all sides, keeping the top edge of the 2x4s flush to the top of the plywood.

Step 5: Build and Install Drawers

You can assemble the drawer boxes from 1x3s OR ¾″ plywood ripped into 2 ½″ wide strips. I cut four sides for each drawer box and simply screwed them together at the corners with wood screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling drawer boxes with screws

Then, I glued and stapled (you can staple, screw, or nail) ¼″ plywood bottoms onto each box.

Shara Woodshop Diaries stapling drawer bottoms onto drawer boxes in workshop

After all size identical boxes were together, I installed them into the workbench. I found it easiest to remove the part of the slide that mounts to the drawer box using the little tabs on the sides.

Then, I secured these flush to the bottom and front of each side of each box.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing drawer slides to side of drawer box

Then I could slide them right into the workbench. Check out this post for more details on installing drawer slides.

Shara Woodshop Diaries sliding drawer boxes into workbench

Step 6: Customize

At this point, the workbench is complete, but it’s time for the fun part–customizing it for YOUR workshop.

I added some screws (but hooks would work, too) into my side panels to hang my workbench broom, my level, and my extension cord on.

But I also made some brackets/shelves using scrap plywood to hang my cutting guides on as well. I use my Kreg Rip Cut and Accu-Cut guides ALL THE TIME, so I thought it would be nice to give them somewhere to hang up out of the way.

Workbench divider with brackets installed to hold Kreg Cutting guides

One other thing I added to my workbench was a dedicated spot for my circular saw. On the shelf in step 3, I cut a piece of scrap ¾″ plywood to run up two of the triangle dividers.

I placed my circular saw on this piece and marked where the blade rested and cut this out.

Nailing custom fit plywood pieces to hold circular saw on workbench shelf

That gave me a dedicated spot to rest my circular saw so that the blade can rest safely inside the notch and the saw can set flat.

Completed DIY mobile workbench with storage shelf and cubbies on one end and drawers in the middle

Of course, these customizations may not make sense for your work flow, so I highly encourage you to customize your workbench with brackets, hooks, etc to best fit your own needs.

Shara Woodshop Diaries posing next to finished workbench project with storage drawers in workshop

And with that, this workhorse of a workbench is ready for all the projects on your to do list! Although I’ve had this workbench as the centerpiece of my shop for years, these upgrades have made a world of difference already.

If you’d like to build your own, grab the printable building plans here!

Looking for more DIY workshop projects?

If you enjoyed this project and want to see more workshop and garage organization and storage projects, here are a few favorites!

4 Tier Garage Shelf
Small Space Mobile Workbench
Easy Garage Shelves
DIY Garage Cabinets
Battery Charging Station
Scrap Wood Cart

If you enjoyed this project and want to save it for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing dimensional diagram of workbench at top and finished workbench in workshop at bottom with text "how to build a large mobile workbench with storage"

Until next time, friends, happy building!

DIY Storage Desk For Home Office

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a DIY storage desk with drawers. This would be a perfect addition to your home office!

This desk is packed full of storage with 9 drawers–four on each side and a shallow center drawer to store things like USB drives, writing utensils, glasses, and more.

Large white storage desk with 9 drawers with text overlay "build your own storage desk"

This desk is simple in design, but the trim details make all the difference to give it a “dressed up” traditional style.

The great thing about trim and molding is that you can customize it however you wish to change the overall vibe or style of the piece.  Keep it simpler for a more modern feel or go more ornate for a fancier feel.

White home office desk with trim detail and black knobs

Because it’s trimmed on all sides (even the front!), it can sit in the middle of an office with the front visible, but it also works well against a wall, too. 

If your desk could use an upgrade, I’ll show you how to build this one in the steps below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

**This project was built and this post was originally published April 2019. This post was updated April 2025.

What to know before building

This DIY storage desk is not difficult to build, but with all the trim detail and the different size drawers, I’d consider it an intermediate level DIY project.

The overall dimensions of this storage desk are approximately 22″ deep x 30 ½″ tall x 72″ wide.

overall dimensional diagram of DIY storage desk

You might find these resources helpful throughout the build:

Are DIY projects your thing? Sign up for our newsletter for priority access to the latest projects and build plans!

How to build a Storage Desk with Drawers

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable storage desk building plans here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

Not sure what type of lumber to use for this project?

1x LUMBER & TRIM: If painting, preprimed pine, spruce, or poplar are great budget friendly options. And if staining, usually, you want to use the same wood type as your plywood so that they match once stained. Check out this post to learn how to shop for and purchase lumber for your project.

PLYWOOD: I recommend using cabinet grade hardwood plywood (like birch, maple, oak, etc). Check out this post to learn how to choose the right plywood for your project.

Step 1: Assemble Desk Cabinets

This desk is essentially made of two cabinets. Of course, it has a front and a top as well, but everything is kind of built on and around these two cabinets. So that’s what I built first.

The two desk cabinets are made from ¾″ plywood. So, first, I began cutting down my plywood sheets. I needed two side panels, a bottom panel and two support strips for each cabinet.

Learn how to cut plywood here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting plywood for DIY storage desk

You can find the full cut list and plywood cut diagrams with dimensions in the printable storage desk plans here.

Once my plywood was cut down, I drilled ¾” pocket holes along the bottom and back edges of my side panels.

RELATED: How to drill pocket holes

It’s important to note here that the holes on the two side panels for each cabinet should be mirrored. That way, once assembled, all pocket holes will be on the INSIDE of the cabinet.

Shara Woodshop Diaries drilling pocket holes in side panels of storage desk cabinets

Once the pocket holes were drilled, I started assembling the cabinets using wood glue and pocket hole screws. I screwed the sides of the cabinet into the bottom piece of the cabinet like shown making sure the pocket holes were on the inside.

Shara Woodshop Diaries attaching side panels to bottom panel to build storage desk cabinets

Then, I cut attached two support strips between the side panels at the front and back corners using pocket holes and screws.  These will serve as support pieces and a place to screw through later to attach the top.

Diagram showing how to assemble the two cabinets for the storage desk build

Next, I glued and screwed these furniture feet to the bottom corners of each cabinet.  You could use another style of foot here if you wanted.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing furniture feet to the bottom of desk cabinets

To finish up these desk cabinets, I assembled a face frame to cover the front side. I built this ¾″ WIDER than my cabinet boxes and I used 1x2s for the sides, 1x3s for the top and bottom, and a ¾″ square dowel for the drawer divider..

I assembled the frame using wood glue and pocket hole screws.

 A standard size pocket hole jig can work if you’re careful, but I recommend using a Kreg Micro Jig for these thin pieces with pan head pocket hole screws. The smaller holes and screws are less likely to cause splits.

Learn more about how, when, and why to use the Kreg Micro Jig here.

Then, I glued and nailed the face frames onto the front of each cabinet box. I mentioned that I made the face frames ¾″ wider than the cabinets, so I installed these so that they overhung one side of the cabinet ¾″.

Nailing face frame onto storage desk cabinets

This is so that later, when I attach the trim onto the sides of the desk, it kind of “meshes” with the trim.  It will overhang OPPOSITE sides of each cabinet.  So the overhang will be on the left side of the left cabinet and the right side of the right cabinet.

Close up showing face frame overhang on side of cabinet

Step 2: Attach Desk Cabinets Together

Now that the cabinets were built, I needed to attach them together to make the desk base.

For the front side of the desk I cut a large piece of ¾″ plywood and laid it on the ground. Then, I laid both desk cabinets on top of it and secured them with pocket hole screws through the pocket holes I drilled along the back edge of each side panel.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing desk cabinets to front panel with pocket hole screws

I made sure the sides of my cabinets where the face frame had the overhang were on the OUTSIDE of the desk, not the inside.

Then, I cut a piece of 1×3 to attach between the cabinets at the front, top corners. I secured this using pocket holes and screws from the inside (so the pocket holes will be hidden).

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing middle apron to assemble DIY storage desk

Prefer to print? Grab the printable plans complete with cut list, dimensions, and diagrams here.

Step 3: Trim Desk Sides and Front

Now it was time to dress this desk up a bit. I glued and nailed 1x3s and 1x2s around the front and sides of the desk to give it some dimension.

Remember that overhang on the face frames? When I added this trim along the front of the side panels, since these 1xs are ¾″ thick, it should come flush at the joint.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing trim around sides of home office desk

I glued and nailed 1x3s vertically at each corner and along the top and bottom around both sides and the front. Then, I glued and nailed 1x2s a few inches down from the top.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing trim around front of DIY desk

This trim just adds some extra detail to the desk. Feel free to customize however you’d like.

Step 4: Attach Storage Desk Top

Next, I cut a piece of ¾″ plywood for the top panel that was about 2″ wider than the depth of my desk base and about 2″ longer than the width of my desk base.

That allows for a 1″ overhang on all sides of the desk. I applied iron on edge banding to all the edges of this panel to give it a cleaner look.

RELATED: How to apply iron on edge banding

Then I centered the top onto the desk base and used 1 ¼″ wood screws up through the top supports of the desk cabinets to attach.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing top of desk using screws from inside of cabinets in workshop

Step 5: Build and Install Desk Drawers

Because the face frame overhangs the inside edge of the desk cabinets on one side, in order for the slides to work there, I needed to install some spacer blocks so the slides could mount flush to the inside edge of the face frame. 

So for the INSIDES of both cabinets, where the face frame wasn’t flush with the inside of the cabinet, I attached some 1x2s to mount the drawer slides on.

Shara Woodshop Diaries screwing spacer blocks into sides of desk cabinets

Then, I installed 9 pair of ball bearing drawer slides–four in each cabinet and one in the middle, between the two cabinets.

RELATED: How to install side mount drawer slides.

Where there was a spacer block, I installed my slides on them.  Otherwise, I installed the slides directly onto the inside of the cabinet.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing drawer slides into storage desk

Then, I built all 9 drawer boxes. Learn how to build a drawer box here.

This drawer required three different sizes of drawers–6 larger drawers to go into the bottom sections of each cabinet, 2 smaller drawers to go into the top section of each cabinet, and a shallow, but wider drawer box to go in the middle.

All drawer dimensions can be found in the printable plans.

I assembled my drawer boxes using pocket holes and screws, then I installed them into the desk.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing drawer boxes onto slides in DIY storage desk

RELATED: How to install drawer boxes

All 9 drawers installed into storage desk

Then, I cut my drawer fronts from ¾″ plywood and edge banded all sides. Edge banding is optional, but it makes it much cleaner looking and easier to paint.

I tacked the drawer fronts onto my drawer boxes with a couple of brad nails, making sure to leave about ⅛″ gap around all sides.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing drawer fronts onto drawer boxes of desk

Then, I removed them from the desk, labeled each box (so I know where to put it back!), and secured the drawer fronts with a couple screws from the inside.

Using wood screws from inside of drawer box to secure drawer fronts

Step 6: Add Trim Detail and Finish

This additional trim is totally optional, but it really gives a “fancy” look to the desk and adds a lot of detail and dimension.

I cut to fit base cap molding around the top, and I used 2 ¼” door facing for the “baseboard” around the bottom.  Then, on the insides of all my trim pieces, I lined it with cove molding. I just glued and brad nailed all the molding in place.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing cove molding around front of DIY storage desk project

I also added some half round molding  along the ¾″ dowel piece on the face frame and around the sides and front.

Close up of Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing half round molding around sides of home office desk project

I used wood putty to cover all nail holes, and clean up any corners or joints that weren’t perfect. I also added a bead of caulk on the inside corners where needed.

Once everything was dry, I sanded and smoothed out all the putty/filler, then primed and painted the desk and the drawer fronts. (TIP: Keep the drawers removed after step 5 and paint them separately.)

RELATED: How to paint DIY furniture

After the paint was dry, I attached knobs to the drawers and installed them back into the desk.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing drawers into desk

And with that, this desk is ready for work! I loved the way this turned out and how the molding makes it pop.  And I also love that this desk has SO MUCH STORAGE.  ,

DIY Storage Desk with 9 Drawers painted white with black knobs
DIY Storage Desk Plywood Drawer open empty inside
Completed DIY storage desk painted white with black knobs
DIY Storage Desk with four drawers open

So if your office could use a fancy, new desk, don’t forget to check out the plans and YouTube video.

DIY Storage Desk with drawers and traditional trim

Looking for more home office DIY projects?

Here are a few of my favorite home office DIY projects you might also enjoy browsing and building. Click on the image(s) below to see how to build each one:

DIY Corner Floating Desk
DIY Home Office Built Ins
Scrap Wood Desk Organizer
DIY Computer Desk
Easy DIY Desk
Library Bookshelf with Desk
Scrap Wood Key Holder Catch All

If you’d like to save this post for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing completed DIY Storage Desk with 9 Drawers

Until next time, friend, happy building!

DIY Murphy Bed Cabinet

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In this post, I’m showing you how to build a DIY murphy bed cabinet!

It looks like a regular console cabinet, TV stand, or dresser when it’s closed up.

Console cabinet with four doors and two bottom drawers--front view of closed up murphy bed cabinet

But if you open and fold it out, it makes the perfect guest bed! The trifold murphy bed mattress stores away in the top section and the bottom drawer fits pillows and bedding.

Murphy bed cabinet folded out with mattress on it and Shara Woodshop Diaries sitting on end of tri fold mattress

If you need a bedding solution for a small space or just want an easy way to transition an office or living room into a bedroom for guests, this is the project for you!

I’ve got the details and plans for how to build it below along with some tips and other considerations before you build.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to consider before building

This project does not require a lot of tools, but does have a lot of moving parts–quite literally.

For this reason, I’d consider this an intermediate level project, but the assembly itself is pretty straightforward.

What Type of Mattress to Use with DIY Murphy Bed Cabinet

This murphy bed cabinet is designed to be used with a trifold mattress (which is a mattress that folds into thirds). This mattress folds up and stores inside the cabinet.

DIY murphy bed cabinet opened up with tri fold mattress tucked inside cabinet

You can find trifold mattresses in standard mattress sizes–like full, queen, etc. And they usually come as either 4″ or 6″–this is the THICKNESS of the mattress when laid flat.

I used a 4″ foam mattress and there was PLENTY of room inside the cabinet left, so I think it could fit a 6″ mattress as well.

I’ve got plans for a full and a queen size murphy bed cabinet below, so make sure the mattress you choose is the same size as the bed.

Overall Dimensions

The overall dimensions of this murphy bed cabinet vary depending on what size you’re building, but for a queen, the cabinet when closed measures about 24 ¾″ deep x 40 ¾″ tall x 62 ¼″ wide.

Dimensional diagram showing overall dimensions of DIY murphy bed cabinet when closed

The full would be about 6″ narrower than the queen, but would stay the same height and depth.

The queen size, when folded out measures 80″ long. The full would measure about 5″ shorter.

Dimensional diagram of DIY murphy bed cabinet when opened

You might find these resources helpful throughout the build:

Are DIY projects your thing? Sign up for our newsletter for priority access to the latest projects and build plans!

How to Build a Murphy Bed Cabinet

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

Youtube thumbnail showing Shara Woodshop Diaries opening DIY murphy bed cabinet door

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable murphy bed cabinet building plans here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

*I used birch plywood and spruce/pine lumber for this project. Learn how to choose the right plywood for your project here.

Step 1: Assemble the Cabinet

I started this project by cutting down my plywood sheets to start building the main cabinet. Learn how to cut plywood sheets here.

I used ¾″ plywood for the sides, top and bottom and ½″ plywood for the back. And I cut a 1×3 and a 1×4 for the front and back supports.

To keep things simple, I used pocket holes and screws to attach the 1×3 and 1×4 and the ½″ plywood panel between the side panels.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling back panel of DIY murphy bed cabinet on shop floor with pocket holes

Remember to use ¾″ pocket holes and 1 ¼″ pocket hole screws with ¾″ thick material and ½″ plywood with 1″ pocket hole screws with ½″ thick material.

Learn how to use a pocket hole jig here.

Murphy bed cabinet body assembled with sides, back, and front and back supports

Next, I installed a 1×4 strip between the front and back supports and added the bottom panels on top of that. They meet in the middle to rest on this center support.

You’ll notice in the video and the photos below that the bottom panel was installed in two pieces.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing bottom panels into DIY murphy bed cabinet with screws

The reason is simply to make best use of the plywood. If I made this a solid piece, I’d need to buy a third sheet of ¾″ plywood, but cutting them as two pieces allowed me to get everything from two sheets.

You can find the cut list and cut diagrams in the printable plans here.

Next, I cut a large panel for the top that was about 1″ deeper and ⅛″ wider than the cabinet. To trim around the edges, I glued and nailed some 1 ¼″ base cap molding on the sides and front.

Plywood panel on workbench--Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing base cap molding around egdes with brad nailer

Once the glue was dry, I ripped this panel down the middle so that I had two roughly 12″ wide pieces. The back piece will be stationary, but the front piece will open and close.

So I secured the back piece to the cabinet with pocket hole screws through the back and side panels.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing back part of top panel to cabinet with pocket hole screws

Then I attached 3 butt hinges to connect the front part of the top to the back so that it can open and close.

Top of murphy bed cabinet installed with butt hinges. Shara Woodshop Diaries opening front half of top panel

Step 2: Add the Storage Drawer

Next, I installed 18″ ball bearing drawer slides into the bottom section of the cabinet so that they were about ½″ up from the bottom edge of the side panels.

Then, I cut ¾″ plywood to assemble a large drawer box with center divider. I screwed this box together with wood screws, then cut a piece of ½″ plywood to fit over the bottom.

Large plywood drawer box assembled on workbench with divider in the middle

After screwing in the plywood bottom, I installed this drawer box onto the slides so that it was ½″ off the floor.

I used a couple scrap pieces of ½″ plywood placed under the drawer box to ensure it was ½″ up as I screwed in the slides.

Learn how to install drawer slides here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing large bottom drawer box into DIY Murphy bed cabinet

For both the drawer front and the doors in the next step, I wanted it to appear to be separate pieces, but not actually BE separate pieces.

So I adjusted my table saw blade height to ¼″ high and ran a 1×6 through it so that it cut a small kerf down the center. This will mimic the gap between drawer fronts.

Shallow blade kerf cut into 1x6 board--close up

Now I can use this piece in the center of my drawer front frame to “fake” two separate drawers.

I cut 1x3s for the top, bottom and sides and assembled a frame like shown below using pocket holes and screws. (The pocket holes are on the back side and the kerf is on the front.)

Shara Woodshop Diaries holding up large frame that looks like two drawer fronts

Then I screwed this onto the front of my drawer box using screws from the inside.

Drawer front frame installed onto drawer box in bottom of murphy bed cabinet

This drawer front should be spaced about ¼″ off the floor. But–if you are placing it on carpet, ¼″ may not be enough so that it won’t drag. You may consider installing it ½″ off the floor, instead.

Step 3: Build the Murphy Bed Door Frames

Just like with the drawer front, I made one large “fake” door frame the same way. I used the 1×6 with the kerf for the middle pieces and 1x3s for the top, bottom, and sides.

Shara Woodshop Diaries laying out faux door frames on workbench

I assembled this large frame using pocket holes and screws through the top and bottom pieces so that it looked like 4 equal size doors.

Then, I cut a piece of ¾″ plywood for the “backer” to cover the openings.

Before attaching the doors, I installed 3 butt hinges along one long edge of this plywood panel–this will be how it will attach to the cabinet later.

Then, I glued and clamped the door frame onto the front.

Faux door frames glued and clamped onto plywood panel on workbench

I set this piece aside for now while I built the other piece that will fold out.

Prefer to print? Grab the printable DIY murphy bed cabinet plans here.

Step 4: Assemble the Fold Out Frame

For the other fold out piece, if I’d had enough ¾″ plywood, I would have used it, but without buying another sheet, I didn’t have enough. But, I did have some ½″ plywood left.

So I assembled a 1×4 frame and added two ½″ plywood panels inside the openings like you see below.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing ½" plywood panels into 1x4 frame on workbench

Side note: I considered building these fold outs with slats instead of making them solid across the top. But, after building one to test it out, I realized that with such a thin (4″ foam) mattress, you could feel the gaps between the slats and the mattress kind of “seeped” into them.

For such a thin mattress, it really needs a solid support.

Next, I cut four 2x2s and a couple of 1x4s to make a pair of “foldable legs.” I attached each 1×4 between the 2×2 legs with pocket holes and screws, then installed these onto the bottom side of the frame with two hinges each.

These hinges should be installed so that both legs fold INTO the frame.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing foldable leg braces to fold out of DIY murphy bed cabinet with butt hinges

To keep the legs in position when folded out, I added a lid support (what you commonly find in chests to keep the lid from falling when it’s open) to each leg.

This will help ensure the legs don’t accidentally fold in while in use.

Close up of lid support installed onto murphy bed cabinet legs

Step 5: Attach With Hinges

Now, all the pieces are assembled, they just need to be attached together. So I opened the drawer in the cabinet and placed the fold out frame from step 4 (with legs folded out) a little in front of it.

Then I placed the door frame panel from step 3 door side down on the drawer front and butted the edge (the edge without the hinges) up the the edge of the fold out frame.

I clamped each side where the panels met and allowed the drawer front to support the other end. I installed 3 butt hinges across the seam to connect the two panels.

Shara Woodshop Diaries connecting the two fold out supports of DIY murphy bed cabinet with butt hinges

Then, I adjusted the door frame panel up to the cabinet so that the hinges I had installed to the plywood were on top of the front support.

I secured these hinges to the top of the support like shown below, then folded everything back into the cabinet to make sure it all fit.

Installing faux door frame onto murphy bed cabinet with hinges

The trim around the top panel goes over the doors, so when the top is closed, the doors theoretically shouldn’t accidentally open.

BUT, just to be sure, I installed latches on each side of the cabinet to lock the doors in place when shut.

Step 6: Add Hardware and Finish

I sealed this project with a few coats of Minwax Polycrylic, then added some knobs to the doors and drawer pulls to the drawers.

It’s a bit of an awkward installation to add hardware to the doors because you drill the hole in the front, but then you have to fold everything out in order to access the hole(s) to install the knobs. But–it’s doable.

And with that, this murphy bed cabinet is ready for guests!

Shara Woodshop Diaries opening up DIY murphy bed cabinet

To open, pull the drawer out first. Remove any bedding you need from the drawers because once it’s folded out, you won’t be able to access the drawer.

DIY Murphy bed cabinet with bottom drawer open to show bedding stored inside

Then, fold back the top, unlatch the doors and lower them onto the drawer front. Fold up the legs and fold over the fold out frame. Ensure the lid supports are locked in place, then fold out the mattress and add whatever bedding you’d like.

DIY murphy bed cabinet folded out into a bed with trifold mattress laid out on top

To put away, do all those steps backwards. It literally takes less than a minute to fold out or fold in for an easy transition from console cabinet to bed.

If you’re ready to build your own, grab the printable plans in EITHER full OR queen size here.

Looking for More Small Space Projects?

Loved this project, but looking for more? Here are a few of my favorite small space and multipurpose projects you might enjoy. Click on the image(s) below to see how to make each one:

Small Space Mobile Workbench
DIY Corner Floating Desk
DIY Corner Shelf
DIY Puzzle Table
Modern Plywood Shelf
Simple Shoe/Book Rack

If you’d like to save this project for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing closed murphy bed cabinet at top and open murphy bed cabinet at bottom with text "how to build a murphy bed cabinet"

Until next time, friends, happy building!

How to Use a Pocket Hole Jig

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In this post, I’m showing you how to set up and use a pocket hole jig so you can confidently build with pocket holes in your DIY projects!

Whether you’re brand new to pocket holes, or you’ve tried them over and over and just ended up frustrated, this post is for you.

Pocket holes are a really popular joinery method for both beginners and advanced woodworkers alike.

While they can tend to be somewhat controversial within the “fine” woodworking community, it’s hard to deny that pocket holes are an extremely strong, versatile, and quick option for simple butt joints.

*This post contains affiliate links. See policies for details.

What is a Pocket Hole?

Pocket hole joinery is a method of joining wood together that involves drilling a hole into the end of a board at a 15 degree angle. This is called the “pocket hole.”

The pocket holes are drilled using a pocket hole jig.

The pieces are then assembled by driving a screw through this hole and into the adjoining board.

Close up of square drive bit driving pocket hole screws to assemble cabinet

Why Use Pocket Hole Joinery?

Pocket hole joinery is:

  1. Quick
  2. Easy
  3. Strong
  4. Only Requires Two Tools

If you break it down to the bare basics, to use pocket holes, you just drill a hole, and drive a screw, and all you need is a pocket hole jig and a drill.

Many other joinery methods require the use of a table saw and/or router, maybe some chisels, specialty hand saws, plus LOTS of patience, practice and test cuts and a bunch of messy glue.

When to Use Pocket Hole Joinery

Pocket holes are great for attaching two boards together so that you don’t see any exposed screw heads.

I like to use them for attaching large panels together to make things like basic cabinet boxes and DIY furniture.

And they’re also great for attaching two boards together on the same plane like for a face frame as well.

Kreg face clamp to assemble boards on same plane

When used correctly, pocket holes work really well in plywood, softwoods (like pine and spruce), and hardwoods, too.

And, they can usually be placed where they won’t be seen in the finished project.

When NOT to Use Pocket Hole Joinery

Here are a few examples where pocket holes may not be your best bet:

If you aren’t able to hide your pocket holes and you plan on staining the piece, you might want to opt for a different joinery technique. You CAN plug pocket holes, but sometimes the plug may stain differently than the wood. Check out this post for four ways to plug a pocket hole.

If you don’t really care if you see the screw heads and just need the pieces attached, a simple butt joint with a screw through it may be a simpler option than pocket holes.

If you’re working in tight spaces and don’t have room to drive a pocket hole screw (the drill plus the bit will require about 10-12″ of space to work), you may want to consider a different option. Although, a 90 degree drill attachment can help solve that issue in some cases.

How to Set up and Use a Pocket Hole Jig

If you’re ready to start building using pocket holes, here’s what you’ll need:

Tools required for pocket holes:

  • Pocket Hole Jig*
  • Drill (corded OR cordless–either would work fine)
  • Clamp (optional–it depends on the type of jig you use)

*Not sure which jig to get? Check out this post to help you decide which pocket hole jig is best for your shop!

No matter which model you’re working with, all Kreg pocket hole jigs come with a jig, a drill bit, a stop collar, and a square head screw driving bit.

The newer jigs come with a handy thickness gauge that doubles as the set screw wrench. Depending on which jig you buy, you may also have additional accessories.

Accessories that come with pocket hole jigs--drill bit, stop collar, thickness gauge and square drive bit

NOTE: The standard size pocket hole drill bit is ⅜″ diameter. This is the bit used with most of the pocket hole jigs.

But the Kreg Micro uses a smaller drill bit (it comes with the jig when purchased) and the Kreg XL uses a larger drill bit (it also comes with the jig when purchased).

RELATED: Learn more about how to use the Kreg Micro Jig here and learn about how to use the Kreg XL Jig here.

Step 1: Set Pocket Hole Jig for the Board Thickness

The first step to using pocket holes to to determine the thickness of the boards you are joining. The most common sizes you’ll usually be working with are ½″, ¾″ and 1 ½″ thick.

Keep in mind that 1x lumber is actually ¾″ thick and 2x lumber is actually 1 ½″ thick. Learn more about understanding lumber sizing here.

Although less common, you may also be working with 4x4s (like when building this outdoor sofa), which are 3 ½″ thick.

Then, decide which piece(s) you’ll be drilling the pocket holes into and adjust the pocket hole jig to match this board thickness. For example, if you are drilling pocket holes into a ¾″ thick board, set your jig up for ¾″ material.

Which piece gets the pocket holes?

Which piece(s) you drill your pocket holes into will depend on your exact project and design. But here are some rules of thumb:

  1. When using pocket holes, don’t drill them so that your screws will be driving into end grain on the adjoining piece.
  2. In general, most pocket holes in solid boards (not plywood), should be drilled parallel to the wood grain UNLESS you’re edge joining pieces (like when making a table top).
  3. GENERALLY, if you’re joining two different thicknesses, the thinner piece usually gets the pocket holes.

If you aren’t sure how to adjust your jig, refer to the manual. The Kreg 320, Kreg Micro, and Kreg XL jigs all have adjustable tabs on the back to adjust for the correct board thickness.

The older K4 and K5 jigs both have pins on the front that you pull out to allow you to slide the drill guide up and to match up the markings on the sides.

K4 and K5 jigs with arrows pointing to the pins to adjust drill guides
Adjusting the Kreg K5 pocket hole jig for board thickness

The Kreg 520 has tabs on the sides of the drill guide that you squeeze in to adjust it up and down.

But, the Kreg 720 Pocket Holg Jig automatically adjusts for the board thickness so you don’t have to manually change it. The guide adjusts as needed when you clamp your piece into it.

Check out this post to learn more about the 720 series and to find out which jig is best for you!

Step 2: Set Your Drill Bit for Proper Board Thickness

Now that your jig is set, you need to set your drill bit to match.

You should already know your board thickness from step 1. But just in case you need some reassurance about it, the newer Kreg Pocket Hole Jigs come with a handy little gauge to help you see where to set your drill bit collar. See below, this board falls in the ¾″ area.

Close up of thickness gauge on piece of plywood

Use this handy gauge (or an Allen wrench) to adjust the stop collar on the drill bit that comes with the pocket hole jig.

Loosen the set screw on the side of the collar and adjust it up and down until the circle hits the thickness you need. Then, tighten the set screw to lock it in place.

Close up of hex wrench adjusting stop collar on pocket hole drill bit

Remember the drill bit should be set to MATCH the jig. So, if you are drilling into a ¾″ thick board, you need to set BOTH your jig AND your drill bit for ¾″ material.

NOTE: On older versions, the drilling bit may not have these marks and the collar may not have a hole. If that’s the case, refer to your specific jig’s instructions for how to adjust the stop collar for your board thickness.

But, this is a super handy feature, so I’d recommend buying a new drill bit that comes with the marks.

A special note about board thickness:

If you aren’t working with typical thicknesses and need additional options, you can adjust the collar as needed, but err on the small side.

For example, if you’re drilling into a 1″ thick board, adjust your collar between the ¾ and the 1 ½ setting. You can estimate about where the 1″ would be and drill a test hole to make sure it doesn’t come out the end of the board.

See your jigs manual for more information.

A Note About Plywood:

¾″ plywood is usually a bit undersized. I keep my drill bit collar set at ¾″ and don’t run into any issues even though the wood thickness is slightly under.

HOWEVER, if you are using undersized ¾″ plywood and are having issues with screw tips popping out the end of your boards, try adjusting your collar SLIGHTLY closer to the tip to avoid drilling your holes too deep.

Step 3: Drill Your Pocket Holes

Once your jig and your stop collar are both set for your board thickness, simply clamp your wood in the jig and drill your holes.

Plywood clamped in pocket hole jig with drill drilling holes

NOTE: Some jigs have the clamp built in–like the K4, K5, 520 and 720. But the 320, Micro, and XL jigs will need to be clamped onto the board with a separate clamp.

Board Placement in the Jig:

  • For 1 ½″ wide boards (like 1x2s and 2x2s), center the board on the two right holes of the drill guide and drill those two holes.
  • For 2 ½″ wide boards (like 1x3s and 2x3s), center it on the two left holes of the drill guide and drill those two holes.
  • For boards 3 ½″ wide (like 1x4s and 2x4s), center the board on the two outside holes of the drill guide and drill those two holes.
Drill guide holes on jig

For boards or plywood panels wider than that, drill holes spaced out as needed depending on your application. Kreg recommends spacing holes about 6″ apart and at least 2″ from each edge when possible.

Of course, different applications may need less or more–but that’s a good guideline.

Be sure to drill each hole until the stop collar makes contact with the jig.

Close up of stop collar touching drill guide on pocket hole jig

Some of the jigs come with a dust collection port to suck the particles out as you drill. I don’t usually use the dust ports, but I do try to vacuum or clean out the pieces every couple of boards to keep things from getting clogged.

Things to watch out for…if you notice after drilling, that you have a dimple or a hole in the bottom end of your board, you have drilled too far.

Close up of end of plywood board with pocket holes drilled too far

Adjust your stop collar on your drill bit closer to the tip and try again on some test pieces until this is gone. If you just have a dimple and not a hole, you’re really close to where you need to be…just adjust SLIGHTLY.

The Issue with 2x2s…

While we talk about drilling pocket holes, I just want to throw this tip out there. When I use 2x2s in a project, I only drill one pocket hole on each end. Theoretically, each joint should have at least 2 screws.

But, in the past, when I’ve tried to use two screws in 2x2s, they crack or split. So, I’ve started only using one.

That said, if you plan to only use one screw at a joint, DON’T SKIP THE GLUE.

2x2s with pocket holes drilled into the ends

Step 4: Choose the Correct Screw

Before we discuss screw length, let’s first discuss what a “pocket hole screw” is. Pocket hole screws are just washer or pan head screws.

These washer and pan head screws are designed to fit into the pocket hole and the flat bottom prevents it from countersinking and driving through the hole. This also allows it to pull the adjoining piece nice and tight.

It’s important to use WASHER OR PAN HEAD POCKET HOLE SCREWS for your pocket hole applications. Don’t use countersinking screws in pocket holes.

Kreg makes pocket hole screws for both indoor and outdoor applications. The silver (zinc) screws work well for indoors, but if you are going to use them for outside, grab the Blue Kote outdoor screws to prevent rusting and corrosion.

When possible, use COARSE threads on soft woods (like pine, spruce, fir) and plywood. And you should use FINE threads with hardwoods (like oak, maple, wanut, etc.).

Now, we have to also choose the correct screw LENGTH. Kreg has a really handy chart on their website for this.

But the basic rule of thumb in most cases is:

  • Use 1″ pocket hole screws for ½″ pocket holes
  • Use 1 ¼″ pocket hole screws for ¾″ pocket holes
  • Use 2 ½″ pocket hole screws for 1 ½″ pocket holes
  • Use 4″ pocket hole screws for 3 ½″ pocket holes
¾" plywood with 1 ¼" plywood screw laid on it next to a 2x2 with a 2 ½" pocket hole screw laid on it

Learn more about how to choose the correct screw type for your DIY projects here.

Step 5: Assemble Your Pieces

Once the pocket holes are drilled and the correct screw is chosen, it’s time to assemble!

Pocket holes don’t REQUIRE wood glue, but you can definitely add some for a stronger hold if you’d like.

Place your pieces together and use the long square driving bit to drive the pocket hole screw through the pocket hole and into the adjoining piece. You can use an impact driver OR a drill/driver to drive the screws. Just go slow and steady so you don’t overdrive or strip them out.

A few helpful tips:

Clamp the piece(s) before driving the screw. If you are assembling pieces on the same plane (like a face frame), Kreg makes a really handy face clamp that works great.

Kreg face clamp clamping face frame while driving pocket hole screw to attach

If you are assembling pieces at a 90 degree angle (like when building a cabinet box), you can try corner clamps, or bar clamps to hold the pieces tight while you drive the screw.

Be careful not to overdrive your screws. Drive the screw until it pulls the pieces together tightly, then stop. Overdriving can cause the screw to pop out the other side or completely strip out making your joint useless.

If your pieces move when attaching, the best advice I have is to CLAMP and DON’T OVERDRIVE. In some cases, you can also try to brad nail the pieces together first to help hold them in place while you drive the screws.

Step 6: Plug Your Pocket Holes (Optional)

Once your pieces are assembled, there are several ways to fill any exposed pocket holes.

I’ll show you four easy ways to plug pocket holes in this post!

Final Thoughts on Using Pocket Holes in Woodworking Projects

Pocket holes are an excellent option for weekend woodworkers and DIYers who don’t have a shop full of tools, but want to build awesome stuff.

I hope this guide was helpful in getting you started to use pocket holes in your woodworking projects.

If you’d like to read more about pocket holes, be sure to follow along for posts coming out soon with these helpful guides:

If you aren’t already following along in our newsletter, be sure to sign up below to be the first to know about new projects and posts!

Be sure to pin this guide for later so you can reference it when you need it!

Pinterest collage showing attaching two boards with pocket holes and screws at top and drilling pocket holes with a jig on bottom. Text reads "how to use a pocket hole jig"

Until next time, happy building 🙂

7 Pocket Hole Mistakes You Could Be Making

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In this post, I’m exposing 7 common mistakes made when using pocket holes AND how to fix them!

Pocket hole joinery is a simple, strong, and beginner-friendly method of joining pieces of wood to build things like cabinets, furniture, and décor.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling cabinet box using pocket holes on workbench

But even though it’s a simple woodworking joinery method, when you’re first getting started with pocket holes, it can be a bit confusing.

What setting do I use on the jig? Why aren’t my pieces getting tight? How do I keep my pieces from moving while driving the screws?

If you’ve asked any of these questions, you’re definitely not alone. And–you’re also in the right place.

Below I’m sharing the most common pocket hole problems AND how to fix them so you can confidently use pocket holes in your next DIY project.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What is a pocket hole?

Pocket hole joinery is a method of joining wood together that involves drilling a hole (called a “pocket hole”) into the end of a board at a 15 degree angle. Normally, this is drilled using a pocket hole jig.

RELATED: How to choose the best pocket hole jig

Close up of Shara Woodshop Diaries drilling pocket hole with Kreg Micro Pocket Hole Jig on plywood panel

The wood is assembled by driving a screw through this hole and into the adjoining board.

Close up driving pocket hole screw into plywood frame with face frame clamp

One of the great things about pocket hole joinery is that it’s quick, strong, and requires minimal tools–just a drill and a pocket hole jig.

But, as great as pocket holes may be, they still have their challenges.

If you’re brand new to pocket holes, you might find these additional resources helpful to get started:

Common Problems When Using Pocket Holes

Over the years, I’ve received hundreds of messages with questions about pocket holes. And what I’ve found is that almost every question stems from one of these 7 common pocket hole mistakes.

1. Incorrect or Mismatched Jig & Drill Bit Settings

A pocket hole jig is used to drill pocket holes. Both the jig and the drill bit must be set up for the correct thickness of wood before drilling–and they should match.

For example, if you’re drilling into a piece of wood that is ¾″ thick, the jig AND the drill bit should BOTH be set to the ¾″ setting.

Learn more about how to set up and use a pocket hole jig here.

Close up of pocket hole drill bit with stop collar set to ¾"

NOTE: SOME pocket hole jigs (like the Kreg 720) automatically adjust themselves for the board thickness, but in most cases, you need to manually adjust.

If either your jig and/or drill bit are set too long, you’ll drill through the end of the board making the pocket holes unusable.

Pocket hole mistakes: showing board end when pocket holes are drilled too far

If they are set too short, you won’t drill far enough and can end up with loose or weak joints after you drive your screw.

ALWAYS double check that both your jig and your drill bit are set up correctly for the board you’re drilling into and that they match.

2. Using the Wrong Length Screw

When connecting boards with pocket holes, it’s important to use the right length screw. If it’s too short, the joint will be weak. If it’s too long, the screw can poke out the other end.

To choose which length to use, I first determine the thickness of the boards I’m joining.

Close up measuring board thickness with Kreg pocket hole jig measuring tool

If they’re different thicknesses, I pick the thinnest of the two. For example, if I’m attaching a piece of ¾″ plywood to a 2×2 (which is 1 ½″ square), then I’d use ¾″ because it’s thinner.

Then, I choose screw length accordingly:

  • For ½″ material, use 1″ long pocket hole screws
  • For ¾″ material, use 1 ¼″ long pocket hole screws
  • For 1 ½″ material, use 2 ½″ long pocket hole screws
  • For 3 ½″ material, use 4″ long pocket hole screws
¾" plywood piece on workbench with 1 ¼" pocket hole screws next to 2x2 board on workbench with 2 ½" long pocket hole screw

If you’re working with other thicknesses, check out the Kreg Screw Guide for guidance on screw length.

3. Using the Wrong Type of Screw

ALWAYS USE WASHER AND/OR PAN HEAD SCREWS WITH POCKET HOLES. I put that in bold and all caps because it’s critically important for a proper pocket hole joint.

Washer and pan head screws are flat on the bottom of the head. So once they’re seated in a pocket hole, they stop and do not countersink into the wood.

Close up of pocket hole cut down middle with washer head screw inside showing how pocket hole screws don't countersink into wood

This is important because it allows the screw to pull the adjoining board nice and tight, but it also prevents the screw from driving too far and poking out the other end.

Using countersinking or conical head shaped screws in pocket holes can cause loose joints and often results in screw tips popping out.

Close up of washer vs pan vs conical head screws side by side on workbench

Learn more about how to choose the right screw for your DIY projects here.

NOTE: When possible, it’s recommended to use fine thread screws with hardwoods and coarse thread screws with softwoods and plywood.

4. Drilling into the Wrong Board

There’s not always a right or wrong piece to drill a pocket hole into. Sometimes, especially when working with plywood, you can drill pocket holes into either piece depending on how you want them to fit together.

But, when you’re joining two pieces of solid wood, you never want to drill pocket holes along the edge of a board (or across the wood grain) where the screw will be driving into the end grain of the joining board–like you see in the diagram below.

Diagram showing pocket hole mistakes: drilling pocket holes into wrong board

Instead, drill your pocket holes into the end of your boards (or parallel with the grain) so that when the pieces are joined, the screws drive into the edge grain of the adjacent piece–like seen below.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling 2x4 frame with pocket holes in board ends

THE REASON: Screws don’t hold well going into end grain and attaching that way can tend to cause splits and cracks, so those joints will be weaker and more likely to come apart.

5. Pieces slip while attaching

It can be challenging to hold pieces in place while driving pocket hole screws, especially if you’ve used wood glue between the pieces (glue makes it quite slippery).

Remember that pocket holes are drilled at a 15 degree angle so it’s natural as you’re driving the screw, that the piece will tend to pull forward the same direction as the angle.

If you struggle with your pieces slipping, clamp them together tightly before driving the screw(s). You can use special pocket hole clamps if you’d like, but I prefer some basic trigger type clamps like shown below.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling cabinet box with pocket holes using large clamp

If possible, also consider clamping a scrap block directly behind the board to prevent it from trying to pull that direction as the screw goes in.

When attaching pieces together on the same plane–like in a face frame–clamp across the joint to keep pieces flush while attaching.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling face frame with pocket hole screws on workbench with joint clamped tight to prevent movement

If you’ve followed my YouTube channel, you’ll notice that over the years, I’ve learned (and practiced) how to hold my pieces firmly with my hand while attaching in many cases. The key is to keep pressure against the back side of the board.

Here’s a quick video demonstration on how I drive pocket hole screws without a clamp. Keep in mind this is a general demonstration and doesn’t necessarily apply in EVERY instance.

Additionally, to prevent pieces from moving while attaching, make sure the screws are going in at the same angle as the pocket hole. Driving the screws in crooked can pull/push your piece out of position as well.

Shara Woodshop Diaries demonstrating pocket hole mistakes and how to assemble cabinet box driving screws at correct angle

Another reason why your pieces might be slipping out of place as you attach is overdriving the screw, which we will talk about in detail in the next section.

6. Overdriving the screw

I know it’s tempting to want to drive your screws as hard and as tight as possible when joining pieces. But be careful not to overdrive a pocket hole screw.

Like I’ve already mentioned, it’s important to use washer or pan head screws with pocket holes so that they don’t countersink too far into the hole. But the drawback to these types of screws is that since they don’t sink into the wood, if you keep cranking them tighter and tighter, they’ll just keep twisting and can strip out.

Shara Woodshop Diaries attaching face frame onto cabinet with pocket hole screws in the side panel

Also, since these screws are used in an angled pocket hole, it will tend to pull the board forward as it’s driven. Cranking down on the screw is another main reason why pieces can become misaligned while attaching.

When driving pocket hole screws, go slow and once the pieces are snug, stop.

TIP: I personally use an impact driver to drive my pocket hole screws. BUT if you tend to have issues overdriving, try using a drill (or drill/driver) instead and adjust the torque settings (on the drill chuck) so that it stops driving once snug.

7. Incorrect pocket hole spacing

How many and how far apart to space your pocket holes on larger pieces depends greatly on the specific application. But there are some general rules of thumb to keep in mind.

Placing pocket holes too close to the edge of a board or placing them too close together can cause the wood to split, making the joint practically useless.

If drilling holes along the edge of a large piece (like a piece of plywood), try to keep the holes at least 2″ away from the outside edge. Additionally, it’s recommended to space pocket holes roughly 6″-12″ apart along a long edge.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing large plywood back panel into bookcase

Keep the spacing closer together for thinner material (like ½″ plywood). You can space a bit further apart for thicker material (like ¾″ plywood).

Pocket Hole Frequently Asked Questions

There’s a lot of information in this post, but just in case you can’t find what you’re looking for, I wanted to add a few FAQs about pocket holes.

Do I Need Glue with Pocket Holes?

It depends.

Adding wood glue can help strengthen your project, though pocket hole screws alone in many cases are more than enough. If adding glue gives you extra peace of mind, go for it. It won’t hurt.

On the other hand, wood glue will make your project messier to assemble and if you ever plan to redo, rework, repurpose or reuse any part later on, it may be difficult to do so without damage.

I rarely (only occasionally) use wood glue with my pocket holes, and I’ve not had a project fail because of it (for what that’s worth).

How do I Keep My Pieces From Moving When Assembling?

When driving pocket holes, due to the angle, the pieces will tend to push in the direction of the hole. To prevent that, keep FIRM pressure on the back side of the piece as you drive the screws.

You can do this with your hand or by clamping. See #5 above.

Also, make sure to drive the screws into the pocket hole at the same angle as the hole–don’t drive them crooked. And, be careful not to overdrive the screw–see #6 above.

The quickest fix to holding pieces in position is to clamp while driving the screws.

Why is the wood splitting when using pocket holes?

This could be caused by a few different things but it’s most likely that your pocket holes are too close to the board edge OR you’re using the wrong screw–see #3 above.

If you’re working with plywood, it could also be poor quality plywood (if the plies aren’t well glued, they can split apart when screws go through them).

If you’re working with solid boards that are narrow–like 1x2s, 1x3s, and/or 1x4s, try using the Kreg Micro Pocket Hole Jig instead of the standard size. This smaller jig drills smaller holes and help prevent splitting in thin and narrow boards.

Shara Woodshop Diaries drilling pocket holes with Kreg Micro Jig

Learn more about how, when, and why to use the Kreg Micro Pocket Hole Jig here.

Pocket Hole Projects to Practice On

Now you that you know what mistakes to avoid, here are a few fun DIY projects you can practice perfecting your pocket holes on:

DIY Classic Bookcase
Scrap Wood Plant Stand
How to Build a Pantry Cabinet
Simple Modern Nightstand
DIY Puzzle Table

If you enjoyed this post and found it helpful, don’t forget to save it for later by pinning or sharing to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing diagram with pocket holes in wrong board at the top and Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling cabinet box with pocket holes at bottom with text "are you making these 7 pocket hole mistakes?"

Until next time, friends, happy building!

DIY Garage Shelf with Cabinet

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a DIY garage shelf with storage cabinet!

This is such a great project to add extra storage to your garage or workshop without busting the budget.

Garage shelf with built in cabinet on bottom--paint and tools on three tier shelves above cabinet

The cabinet provides a place to hide some of your lesser used items and the open shelves at the top allow plenty of room to keep things like tools, pots, paints and stains.

It’s made with basic plywood and inexpensive 2x2s and 2x4s, so it’s a budget friendly project you can easily put together over a weekend!

I’m showing you how easy it is to build below, so let’s dive in!

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building

This is a great beginner level woodworking project. It’s super simple to put together, requires limited tools, and is a useful addition to any work space. You can easily complete it in just a few hours.

If you’d like to make some changes to the design, you could exclude adding the doors and install open shelves inside the cabinet. Or swap the doors for drawers instead.

Overall dimensions

The overall dimensions of this project are approximately 20 ½″ deep x 32″ wide x 80″ tall.

Garage shelf with build in cabinet overall dimensional diagram showing 80" tall x 32" wide x 20 ½" deep

But of course, you can easily modify this to be just about any size you’d need.

You may find these resources helpful throughout the build:

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How to build a Garage Shelf with Cabinet

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

Youtube video thumbnail showing three garage projects collaged together with text "which is cheaper...DIY or BUY?"

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable garage shelf with cabinet building plans here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

*You can add EITHER stationary shelves OR adjustable shelves (or no shelves at all) inside the cabinet. You only need a shelf pin jig and shelf pins if you choose to add adjustable shelves. Learn more about how to install adjustable shelves here.

**You can use EITHER cabinet grade plywood for this project OR cheaper pine sheathing. Cabinet grade plywood will be more expensive, but will look nicer. I used ¾″ birch for the cabinet box and ½″ pine sheathing for the cabinet back and shelves.

***You could cut your 2x2s from 2x4s instead of buying them precut if you’d prefer. In that case, you can skip the 2x2s and just buy five 2x4x8 boards.

Step 1: Assemble the Cabinet

The cabinet on this project was assembled with ¾″ plywood for the sides, bottom and top, but ½″ plywood for the back.

So, first, I ripped a strip of ¾″ plywood to about 19″ wide and trimmed this into three pieces–two sides and a bottom.

RELATED: How to cut plywood sheets

Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting plywood sheet on workbench with Kreg Rip Cut and circular saw

I drilled ¾″ pocket holes into the ends of the bottom panel and secured it between the side panels with pocket hole screws.

RELATED: How to use a pocket hole jig

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling cabinet box with ¾" plywood and pocket hole screws

Then, I cut a piece of ½″ plywood to cover the back side of this box. I simply screwed this in from the back side with wood screws.

It’s important to make sure this ½″ plywood panel is cut square (the diagonals should measure the same length). If it’s square, it will pull the cabinet box square when it’s attached. But if it’s off square, it will pull the cabinet box off square.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing ½" plywood back panel onto cabinet box

Then, from my ¾″ plywood sheet, I cut another piece to go on top. This piece should be the same width as the cabinet box, but should be about 1 ½″ deeper–it will overhang the front.

You could attach this using pocket holes from inside the cabinet, but I just used screws from the top side.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing cabinet top with screws from the top side

Grab the cut diagrams and complete cut list with dimensions in the printable plans here.

Step 2: Assemble the Shelf Sides

Now that the cabinet box is assembled, I can start adding the shelf framing around it.

I cut four 2x4s to use as the corner posts. You can cut these however long you’d like to make your shelf however tall you’d like. But I cut mine to about 79 ½″ long.

Then, I cut six pieces of 2×2 to run between them–these will be what the shelves rest on later in the project.

I drilled 1 ½″ pocket holes into the ends of each 2×2 and secured three between two corner posts like shown below.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing 2x2s between 2x4 corner posts of shelf frame with pocket holes and screws

Then, I repeated to install the other three 2x2s between the other two corner posts to make two identical frames.

Step 3: Attach Cabinet to Shelf Frames

Next, I secured the cabinet between these two side frames. I found this easiest to do by laying the frame on the ground and flipping the cabinet on its side.

I used screws through the sides of the cabinet to secure it to each corner post. I installed it so that the cabinet was 1 ½″ up from the bottom of each frame and it was flush across the back edge.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing cabinet box to shelf frame on workshop floor

Prefer to print? Grab the printable building plans with all the dimensions and diagrams here.

Step 4: Install Shelves

Next, I needed to finish the frame by adding the front and back shelf supports. So I cut six more pieces of 2×2 to run between the side panels–three at the front and three at the back.

I installed these with pocket holes and screws just like the side shelf supports. It’s important to make sure the front and back supports are aligned with the side shelf supports–they should be at the same heights.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing front and back shelf supports with pocket holes and screws

Now, I needed to actually add the shelves to this frame. So I cut three shelves from my ½″ plywood sheet to 20 ½″ x 32″. One of these shelves will go on the top as is.

But the other two will need the corners notched out to fit around the corner posts.

So I measured and marked a 1 ½″ x 3 ½″ notch at each corner and trimmed along the marks with a jig saw.

Close up of notches cut on corner of plywood shelves

Then, I placed the shelves into the frame–the unnotched shelf on the top and the notched shelves on the middle and bottom.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing ½" plywood shelves onto 2x2 shelf frame in garage shelf with cabinet project

The notched shelves are a bit tricky to get into place, but it’s doable. I recommend going in from the front at an angle, then twisting the shelf piece into place.

I secured these with wood screws from the top side, but you could also use wood screws through the bottom of the 2x2s as well.

Step 5: Add Doors

And at this point, all that’s left is finishing up the cabinet. I cut to fit two overlay doors from my remaining ¾″ plywood and installed these using frameless full overlay concealed hinges.

RELATED: How to install concealed hinges

Completed wooden garage shelf with built in cabinet--cabinet doors open with bucket and bag of charcoal inside

If desired, you could install shelves inside the cabinet. For stationary shelves, secure a piece of ¾″ plywood to both sides of the cabinet using pocket holes and screws.

For adjustable shelves, you can use a shelf pin jig to drill shelf pin holes along the cabinet sides and place a ¾″ plywood shelf where desired with shelf pins.

Learn more about how to install adjustable shelves here.

Finished DIY garage shelf with cabinet on bottom and three shelves on top

And with that, this simple shelf is ready for all the storage! I would work perfect in a workshop or garage for all kinds of odds and ends–tools, seasonal decor, paints and stains, etc.

Looking for more garage and workshop organization ideas?

Loved this project, but looking for more? Here are a few of my favorite garage and workshop organization projects you might enjoy. Click on the image(s) below to see how to make each one:

4 Tier Garage Shelf
Small Space Mobile Workbench
Battery Charging Station
Workbench with Drawers
DIY Garage Cabinets

If you’d like to save this project for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing Shara Woodshop Diaries building shelf with cabinet at top and finished DIY shelf at bottom with text "how to build a garage shelf w/ cabinet"

Until next time, friends, happy building!

How to Build a Small Space Workbench

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build the perfect small space workbench for your garage or workshop!

While it may be small, it provides an ample worksurface with plenty of built in storage for all your must have tools and clamps.

Small DIY mobile workbench with shelf--storage cubbies on one side and clamp racks on the other

I added caster wheels to make it mobile and customized the sides to store clamps and other odds and ends (like tape measure, glue, sanding discs).

This easy-to-build workbench is practical for any workshop or garage–whether your limited on space or just need an extra storage cart.

I’m sharing the printable plans to build it plus some helpful building tips below, so if you’re ready, let’s get building.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building

This is a great beginner level woodworking project. It’s super simple to put together, requires limited tools, and is a useful addition to any work space. You can easily complete it in just a few hours.

Overall dimensions

The overall dimensions of this small space workbench are approximately 25″ deep x 36″ tall x 48″ wide.

Small DIY workbench dimensional diagram

Note that the size and exact style of caster wheel you use will change the overall height, so the 36″ is approximate depending on your wheels. The workbench without the caster wheels is about 33″ tall for reference.

The size is really easy to modify, but this particular design utilizes the 1 sheet of plywood most efficiently so if you go much bigger, you’ll likely need another sheet.

Is it cheaper to build or buy a small workbench?

This always depends as there are many brands, styles and sizes of store bought workbench that will vary in price. However, for a similar design and size, I’ve found several store bought options ranging from $200 and up.

The cheapest options didn’t have caster wheels (so they weren’t mobile) and none of the store bought workbenches that I found had customized sides like this one does.

Shara Woodshop Diaries pushing mobile DIY workbench cart with tools across workshop on caster wheels

This particular workbench cost roughly $135 in materials* (including lumber, screws, and caster wheels) to build. So not only is it cheaper to build, it’s also customizable, mobile, and super sturdy.

*Keep in mind these prices are valid as of March 2025. Lumber prices and availability vary greatly by location and change daily.

You may find these resources helpful throughout the build:

Are DIY projects your thing? Sign up for our newsletter for priority access to the latest projects and build plans!

How to Build a Small DIY Mobile Workbench

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here. 

YouTube Thumbnail image showing Shara Woodshop Diaries placing tools on workbench side storage with text "DIY VS BUY"

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable small workbench building plans here:

Tools & Materials:

Tools:

Materials:

*I used cabinet grade birch plywood for this project because I wanted a smooth, durable, and nice looking surface on my shelves and top. However, if you wanted to use a more budget friendly plywood option, you certainly can.

Step 1: Assemble the Bottom

I assembled this workbench with the bottom first. So I cut four pieces of 2×4 to make a frame about the size (just a bit smaller) I wanted my workbench. Two long pieces will run along the front and back and two shorter pieces will connect them at the sides.

I assembled this frame using pocket holes and screws. Check out this post to learn how to use a pocket hole jig.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling bottom workbench frame with 2x4s and pocket hole screws

After the frame was together, I cut a piece of ¾″ plywood to fit over the top of it.

RELATED: How to cut plywood sheets

I simply screwed this panel onto the frame to complete the base of the bench frame.

Shara Woodshop Diaries attaching plywood top to 2x4 workbench frame

Grab the cut diagrams and complete cut list with dimensions in the printable plans here.

Step 2: Assemble the Small Workbench Frame

Next, I cut four more pieces of 2×4 for the legs (or corner posts–whichever you’d like to call them).

If you wanted a taller or shorter workbench, simply adjust the length of these legs as desired. I cut mine 30″ long.

I attached these at each corner using 3″ wood screws from the bottom up into each leg. You could use pocket holes and screws to attach them instead if you’d rather.

DIY mobile workbench bottom frame assembled with 4 legs attached on top

After the legs were installed, I cut four more pieces of 2×4 to run between them at the top–two long pieces at the front and back and two short pieces on the sides.

Diagram showing installing 2x4 framing between legs of DIY mobile workbench build

I installed these flush to the top, between the legs using pocket holes and screws.

Step 3: Attach the Top

I cut the top from ¾″ plywood about 2″ larger than the frame on both sides–that way, it can have about 1″ overhang on all sides.

If you watch the video I linked above, and you notice the images below, you’ll see that when I built this, I went a bit out of order. I actually installed the shelf before adding the top.

But after I did, I realized I didn’t have enough room to install the top how I’d like.

So…I recommend attaching the top BEFORE the shelf. In hindsight, I would have drilled ¾″ pocket holes around the top framing and installed the workbench top using 1 ¼″ pocket hole screws.

Diagram showing how to attach workbench top with pocket holes

Prefer to print? Grab the printable building plans with all the dimensions and diagrams here.

Step 4: Add the Shelf

I know the top isn’t installed in the images (remember, I built this out of order), but just pretend it is.

Next, I installed 2x4s between the legs to support the shelf. I cut 2 long pieces to run along the front and back and installed these between the legs witch pocket holes and screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing shelf framing on workbench build with pocket hole screws

You can install these however high or low you’d like in your workbench frame.

After the front and back supports were in, I cut and installed two short pieces to run between them–one on each side using pocket holes and screws.

Then I cut and placed a piece of ¾″ plywood to fit on top.

Shara Woodshop Diaries screwing plywood shelf into small DIY workbench

You could secure these with screws from the top side, but I used screws from the bottom of the frame so they’d be hidden.

Step 5: Install Caster Wheels

I flipped the workbench upside down and installed 3″ caster wheels at the corners.

Close up of installing caster wheels on bottom of workbench frame

You can use any size caster wheel you’d like, but I prefer the wheels with the plate vs the kind with the threaded insert or the kind that mount to the side of the bench. (That’s just my personal preference.)

Shara Woodshop Diaries rolling completed workbench on casters before adding side storage

At this point, the workbench is complete! The next step is adding some optional customizations.

Prefer to print? Grab the printable building plans for this small space mobile workbench here.

Step 6: Customize Mobile Workbench with Storage

I had some leftover plywood and I thought it would be fun to add some additional storage on the sides of the workbench. So I cut a panel to fit between the legs on one side.

Then I cut down some 3″ strips of plywood to make some simple little “cubbies” that would fit my glue bottles, drill bit case, sandpaper, etc. (I just brad nailed these cubbies together, but you could also use screws.)

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing storage cubbies together on workbench

I also cut a pieces about 5″ x 7″ and used a jig saw to cut slots just wide enough to fit my drill and driver into.

Then, I arranged my cubbies and my tool holder on the side panel so that everything fit well and one by one, I clamped each piece in place and used screws through the back to secure them.

Once all my pieces were on, I installed this panel into the side of my workbench using pocket holes at the bottom (on the inside) and screws at the top into the shelf frame.

DIY mobile workbench side panel with storage cubbies and a tool holder installed

For my clamps, I cut two strips of plywood about 2″ wide and screwed these between the legs on the opposite side of the workbench. This is a super simple way to store clamps and keep them readily accessible.

Completed DIY small space workbench with caster wheels, a shelf, and tool storage on both sides--clamp rails with clamps on the left

And with that, this small space workbench is ready for work!

Mobile small space workbench with tool storage installed on one side and clamp storage on the other. A circular saw sitting on the bottom shelf and scrap blocks on the middle shelf.

Looking for More Garage and Workshop Organization ideas?

Loved this project, but looking for more? Here are a few of my favorite garage and workshop organization projects you might enjoy. Click on the image(s) below to see how to make each one:

4 Tier Garage Shelf
DIY Garage Cabinets
Easy Garage Shelves
Mobile Workbench
Scrap Wood Clamp Rack

If you’d like to save this project for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing clamp rack side of workbench at top and Shara pushing workbench at bottom with text "how to build a mobile workbench"

Until next time, friends, happy building!

DIY Garage Shelving Unit

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a super sturdy freestanding DIY garage shelf for about $100 in lumber!

All you need are a couple inexpensive sheets of plywood and some 2x4s–and about an hour (maybe two) of your time.

DIY Wooden 4 tier garage shelf with totes, planters, buckets and cans of finish on the shelves

These garage shelves are easy to customize to just about any size you’d like and are perfect for storing tools, totes, seasonal decor, and more.

And in case you’re wondering if this is cheaper to build or to buy (I know you were thinking it!), I’ll discuss the cost breakdown in detail below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building this Garage Shelf

This is a great beginner level woodworking project. It’s super simple to put together, requires limited tools, and allows some room for error.

Of course, as with any project, precision is important. But, since this is for garage storage, it doesn’t have to be PERFECT. This would be a great project to get some practice on before tackling something a little more advanced.

Overall dimensions

The overall dimensions of this shelving unit are approximately 23″ deep x 72″ wide x 76″ tall.

DIY heavy duty garage shelf overall dimensional diagram

The space between each shelf is roughly 19 ¾″. But if you wanted to space your shelves differently or add a 5th shelf, you could absolutely customize your spacing to fit your needs.

Is it cheaper to buy or DIY a garage shelf?

Most off the shelf, ready-to-assemble garage shelving is going to be made from either metal or plastic. This DIY option is made from wood, so this isn’t an exact comparison, but it’s close.

Plastic shelving may be cheaper, but will be far inferior (weaker) to this wooden shelf, so it’s best to compare these to a heavier duty metal option.

For a 4 tier metal shelf of similar sizing, I found options ranging from $250-500.

This one was just under $100 in lumber plus about $20 for screws*. Another pro to building it yourself is that you can customize it to any size that you need.

*Keep in mind these prices are valid as of March 2025. Lumber prices and availability vary greatly by location and change daily.

How much can the shelves hold?

As far as volume, each shelf is approximately 19 ¾″ tall x 23″ deep x 72″ wide.

As far as weight, it will depend on the quality of the lumber used (is it cracked, how many knots, etc), how well it was assembled, and the exact type of screws used.

Shara Woodshop Diaries sitting on garage shelf with concrete bags to show how much weight they can hold

If properly assembled, they can easily hold several hundred pounds each (I tested it with 280 lbs and it didn’t budge a bit). This is more than enough for most typical things you’d be storing here (like a few boxes of old books, Christmas decorations, or tools).

You may find these resources helpful throughout the build:

Are DIY projects your thing? Sign up for our newsletter for priority access to the latest projects and build plans!

How to build a heavy duty Garage Shelf

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here. 

YouTube Thumbnail image showing garage shelf with text "build or buy?"

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable garage shelf building plans here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

*You don’t need to use nice cabinet grade plywood for these shelves. You certainly can if you’d like, but for a budget friendly option, I recommend using an inexpensive pine sheathing. These often come as 15/32″ (which is just shy of ½″–that is OKAY!) thickness.

**You can assemble this shelf using EITHER standard size pocket holes or XL pocket holes. If using XL pocket holes, you’ll need to use XL pocket hole screws (you need 64 pocket hole screws total–they come in packs of 30). See this post for more information on standard vs XL pocket holes.

Step 1: Assemble Front and Back Frames

The main frame of this garage shelf is made using 2x4s. So first, I cut down my 2×4 boards into:

  • (4) Corner posts (cut these the height you want your shelving unit to be)
  • (8) Long supports (these will span the LENGTH of the shelves)
  • (16) Short supports (these will span the DEPTH of the shelves)

Grab the cut diagrams and complete cut list with dimensions in the printable plans here.

2x4s cut to length for garage shelf leaning against wall in workshop

Once the pieces were cut, I set the short pieces to the side for now. Those will come into play in step 2.

I drilled 1 ½″ pocket holes into the ends of the eight long support boards.

RELATED: How to drill pocket holes

Drilling pocket holes in board ends with Kreg XL pocket hole jig

NOTE: You can use EITHER a standard size pocket hole jig OR an XL pocket hole jig for this project.

If you use a standard size jig (like the Kreg 320, 520, 720, or K4/K5s), you’ll need to use standard size pocket hole screws. But if you use the XL jig, you need to use XL pocket hole screws.

Learn more about when, why, and how to use the Kreg XL pocket hole jig here.

Unless you plan to store SUPER heavy items (like pallet loads of tile or brick), the XL is not NECESSARY. Standard screws will hold fine for most applications.

After drilling the pocket holes, I assembled 4 long supports between two of the corner posts like shown below using 2 ½″ pocket hole screws.

I installed the top support flush to the top edge of the corner posts and the bottom support 1″ up from the bottom of the corner posts.

Then, I evenly spaced the two middle supports.

Shara Woodshop Diaries driving screws in pocket holes to assemble front and back shelf frames on concrete workshop floor

After one frame was assembled, I repeated to make another identical to it with the other two corner posts and the other 4 long supports. One frame will go on the front and one on the back of the shelf.

Step 2: Attach Sides and Supports

Next, I drilled 1 ½″ pocket holes into the ends of eight of the short supports I cut in step 1.

Again, just like before, you can drill these with EITHER a standard size jig or the XL jig. See note in step 1.

I installed these with 2 ½″ pocket hole screws onto the corner posts of ONE of the frames from step 1. They should be installed so that they’re even with the long supports, but flush to the outside edge.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing the shelf side supports onto garage shelf frame with pocket hole screws

Prefer to print? Grab the printable building plans with all the dimensions and diagrams here.

I secured 4 short supports on one side and 4 on the other, then flipped it over on the other frame from step 1 and attached the other side.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling shelf sides on workshop floor

Then, I evenly spaced the 8 remaining short supports between the long supports like shown below and secured them with 2 ½″ wood screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries screwing middle supports into shelf frame with wood screws

I repeated to add two of these supports on each shelf–bottom to top.

Step 3: Cut and Install Shelves

Now the frame is complete and all that’s left is adding the shelves. I used ~½″ pine sheathing plywood for the tops of my shelves.

First, I ripped each sheet into two 23″ wide strips (the overall width of my shelving unit). Then, I trimmed these strips to 72″ long (the overall length of my shelving unit). There should be 4 shelves.

Now, the top shelf can be placed on top of the frame–it doesn’t need to be trimmed. But the three bottom shelves will need the corners notched out in order to fit around the legs.

Close up of Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting corner shelf notches with jig saw

At each corner, I drew a notch 1 ½″ x 3 ½″ to fit around the corner post legs. I cut these with a jig saw.

After cutting each shelf, I placed it into the frame to make sure it fit.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing plywood shelves into garage shelf frame

Then, I secured each one to the frame with 1 ¼″ screws.

Securing plywood to shelf frame with wood screws

Step 4: Secure DIY Garage Shelf

And at this point, you can paint or stain if desired. I left as is since this is just going in a garage for storage, but it would look really nice painted black if you wanted to!

Finished DIY Heavy Duty Garage shelf unit with 4 tiers made with 2x4s and plywood

Now this shelf is super sturdy and can stand on it’s own. But to prevent accidental tip over, I do recommend securely anchoring it to the wall.

You can do this several ways, but an easy one is to simply secure it through the top, back long support into the wall studs with some long wood screws.

Heavy Duty DIY Freestanding Garage Shelving Unit with totes and items stored on each of the 4 tiers

Prefer to print? Grab the printable building plans for this heavy duty garage shelf here.

Looking for more workshop and Garage organization ideas?

Loved this project, but looking for more? Here are a few of my favorite garage and workshop organization projects you might enjoy. Click on the image(s) below to see how to make each one:

Battery Charging Station
Easy Garage Shelves
DIY Garage Cabinets
Workbench with Drawers
How to build a mobile Miter Saw Stand with storage drawers, and fold down extension wings
Mobile Miter Saw Stand

If you’d like to save this project for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing Shara Woodshop Diaries placing plywood on shelf frame at top and completed DIY garage shelf at bottom with text "how to build garage shelves"

Until next time, friends, happy building!

DIY Platform Storage Bed

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a DIY platform storage bed with 3 drawers on each side!

This modern, minimalist design can mesh well with any style of existing furniture, so if you need to upgrade your current bed frame to one with storage, this is a great solution!

DIY wooden platform bed with storage drawers--one drawer open--with white bedding and green pillows

Because this design is really just the platform frame, you can easily add your own head and/or footboard to it to customize it, too!

By the way, if you’re looking for a similar design, but without storage, head over to this post to see how to build this same bed without the drawers.

This bed frame is easy to build and easy on the budget, so if you’re ready to see how to build it, let’s dive in!

**This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building a DIY platform storage bed

While building a bed can seem like a big project because of it’s size, it’s quite simple if you break it down into pieces.

Generally, a bed frame consists of four parts: 2 side rails, 1 headboard and one footboard. The exact style and design may vary, but the frame will have four sides. In this case, two sides contain drawer boxes as you can see below:

Diagram showing exploded view of platform storage bed assembly with arrows labeling each part

Then, slats are usually added across the top to support the mattress.

So, essentially, to build a bed, you just need to assemble the four parts separately, then attach them together and add slats. Although large in size, it’s quite simple in complexity.

Bed Frame Sizing

Mattresses come in various sizes, so it makes sense that bed frames also come in multiple sizes to accommodate. Twin, full, queen, and king are the most common. Below are standard mattress dimensions for these sizes:

  • Twin: 38″ x 75″
  • Full: 54″ x 75″
  • Queen: 60″ x 80″
  • King: 76″ x 80″
Diagram of completed platform storage bed with mattress on top

NOTE: This bed frame design is built 1″ wider and 1″ longer than the standard mattress dimensions to allow some wiggle room on all sides.

Overall dimensions and material amounts will vary based on the size bed you’re building. However, the assembly process remains the same no matter the size.

If you’d like specifics, I’ve included the dimensions, materials lists, and cut diagrams for all four sizes in the printable plans.

You may find these resources helpful throughout the build:

Are DIY projects your thing? Sign up for our newsletter for priority access to the latest projects and build plans!

How to build a Platform Bed with Drawers

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here. This video shows how to build this bed design both with and without drawers.

YouTube Thumbnail image for platform storage bed video

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable storage bed building plans here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

*Length and number of boards will vary based on what size bed you’re building (twin, full, queen, king). Refer to plans for exact amount.

NOTE: 1×12 and 1×4 are nominal dimensions. Learn more about understanding lumber sizing here.

MATERIAL OPTIONS:

I used construction grade lumber (pine/spruce) from the local big box store for this build to keep it budget friendly, but you can use any species of wood you prefer.

Alternatively, if you’d rather, you could skip the solid boards use 3×4″ hardwood plywood for all of the 1×12 and 1×4 boards instead.

RELATED: How to choose the right plywood for your project

Step 1: Cut Head and Footboards

First, I cut my head and foot board pieces from 1×12 boards. As mentioned previously, the size will vary depending on what size bed you’re building.

For this design, I cut these pieces 5″ longer than the width of my mattress. Then I laid these out on my shop floor while I moved on to building the sides.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing head and footboard pieces for platform storage bed on workshop floor

By the way–don’t forget to sand! I sanded the head and footboard pieces well before setting them aside.

RELATED: How to sand wood

Step 2: Assemble Platform Storage Bed Sides

The side rails for this storage bed are designed to house three drawer boxes each. So I cut four pieces of ¾″ plywood to use for the sides and the two middle dividers.

Then I cut three pieces of 1×4 to about 1″ longer than the length of my mattress to connect them together.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing back piece to storage bed side rail frames

I simply used wood screws to attach two of the 1x4s along the bottom of the plywood panels, then added the third 1×4 along the back at the top.

I evenly spaced my plywood panels so that my drawer boxes would be equal size, but you could adjust if you wanted one smaller/larger or if you wanted to add more than three drawers.

Diagram showing assembly of side rail frame made with plywood and 1x4 boards

To finish the side rail frame, I cut three pieces of 1×4 and used pocket holes and screws to attach them between each plywood panel at the top front corners.

Prefer to print? Grab the Printable Platform Storage Bed Building Plans Here!

I mentioned in step 1 that I used 1x12s for the head and footboards. I also used 1x12s for the sides, but I ripped my 1x12s for the sides to 8 ¼″ to use for the drawer fronts.

I set the 8 ¼″ wide piece to the side (for the next step) and the leftover piece (an approximately 3″ wide strip) I used for trim on the top of each side rail frame.

So I trimmed this ~3″ wide strip to the width of my side rail frame and clamped it so that it was overhanging the front edge about ¾″. Then I secured it with screws through the top supports.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing top trim piece onto storage platform bed frame

Ignore the drawer slides in the next photo–I did things a bit out of order. I’ll add those in the next step.

After one frame is assembled, repeat to make a second side rail frame for the other side of the bed. OR, if you only want drawers on one side, head to this post to see how to make the other side without drawers.

Step 3: Build and Install Drawers

I installed three pair of 18″ ball bearing drawer slides into each side rail frame. Learn how to install drawer slides here.

Side mount drawer slides installed into platform bed frame with drawers

Then I assembled three identically sized drawer boxes to go into each one.

RELATED: How to size drawer boxes

ALSO RELATED: How to build a drawer box

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling drawer box on workbench with pocket holes

Once the drawer boxes were assembled, I installed them into the side rails so that they were flush to the front edge of the frame. This will allow me to add continuous grain overlay drawer fronts.

Storage bed side rail with drawers installed--three large drawers

From my 8 ¼″ wide boards from step 2, I trimmed three drawer fronts. I cut these so that when I placed them across the front of my drawers, the grain pattern was continuous all the way across.

To make installing these easy, I flipped my side rail on its back and placed the drawer fronts in position. That allowed gravity to help hold them in place while I screwed them on from the inside of each drawer box.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing continuous grain drawer fronts to storage bed side rails

At this point, the bed was ready for finish. I recommend finishing the head/footboards and side rails separately before assembling.

You can paint, stain, finish however you’d like, but I used Minwax Semi-Transparent Water Based Stain in Pecan. Then I sealed it with Minwax Polycrylic.

RELATED: How to stain wood

Step 4: Assemble Platform Storage Bed

I carried each piece of the bed into the room where I wanted it to go and started fitting them together to attach.

TIP: Remove the drawer boxes from the side rail frames using the tabs on the drawer slides. It’s much easier to carry and adjust without the drawers. Once assembled, you can slide them right back in.

I positioned the side rail frames between the head and footboard.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing side rail frames between head and footboard of storage bed

I adjusted the side rails so that they were 2″ in from the outside edges of the head and footboard, then screwed them together with screws through the side panels (shown in yellow).

Diagram showing platform storage bed assembly attaching side rails to head and footboards

Once secured on each end, I reinstalled the drawer boxes and added these finger pulls to make opening the drawers easier. But if you wanted a different style knob or drawer pull, that would work fine.

Step 5: Install Bed Slats

The last part is simply adding the bed slats to support the mattress. To do this, I measured between the trim pieces on the top of each side rail to find the exact length I needed to cut my slats.

I cut a combination of 1x4s and ¾″ plywood strips for my bed slats. (I didn’t have enough of either to cut them all the same, but any ~¾″ thick material would work for the slats.)

Then I evenly spaced these between the side rails and secured with screws at each end AND into the backs of each frame.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing bed slats to platform storage bed

Once the slats were secured, this simple platform storage bed is complete and ready for the mattress and bedding of your choosing.

Platform storage bed with drawers--one drawer open--assembled in room without mattress

This is such a simple and practical way to add some extra storage to your bedroom without taking up any additional floor space.

The smooth sides are clean and modern for a minimalist vibe. But, if you wanted something a little less plain, you could dress it up by adding some decorative trim details on the drawer fronts and/or the footboard.

Completed wooden DIY platform storage bed frame with drawers

You could also add a taller stand alone headboard to this platform bed frame or install a unique wall treatment to the wall behind the bed to act as a headboard.

This is such a simple design, so you can style it so many ways to fit your needs and your space!

DIY finished storage bed frame with three drawers open on one side

If you’re ready to build your own, be sure to grab the printable building plans here!

Looking for more DIY bed ideas?

Loved this project, but searching for more DIY bed frame ideas? I get that–it’s good to have options!

Here are a few of my favorite DIY bed frames (with plans!)–just click the image(s) below to take you to the how to for each one:

Easy DIY Platform Bed
DIY Simple Storage Bed
DIY Modern Bed
DIY Curved Head Board Bed
Mid Century Bed

If you enjoyed this project and would like to save it for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social platform.

Pinterest collage image showing DIY platform bed with drawers at top and Shara Woodshop Diaries opening drawer box on storage bed with text "how to build a platform bed with drawers"

Until next time, happy building!

DIY Simple Platform Bed Frame

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a simple DIY platform bed frame on a budget!

This minimalist design can fit in with any style, so feel free to mix and match it with your existing nightstands or dresser.

DIY Wooden Platform Bed Frame made with 1x12 construction lumber with white bedding--simple, modern bed frame

It’s easy to build, easy to move, and super budget friendly. Plus, it only requires a few basic tools!

By the way, if you’re looking for a similar design, but with storage, head over to this post to see how to build this same bed with drawers.

I’ll walk you through the step by step build process and I’ve linked the printable plans below, so let’s dive in.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building a platform bed frame

While building a bed can seem like a big project because of it’s size, it’s quite simple if you break it down into pieces.

Generally, a bed frame consists of four parts: 2 side rails, 1 head board and one footboard. The exact style and design may vary (as you can see below), but the frame will have four sides.

Exploded diagram of bed frame anatomy showing headboard, footboard, and side rails with slats

Then, depending on how the bed is made, you usually have either a box spring or slats to support the mattress. When I build my own beds, I prefer to add slats and skip the box spring.

So, essentially, to build a bed, you just need to assemble four simple parts, then attach them together.

Attaching the Bed Frame

I like to keep bed assembly and disassembly simple so that the bed is easy to pack up and move if and when needed.

So, this project uses bed rail brackets for easy assembly of the side rails to the head and footboard. I recommend watching the video linked on page 1 to see how these are installed.

Close up image of bed rail brackets showing two pieces detached in hands

The part of the bracket with “teeth” goes on the side rail and the part with slots goes on the head/foot boards. These simply slide together to interlock at the corners–no tools needed.

If you didn’t want to use bed brackets, you can absolutely assemble another way if you prefer.

Bed Frame Sizing

Mattresses come in various sizes, so it makes sense that bed frames also come in multiple sizes to accommodate. Twin, full, queen, and king are the most common. Below are standard mattress dimensions for these sizes:

  • Twin: 38″ x 75″
  • Full: 54″ x 75″
  • Queen: 60″ x 80″
  • King: 76″ x 80″
Diagram of DIY platform bed frame with mattress on top

NOTE: This bed frame design is built 1″ wider and 1″ longer than the standard mattress dimensions to allow some wiggle room on all sides.

Overall dimensions and material amounts will vary based on the size bed you’re building. However, the assembly process remains the same no matter the size.

If you’d like specifics, I’ve included the dimensions, materials lists, and cut diagrams for all four sizes in the printable plans.

Helpful Resources

You may find these resources useful as you build to make your DIY the best it can be:

Are DIY projects your thing? Sign up for our newsletter for priority access to the latest projects and build plans!

How to build a platform bed frame

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here. This video explains how to build the bed with OR without storage drawers.

YouTube thumbnail image for DIY platform bed video

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable platform bed frame building plans available here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

  • 1×12 boards*
  • 1×4 boards*
  • 2×2 boards*
  • #8 x ¾″ wood screws
  • #8 x 1″ wood screws
  • #8 x 1 ¼″ wood screws
  • #8 x 2″ wood screws
  • Bed rail brackets
  • Wood Glue

*Length and number of boards will vary based on what size bed you’re building (twin, full, queen, king). Refer to plans for exact amount.

NOTE: 1×12, 1×4, and 2×2 are nominal dimensions. Learn more about understanding lumber sizing here.

MATERIAL OPTIONS:

I used construction grade lumber (pine/spruce) from the local big box store for this build to keep it budget friendly, but you can use any species of wood you prefer.

Alternatively, if you’d rather, you could skip the solid boards use 3×4″ hardwood plywood for all of the 1×12 and 1×4 boards instead.

Step 1: Cut Head and Footboard

First, I cut my head and foot board pieces from 1×12 boards. As mentioned previously, the size will vary depending on what size bed you’re building.

For this design, I cut these pieces 5″ longer than the width of my mattress. Then I laid these out on my shop floor while I moved on to building the sides.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing head and footboard on floor of workshop

By the way–don’t forget to sand! I sanded the head and footboard pieces well before setting them aside.

Step 2: Assemble Side Rails

Next, I needed to build the side rails. These are the pieces that will stretch between the head and foot boards.

For these, I cut another piece of 1×12 to about 1″ longer than the length of my mattress. Then I ripped it on my table saw to about 9″ wide.

Shara Woodshop Diaries ripping side rails down to assemble for platform bed frame

If you don’t have a table saw, you could instead use a circular saw and a straight edge or a cutting guide to rip this board down.

The 9″ wide piece will be the side rail, but the narrow strip that’s leftover will attach to the inside to serve as the bed slat supports.

So I trimmed about 4″ off this strip and placed it on the side rail like shown below so that it was 2″ in from each edge and ¾″ down from the top.

Shara Woodshop Diaries screwing bed rail support to side rail on workbench

I glued and screwed this piece in position. Then, repeat to make two identical side rails–one for each side of the bed.

Prefer to print? Grab the Printable Platform Bed Building Plans Here!

Step 3: Assemble Bed Frame with Bed Rail Brackets

Now the headboard, footboard, and 2 side rails are cut and assembled, so it’s time to attach them all together.

I built this bed frame so that the head and footboards overhang the side rails 2″ on each side. So to help me get things in the right position, I clamped a scrap piece of plywood cut to 2″ wide along the edge of the headboard.

Shara Woodshop Diaries dry fitting bed side rails and headboard together at corner with scrap block for proper spacing

I also rested the side rail on a piece of ¾″ thick wood so that it was ¾″ up off the ground.

With the boards in this position, I interlocked the bed brackets and attached them into the corner.

TIP: I’ve personally found it easiest to attach the bracket into the corner while the pieces are locked together–no measuring or trying to match them up separately. Once in place, they just slide apart and back together as needed.

Close up of bed rail brackets installed at corner of bed frame--image on left shows brackets together and image on left shows brackets apart

TIP: Most of the time, when I’ve ordered these bed rail brackets, they haven’t come with screws. So, I used #8 x ¾″ screws on the pieces in the side rails and #8 x 1″ screws on the pieces in the head/footboards.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling side rail between head and footboard with bed rail brackets

I repeated to attach the brackets into each corner on the head and footboards. And with that, the FRAME of the bed is complete and I just need to add the slats.

At this point, I recommend painting, staining or finishing the pieces of the bed as desired. I stained mine in Minwax Semi-Transparent Water Based Stain in Pecan. Then I sealed it with Minwax Polycrylic.

RELATED: How to stain wood

Step 4: Install Bed Slats

Once the pieces were finished, I assembled the bed frame and measured between the side rails. This is how long I need to cut my bed slats to support the mattress.

I cut a combination of 1x4s and ¾″ plywood strips for my bed slats. (I didn’t have enough of either to cut them all the same, but any ~¾″ thick material would work for the slats.)

Because the slats span so far between the side rails, they need a center support. You could run a beam between the head and footboard to support the slats, but I prefer to add center posts instead.

Diagram slowing bed slats with center post

So I cut and screwed 2×2 posts at the center of each slat like shown in the diagram above.

Then, I evenly spaced these slats across my side rails and attached them to the supports on each end with screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing bed slats onto side rails of platform bed frame

And with that, this simple platform bed frame is complete and ready for the mattress and bedding of your choosing.

DIY platform bed frame completed and assembled with slats--no mattress on bed frame

This is probably one of the simplest beds I’ve ever built and it’s super sturdy and solid.

The smooth sides are clean and modern for a minimalist vibe. But, if you wanted something a little less plain, you could dress it up by adding some decorative trim details on the sides and/or the footboard.

Finished platform bed frame assembled in bedroom with mattress on top with white bedding--simple modern bed frame

You could also add a taller stand alone headboard to this platform bed frame or install a unique wall treatment to the wall behind the bed to act as a headboard.

This is such a simple design, so you can style it so many ways to fit your needs and your space!

If you’re ready to build your own, be sure to grab the printable building plans here!

Looking for more DIY bed ideas?

Loved this project, but searching for more DIY bed frame ideas? I get that–it’s good to have options!

Here are a few of my favorite DIY bed frames (with plans!)–just click the image(s) below to take you to the how to for each one:

DIY Platform Storage Bed
DIY Curved Head Board Bed
DIY Simple Storage Bed
DIY Modern Bed
Mid Century Bed
Free Building plans to build your own DIY King size storage bed
DIY Footboard Storage Bed

If you enjoyed this project and would like to save it for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social platform.

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Until next time, happy building!

DIY Floating Corner Desk

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a DIY floating corner desk that is perfect if you’re limited on space!

And since it’s “floating,” you can install it any height to make it work as a standing desk, a sitting desk, or a desk fit for a stool.

Floating wooden corner desk with drawer open hanging on wall with open notebook

This would be such a great addition to a small kid’s room where you may not have space for a large desk. It could also work well in a kitchen if you just need a place to organize bills or work on your laptop.

Since it takes up so little space, this is a practical way to put your home office, command center, or homework station just about anywhere.

So, if you’re ready to build your own, I’ve got the details below!

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building

This is a simple project that you can easily complete in just a couple hours. I’d consider it an intermediate level project only because of the angles. The assembly itself is quite basic.

All angles used in this project are 45 degree bevels. Learn how to use a miter saw to cut angles here.

Overall dimensions

The overall dimensions of this project are 7 ¼″ tall x 22 ¾″ wide x 22 ¾″ deep.

Dimensional diagram of floating corner desk showing 7 ¼" tall x 22 ¾" deep x 22 ¾" wide

The desk top is large enough to fit a large laptop, a large book, or notebook. The distance from the front of the desk to the back corner is approximately 21 ½″.

Floating Corner Desk Height

Since this desk is simply hung on the wall, it can be installed at any height depending on how you’d like to use it.

Common desk heights:

  • Standard desk height is 30″. This is for use with a normal desk chair.
  • Countertop desk height is 36″. This is for use with a stool or a high chair.
  • Standing desk height varies between 38″ – 46″ depending on your height.
Diagram showing how to measure desk height for floating corner desk

I planned to use this desk to practice my guitar and violin at. Sometimes I do this sitting on a stool and sometimes I’m standing up, so I opted to install mine about 40″ high.

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How to build a DIY floating corner desk

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

YouTube thumbnail for "how to build a floating corner desk" video

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable floating corner desk building plans available here:

 You may find these resources helpful throughout the build:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

**If desired, you can substitute any or all of the 1x material used in this project for ¾″ plywood instead.

Please note that 1×3, 1×4, and 1×8 are nominal dimensions, not actual. So if you cut plywood to use for these, make sure to cut them to their actual dimensions. Learn more about nominal vs actual dimensions and understanding lumber sizing here.

Step 1: Assemble Desk Frame

First, I cut two pieces of 1×8 board–one to 22″ long and the other 22 ¾″ long. These will form the back of the desk.

I drilled pocket holes into one end of the shorter board and attached these two pieces at the back corner with pocket hole screws.

RELATED: How to build with pocket holes

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling back of floating corner desk

Then, I cut two pieces of 1×4 about 8 ½″ long with one end square and the other end beveled 45 degrees.

I drilled pocket holes into the square ends and attached one at each end of the 1×8 boards using pocket hole screws. TIP: Make sure the pocket holes face the inside and the long sides of the board are on the outside.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing sides of corner desk with pocket hole screws

Then, I needed to add an additional brace that will be used to install the drawer slides onto later.

For this, I cut two more pieces of 1×4 with both ends beveled 45 degrees NOT parallel to each other. These pieces should fit snuggly between the back 1×8 and the side 1x4s.

I secured them at each end with wood screws. Learn how to decide which screw to use for your project here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing drawer slide braces in corner desk frame with screws

The diagrams and exact cut list can be found in the printable plans.

Step 2: Attach Desk Top

Next, I cut a piece of ¾″ plywood to 22″ square for the desk top. I measured in 8 ½″ from two opposite corners and drew a line between these marks.

Then I cut along this diagonal line to make the front edge of the desk.

Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting diagonal corner desk top

I applied iron on edge banding to the short sides and front edges of this piece. Edge banding is optional, but it covers the plies to make it look like a solid piece.

Learn how to apply iron on edge banding here.

Then, I drilled pocket holes along the back edges of the plywood and also drilled a couple along the top edges of the 1x4s.

This allowed me to install the desk top into the frame like shown below using pocket hole screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing corner desk top to desk frame

The pocket holes in the plywood help secure the back and the pocket holes in the 1x4s help secure the sides/front.

Step 3: Build and Install Drawer

Next, I installed a pair of 10″ drawer slides into the desk frame on each side. These should be installed ¾″ inset from the front edge and flush along the bottom.

RELATED: How to install side mount drawer slides

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing drawer slides into corner desk frame on workbench

Next, I assembled the drawer box. To better utilize some of this empty space in the back corner, instead of building a basic rectangle shaped drawer, I made it “house shaped.”

I cut plywood strips to build the drawer with, but 1x3s would work fine, too. I cut these pieces so that the sides and back meet together with 45 degree beveled ends. Then I glued and brad nailed the drawer box together.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing drawer box together on workbench

Prefer to print? Grab the printable building plans for this project here.

Next, I traced the drawer box shape onto a piece of ¼″ plywood, and after cutting it to fit, glued and nailed it along the bottom.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing drawer bottom onto drawer box with brad nailer

Then, I installed the drawer box onto the slides in the desk and cut a piece of 1×4 to use as the drawer front. I secured this to the drawer box using screws from the inside as you can see below.

Securing drawer front onto drawer of corner desk

Step 4: Finish and Install

Now the desk is fully assembled and ready for finish. You can stain or paint your desk however you’d like. I gave this desk a light coat of Minwax Golden Oak and sealed it with Minwax Polycrylic.

Then, I installed it on the wall. This desk was intended for use in a corner. I marked my desired desk height on the wall (see notes above) and located the wall studs.

I removed the drawer from the desk, held it in place at my desired height, and secured it using 2 ½″ screws through the back on each side–4 screws total.

Shara Woodshop Diaries driving screws to hang floating corner desk on wall

I replaced the drawer back into the desk and now it’s ready to use. This is such a fun little desk if you don’t have a lot of space or don’t need anything huge to work at.

Completed DIY floating corner desk hung on wall with notebook on top

It would make a great place to sit down and do some sketching, homework, or write a few bills. Or even use it as catch all in the foyer for a place to drop keys and mail.

Floating corner desk hung on wall with drawer open and laptop setting on it

I’m using it to practice my instruments. It’s the perfect place to rest my music books while I play or set my laptop while watching tutorials.

Corner floating desk with desk chair and instruments hung on the wall above it

Looking for more DIY Desk ideas?

Looking for more desk ideas? Here are a few ideas to fit any space–small or large. Click on the images below to see how to build each one:

DIY Keyboard Desk
Easy DIY Desk
Library Bookshelf with Desk
DIY Computer Desk
DIY Writing Desk
L Shaped Desk
DIY Modular Cabinet Desk

Enjoyed this project and want to save it for later? Be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social platform!

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Until next time, friends, happy building!

How to Build a Pull Out Shelf Cabinet

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a simple base cabinet with pull out shelves.

I put two of these in my walk in pantry (I’m currently remodeling it) and instead of covering them with cabinet doors, I plan to leave them uncovered for easy access and viewability for what’s inside.

Walk in Pantry with pull out shelf cabinet between tall pantry cabinet and corner base cabinet

I’ll probably grab some organization baskets or bins to add into each drawer to help keep things neat and organized.

But, if you wanted to hide everything behind doors, that’s an easy addition to this cabinet and I’ll show you how to do that at the end of this post.

For now, if you’re ready to to build your own pull out shelf cabinet, let’s dive in and I’ll show you how below!

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to consider before building

Since this is just a variation of a basic cabinet and cabinets are essentially just plywood boxes, this is a fairly simple build that you can easily complete in a weekend.

Before building, I encourage you to consider what you want to store inside so that you can customize your cabinet size and drawer spacing to fit your needs.

Overall size

The overall size of the cabinet shown in the plans below is 23″ deep x 30″ wide x 34 ½″ tall.

Dimensional diagram of pull out shelf cabinet showing overall size

Note that the cabinet BOX is 28 ½″ wide, but the face frame is built so that it overhangs the left and right sides ¾″.

Depending on where you’re putting your cabinet, you may want to modify the size. Feel free to customize however you’d like.

Installation Tips

This cabinet is built for installation EITHER between two cabinets, between two walls, or between a cabinet and a wall. It is not intended for use where the side(s) will be exposed.

The reason is because the face frame is built so that it overhangs both sides of the cabinet ¾″ to make installing the drawer slides easier.

If you intend to install this where one or both of the sides will be exposed, you can remedy this one of two ways:

  1. Build the cabinet as shown in the plans and install an end cap panel (essentially a cabinet door) on the exposed side. This will make the side panel even to the face frame overhang.
  2. Modify the width of the face frame so that it is flush to the outside of the cabinet box. This will mean that the face frame will now overhang the INSIDE of the cabinet. So you’ll need to install ¾″ plywood strips behind the drawer slides to bring them even with the face frame opening.

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How to build a pull out shelf cabinet

This cabinet is essentially a basic base cabinet with drawers. If you prefer to watch, check out this detailed video on building base cabinets. I didn’t create another video for these cabinets since they’re so similar.

But, if you’d like to see them being installed, head over toward the end of this video to see how they were customized and installed into my pantry.

YouTube thumbnail for pantry remodel part 2 video

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable pull out drawer cabinet building plans available here:

Helpful resources for this project:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Check out this post for the top ten tools I recommend for cabinet building

Materials:

Not sure what type of lumber to use for this project?

Step 1: Assemble the Base Cabinet Box

First, I assembled the main cabinet box. This box is made from ¾″ plywood, so I cut my sheet into:

  • (2) side panels
  • (1) bottom panel
  • (3) support strips

The cut diagrams and exact cut list can be found in the printable plans.

Learn how to cut down plywood sheets here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries sanding plywood pieces--top supports, bottom panel, and 2 side panels--on workbench

Most base cabinets have what’s called a “toe kick.” This is basically a notch out of the front corner to prevent your feet from kicking the cabinet when you’re standing at it.

I marked 3 ½″ up and 4 ½″ in on the front bottom corners of each cabinet side panel and cut these out with a jig saw.

toe kick cut out of plywood panel for base cabinet

Then I assembled the cabinet box using ¾″ pocket holes and 1 ¼″ pocket hole screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling basic DIY base cabinet with pocket hole screws

See this detailed guide for more information on assembling base cabinet boxes.

Step 2: Add the Face Frame & Back Panel

Next, I assembled a face frame to cover the front of the cabinet box, so that the INSIDE opening of the frame was the same width as the inside opening of my cabinet box.

Since I was painting my face frame, I opted to use pre-primed 1×2 pine lumber for this.

I assembled my face frame using pocket holes and screws. Note that this thin material can split pretty easily.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling face frame for pull out shelf cabinet

A standard size pocket hole jig can work if you’re careful, but I recommend using a Kreg Micro Jig for these thin pieces with pan head pocket hole screws. The smaller holes and screws are less likely to cause splits.

Learn more about how, when, and why to use the Kreg Micro Jig here.

Once I made sure the frame would fit, I attached it to the front of my cabinet box using wood glue and pocket hole screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing face frame onto base cabinet with pocket hole screws

Keep in mind that the face frame should be flush to the inside of the side panels.

Then I cut a piece of ¼″ plywood to cover the back of the cabinet and tacked it in place with staples.

Prefer to print? Grab the printable building plans for this project here.

Step 3: Install the Pull Out Shelves

Next, I added two pair of 20″ ball bearing side mount drawer slides into the cabinet so that they were ¾″ inset from the front of the face frame.

Diagram showing where to place 20" drawer slides in pull out shelf cabinet

You can space these however you’d like, but I installed my bottom slides flush to the bottom panel and my top slides about 14″ up from the bottom.

RELATED: How to install drawer slides into any project

Then, I assembled two shallow drawer boxes to fit inside. I like to build my drawer boxes with ¾″ plywood for the sides and ¼″ plywood for the bottoms.

Learn more about how to build drawer boxes here.

I assembled these using pocket holes and screws, but if you wanted, you could just use wood screws through the sides.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling drawer on workbench with pocket hole screws

Then I installed these drawer boxes onto the slides in the cabinet.

Diagram showing how to install drawer boxes into cabinet

Once they were installed, I cut two pieces of 1×6 to use for the drawer fronts.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing drawer front onto drawer boxes in pull out shelf cabinet

By the way–as you can see in the image above, I waited until after the cabinets were installed to add the drawer fronts. You can do many of these steps in almost any order.

If you’re adding a door to your cabinet, skip the drawer fronts. See step 5.

Step 4: Install Cabinet

Once you’re finished assembling everything, putty and sand all nail holes and joints smooth, then prime, caulk, and paint/stain as desired.

Here are some tips for making your DIY cabinets look their best:

Level cabinets in their desired location using shims as needed, then secure through the back supports into wall studs to install. Also secure to any adjacent cabinets through the face frames.

walk in pantry with two pull out shelf cabinets--one in the back with three drawers and one on the left with 2 drawers

Once all cabinets are installed in place, cut to fit a piece of ¾″ plywood strip (or 1×4) to go across the front of the toe kick notches. Paint or stain to match the cabinets, then nail or screw in place.

Add desired countertop and secure through top supports. You could install granite, quartz, laminate, etc. I’m still deciding what countertop I want, so I currently don’t have one as you can see above.

Step 5: OPTIONAL Add Door

If you prefer to hide your pull out shelves and what’s inside them behind a door or doors, you can totally do that.

Here are a few tips for doing so:

I had to deal with placing the hinges where they wouldn’t interfere with drawer slides when I built my blind corner cabinet. If you’d like to see that process, you can watch it toward the end of this video.

Looking for More Cabinet Building Ideas?

I love building cabinets and showing you how simple it can be–they’re basically just customizable boxes!

If you’re looking for resources, ideas or inspiration to build your own, here are a few of my most helpful articles to help you get started:

How to Build Base Cabinets
How to Build Wall Cabinets
How to build a Corner Cabinet
How to Build a Pantry Cabinet
7 Ways to Build a Cabinet Door
How to Build a Drawer Box
How to Install Drawer Boxes & Slides

If you’d like to save this post for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest image showing finished pull out shelf cabinet at bottom and dimensional diagram at top with text "how to build a pull out shelf cabinet"

Until next time, friends, happy building!

DIY X Base Console Table with Middle Shelf

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build an X base console table with middle shelf!

This would be a great place to store blankets in the living room, towels in a large bathroom, display a collection in a home office or use as a focal piece in the foyer.

DIY X Base Console table with open shelf--looking at the front right angle

Simple, clean, and classic in style, this x base console table is a fun build that requires limited tools and basic materials. So it’s a great project for any skill level!

And the size is easy to customize, too!

By the way, if you’re looking for a smaller version without the middle shelf, you can find that here.

I’m sharing the plans and project details below, so if you’re ready to build, let’s dive in.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies for details.

**This post was originally shared on Nov.19, 2017, but was updated on Jan. 25, 2025.

What to know before building

This project uses several pieces of 2×2 lumber for the framing and the sides. You can absolutely purchase these precut from the big box store or local lumber yard.

But, often, the precut 2×2 boards are warped, split, and come with rounded corners that don’t make the cleanest joints. (PS Did you know that a 2×2 is actually 1 ½″ x 1 ½″? Learn more about lumber sizing here.)

Instead, if you have a table saw, I recommend cutting your own 2x2s down from 2×4 boards. This post details how to cut your own 2x2s.

Cutting 2x4 on table saw

You can get two 2x2s from a 2×4 board, so not only does this result in better quality 2x2s, but it also saves a few dollars in most cases.

Overall Dimensions & Adjustments

The overall dimensions of this X base console project are approximately 23″ deep x 33 ½″ tall x 53″ wide.

X base console table overall dimensional diagram

But, this is easy to customize, so if this doesn’t fit your space, no worries!

How to adjust overall size:

  • Adjust the width by adjusting the length of the horizontal pieces in step 1.
  • Adjust the depth by adjusting the length of the horizontal pieces in step 2.
  • Adjust the height by adjusting the length of the legs in step 1.

Once the frame is built, you can simply adjust the top and shelf panels by trimming them down to whatever size you need to fit your frame.

The “tricky” part is adjusting the angles and lengths of the X to fit your frame. The good news is that you don’t have to do any math to figure this out if you have a speed square.

Check out this video that demonstrates how to “measure” for X trim on any project:

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How to Build an X Base Console Table with Shelf

This project was originally built back in 2017 before I started making videos. So I don’t have a full build video for it (I’m sorry!).

But, I have put together printable building plans with diagrams, a cut list, and step by step instructions to guide you through the build.

Grab the printable built in cabinet building plans available here:

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Tools and Materials:

Tools:

Materials:

Not sure what type of lumber to use for this project?

Step 1:  Build the Front and Back Frames

I started by cutting down the 2x2s and building the front and back frames of the console.

First, I cut four 2×2 legs to about 32″ long and six horizontal 2×2 frame pieces about 48″ long.

I drilled pocket holes into the ends of the longer pieces and used 2 ½″ pocket hole screws to assemble 2 identical frames like shown below.

RELATED: How to use pocket holes to assemble furniture

DIY X Base Console Table front and back frame assembled on workshop floor

I recommend using a bit of glue on these joints, and being careful to drive the screws slowly to help prevent the wood from splitting.

You can space these sections out however you’d like, but I left 3″ of the legs hanging off the bottom and left about 12 ¼″ space between the 2×2 pieces.

If you want one shelf section to be bigger, you can adjust this spacing as needed.

Step 2: Assemble X Base Console Table Front and Back Frames Together

Now that the front and back frames were together, I connected them with four side braces.

I cut these 2x2s to about 19″ long and drilled 1 ½″ pocket holes in each end.

Then, I used 2 ½″ pocket hole screws to assemble like shown below.

NOTE: Use wood glue and drive the pocket hole screws slowly. Two pocket holes can work (as is shown below), but the screws may run into each other at the corners. For this reason, you may consider using only one pocket hole on these pieces to avoid issues.

Attach front and back frames of X base console table together

Step 3: Add the Xs to the Sides of Table

This is the “trickiest” step of the project, but only because it involves cutting some angles. For this, I recommend using a miter saw. You can learn how to cut angles on a miter saw here.

When cutting things like these Xs, I find it easiest to cut each piece to fit. I rarely ever MEASURE the lengths, but instead, I hold the pieces in place and mark where to cut.

TIP: If you cut your pieces a bit long, you can trim a tiny bit at a time until it fits perfectly.

However, if you prefer exact dimensions, I’ve included them with angles in the printable plans here.

To cut to fit, I flipped the frame over on its side and held a 2×2 across it diagonally, lining up the edges with the corners. Then, I marked where it intersected the top and bottom framing so I knew where to cut.

Once I had my mark, I can figure the angle by taking it to the miter saw and seeing which angle it lines up best with–OR use a speed square like shown in the video I included in the notes above.  

It’s okay if it’s not PERFECT–just get it as close as possible.  I cut the long piece (shown below going from the bottom left to the top right in the photo) first and secured it using 2 ½″ screws through the top and bottom 2x2s.

X base console table turned on side showing screws where X trim was secured on the side

Then cut to fit the two smaller pieces to complete the X and secured these with 2 ½″ screws like shown in the photos below.

Up close showing where to put screw to attach X frame in console table
Close up showing where to attach X base trim on console table frame

Then, I repeated to add the X trim to the other side as well.

Xs added into console table frame

Step 4: Add Middle Shelf Supports

Once the Xs were in place, I cut two pieces of 2×2 and drilled 1 ½″ pocket holes in each end of both pieces.  Using 2 ½″ pocket hole screws, I attached as shown between the front and back middle shelf support.

Add middle shelf supports to X Base Console Table

I also added another screw in the middle to attach this piece to the X on each side. This isn’t NECESSARY, but helps hold everything nice and snug.

Step 5:  Add Plywood Shelves to X Base Console Table

From the half sheet of ¾″ plywood, I cut two panels to use for the shelves. Again, this is another case where I recommend cutting to fit.

Depending on how precisely your pieces fit together, your plywood panels may need to be ⅛″ bigger or smaller in some spots. So measure carefully and cut your pieces to fit exactly inside the frame.

Check out this post for more details on how to cut down plywood sheets.

I drilled ¾″ pocket holes along the edges of the panels and attached in place using 1 ¼″ pocket hole screws like shown here making sure the plywood is flush to the top of the supports.

Add plywood shelves to x base console table

Step 6:  Add Top to X Base Console Table

For this top, I glued up solid 2x thick lumber, then trimmed it down to be 53″ long and 23″ wide overall. However, if you didn’t want to glue up solid lumber, you could also cut this from ¾″ plywood.

To make it, I cut two 2×8 boards and one 1×10 board down to a little longer than 53″ and glued them together to make a panel.

NOTE: I recommend squaring off the board edges for the cleanest glue up and tightest joints. You can read about how I build table tops in this post here.

Table top glued up on table saw for X base console table

Once the glue was dry, I trimmed the edges smooth using a circular saw and sanded the top to even out any high or low spots.  

RELATED: How to sand wood

Then, I placed the top on the base so that it was centered left and right and was flush on the back side.  I used 2 ½″ wood screws through the top 2×2 supports to screw the top in place on all sides.

Screws from bottom side shown going through 2x2s to attach top panel

NOTE: In hindsight (I built this several years ago), attaching this way does not allow for wood movement. Although this piece has not had issues over the years, it’s best to attach the top a different way to avoid potential issues.

One way to do this is using figure 8 tabs or Z clips. But another easy method is to simply use screws like I mentioned, but drill SLOTTED or oversized holes through the 2x2s to allow the screw to move as needed inside the hole as the top expands/contracts.

If using screws with oversized or slotted holes, you’ll need to use a washer. See step 4 of this project for an example.

Step 7: Finish the Console Table

Now all that’s left is finish.  I stained this table with Minwax Early American and gave it a few coats of Minwax Polycrylic once the stain dried.

RELATED: How to stain wood

ALSO RELATED: How to apply clear coat

DIY X base console table with shelf completed and filled with blankets and books
DIY X base console table with middle shelf finished and filled with pillows and blankets with decor on top

Don’t you love those Xs on the sides?? This table makes a simple, but beautiful way to store blankets and pillows, baskets, books, pictures, etc.  

DIY X Base Console table with open shelf

This was actually made for a friend’s bedroom to store family quilts on.  It’s perfect for that!

DIY X base console table with middle shelf for added storage against white wall
DIY X Base Console Table stained with Minwax Early American and finished with Minwax Polycrylic

Looking for more DIY furniture projects to try?

Here are a few favorites you might enjoy browsing. Simply click on each image to take you to the tutorial and plans!

Arched Door Console Cabinet
DIY Dining Table
DIY Display Console Cabinet
DIY Puzzle Table
Modern Round Coffee Table

If you’d like to save this for later, be sure to share it to your favorite social platform or pin it!

How to Build a DIY X Base Console Table--free building plans!! Minwax Early American stain makes this inexpensive console table look like a million bucks! Perfect for living room, bedroom, or dining room for displays and storage!

Until next time, happy building!! 🙂

DIY Blind Corner Cabinet with Drawers

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In this post, I’m showing you how to build a basic DIY blind corner cabinet with optional drawers to make accessing that hard to reach space easier!

If you’re not familiar with what a blind corner cabinet is, it’s essentially a really wide base cabinet where one half (roughly) has a door and the other half is covered. Like this:

Blind corner cabinet with right side door assembled with birch plywood using pocket holes and screws

Once a blind corner cabinet is installed, another base cabinet butts up to this covered section.

This allows that space in the corner to be utilized for storage–it’s just not super easily accessible. Pros and cons, you know?

diagram showing how base cabinet butts up to blind corner cabinet when installed

Looking for other corner cabinet solutions? Check out how to build a corner base cabinet with bi-fold doors here.

There are lots of premade shelf kits to help make that blind corner cabinet space easier to get to, but most of them are upwards of a few hundred bucks. Yikes!

So in this post, I’m sharing a much cheaper way to utilize that corner space with some custom drawers.

DIY blind corner cabinet with door open showing custom drawers installed to utilize storage space in the back

Of course, if you just wanted to keep it simple and add a shelf, you certainly can. Either way, if you’re ready to get building a DIY blind corner cabinet, let’s dive in.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building

Blind corner cabinets can be built in either orientation–with the door on the left side or the right side. It just depends on your layout and room design which side you’d prefer the door to be on.

In my case, the door is on the right side. If you wanted it on the left, the dimensions and plans don’t change, you just assemble the pieces so that they’re mirrored what’s shown here.

Overall Size

The dimensions of this blind corner cabinet are 23″ deep (not including the door) x 34 ½″ tall x 42″ wide. The door adds an additional 1″ to the depth making it 24″ deep overall.

Overall dimensional diagram of blind corner cabinet

Blind corner cabinets can come in various widths (there’s no one standard size), but they typically range from 36″ – 42″ wide.

While you can customize to any size you need (within reason), the typical cabinet opening falls between 15″ – 18″ wide.

Installation considerations

While blind corner cabinets are installed into the corner of a room, they are not installed ALL THE WAY in the corner.

Normally, they’re pulled from the side wall a few inches to avoid running into issues with unsquare or heavily mudded drywall corners.

Diagram showing how blind corner cabinet is not installed directly into corner of a room, but is pulled out a few inches

That’s an important consideration when laying out your cabinets and figuring their dimensions to fit your space.

Another thing to consider with blind corner cabinets is that the cabinet that butts up to it in the corner will need an additional filler strip in order to allow the doors/drawers to open without obstruction.

Diagram showing filler strip installed between base cabinets that butt up to blind corner cabinet

The amount of filler needed will depend on the overlay and what type of cabinet is going there (drawers, doors, etc), but this is also important to consider when laying out your cabinets.

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How to build a blind corner cabinet

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

YouTube thumbnail image of blind corner cabinet showing cabinet closed on left and cabinet open on right

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable built in cabinet building plans available here:

You may find these resources helpful throughout the build:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Check out this post for the top ten tools I recommend for cabinet building

Materials:

**You can build your doors hundreds of different ways using hundreds of different materials. I built mine using 1x3s for the door frames and ¼″ plywood for the door panels. For more information, see 7 ways to build a cabinet door.

Not sure what type of lumber to use for this project?

Step 1: Assemble Cabinet Box

The blind corner cabinet box is built from ¾″ plywood. So to get started, I cut down my plywood sheet into:

  • (2) side panels (22″ x 34 ½″)
  • (1) bottom panel (22″ x 40 ½″)
  • (3) support strips (2 ½″ x 40 ½″)

The cut diagrams and exact cut list can be found in the printable plans.

Learn how to cut down plywood sheets here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing plywood pieces to assemble DIY blind corner cabinet on workbench

Most base cabinets have what’s called a “toe kick.” This is basically a notch out of the front corner to prevent your feet from kicking the cabinet when you’re standing at it.

Usually, you cut the toe kick out of the front bottom corner of both the side panels. But, on a blind corner cabinet, you really only need to cut the toe kick out of the side where the door is going.

Toe kick cut out of side panel of DIY blind corner cabinet

You can certainly cut both sides with a toe kick, but it’s not necessary.

Once the toe kick was cut, I drilled pocket holes into the ends of the top supports and bottom panel and assembled the cabinet box like shown using pocket holes and screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling blind corner cabinet box using pocket holes and screws on workbench

RELATED: How to use a pocket hole jig

Prefer to print? Printable plans for this blind corner cabinet are available here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing assembled cabinet box on workbench in workshop

Step 2: Install Front Panel and Frame

For the front of the cabinet, one side will be completely covered with a piece of plywood and the other side will have a face frame where the door will be going.

So, first, I cut a piece of ¾″ plywood and screwed it onto the front of the cabinet box on the side that doesn’t have a toe kick–which should be the side where the door is NOT going.

Shara Woodshop Diaries attaching front panel onto blind corner cabinet on left side

Then, I assembled a face frame to cover the rest of the front of the cabinet. This face frame was made using 1x2s for the top, bottom, and one side, but a 1×4 for the other side.

I assembled it using wood glue, pocket holes and screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling face frame on workbench

FYI: A standard size pocket hole jig can work if you’re careful, but I recommend using a Kreg Micro Jig for these thin pieces with pan head pocket hole screws. The smaller holes and screws are less likely to cause splits.

Learn how, when, and why to use the Kreg Micro Pocket Hole Jig here.

Then I drilled pocket holes and applied wood glue along the top, side, and bottom edges of the cabinet box where the face frame will be going and placed it on so that the 1×4 side is toward the center.

I used screws through those pocket holes to secure the face frame in place.

Shara Woodshop Diaries attaching face frame onto blind corner cabinet with thick piece toward center

Step 3: Install Drawer Slides

Now–this step is completely optional. I added drawers into my cabinet to utilize some of that hard to reach space in the back. However, if you wanted to simply install a prebuilt kit or add a basic shelf instead, you can skip ahead to step 5.

For the drawers, I needed to add some framing into the cabinet to mount the slides onto. To do this, I added a vertical ¾″ plywood strip along the back that’s in line with the face frame opening.

Then, I ran a strip of plywood between it and the face frame on one side and a spacer block behind the face frame on the other side.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing drawer slide spacer blocks inside cabinet

Then, I installed two more strips across the back between the vertical support and the side panel. This is where I will mount my drawer slides.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing drawer slide braces and framing in blind corner cabinet

Once the framing was in, I added two drawer slides on the two braces across the back 2 ½″ inset from the edge.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing drawer slides into cabinet box

Then, I flipped the cabinet over and installed two corresponding drawer slides inside the cabinet on the front panel. These should align with the slides on the back braces.

RELATED: How to install drawer slides

Finally, I added a pair of slides onto the strips just inside the cabinet opening.

Step 4: Build and Install Drawers

Once the three pair of slides were in, I built three drawer boxes to install onto them. The two in the back, I made about 5″ deep. But the one in the opening I made pretty shallow so the other drawers would clear it when they slid open.

Check out this post to learn how to build a drawer box.

I usually assemble my drawer boxes using pocket holes and screws, but since these drawers wouldn’t have a drawer front to cover the pocket holes, I opted for simple wood screws instead.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling large drawer box on workbench with wood screws

Prefer to print? Drawer box dimensions and cut diagrams can be found in the printable plans here.

I used iron on edge banding to hide the plywood edges of the drawer boxes so they’d look a little cleaner. Learn how to apply iron on edge banding here.

Then, I installed these into the cabinet onto the slides. I found it easiest to remove the part of the drawer slide that mounts to the drawer box and screw that directly onto each box.

NOTE: I attached these 2 ½″ inset from the front edge.

Installing drawer slide onto drawer box

Then, I slid them into the cabinet.

Sliding drawers into blind corner cabinet

Step 5: Add Cabinet Door

Finally, it was time to add the door, but first, I stapled a ¼″ plywood back panel onto the cabinet to seal up the back side now that the drawers were in.

Shara Woodshop Diaries stapling back panel onto blind corner cabinet box

Then, I assembled a simple shaker style cabinet door for the front. I made this door using 1x3s for the door frame and ¼″ plywood for the panel.

I glued the frame together first using wood glue and dowels, then routed the back side out and glued the plywood panel in it. This process is detailed in this post about 7 ways to build a cabinet door.

But, you can assemble the door using any method you’d like and with any overlay (or go inset!) you’d like.

Once it was assembled, I painted it and the cabinet’s face frame, then proceeded to hang the door.

Close up installing concealed hinge onto cabinet door

I drilled hinge cup holes and installed concealed hinges onto the door. Check out how to install concealed hinges here.

Then I installed the door onto the cabinet. Check out the video for more tips on installing the door and placing the hinges.

Blind corner cabinet door installed onto face frame

And with that, this cabinet is ready to install into your kitchen, pantry, or wherever you need a simple corner cabinet.

Completed DIY blind corner cabinet with door open to reveal custom built drawers

To install, level with shims as needed, place adjacent cabinets to ensure fit, then secure to the wall studs through the back top support. Also screw to adjacent cabinets/filler strips once in place.

Looking for more cabinet building resources?

Looking for more information and helpful tips and guide on building your own cabinets? These great resources can help you get started!

How to build a Corner Cabinet
How to Build a Larder Cabinet
How to Build a Pantry Cabinet
7 Ways to Build a Cabinet Door
How to Build Base Cabinets
How to Build Wall Cabinets
How to Build a Drawer Box

If you enjoyed this post and want to save it for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing finished DIY blind corner cabinet with door closed at top and Shara Woodshop Diaries opening door and sliding out drawers on bottom with text "how to build a blind corner cabinet"

Until next time, friends, happy building!

Easy DIY Serving Boards

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In this post, I’m sharing how to make easy personalized DIY serving boards (perfect for gifting) for less than $5 each!

These make the perfect thoughtful, yet budget friendly gifts for the holidays (or any time of the year!).

Three wooden serving boards personalized with wood stain--one with round monogram, one with square monogram, and one with bottom corner last name

You can customize them with a monogram, a recipe, a handwritten note from a loved one, the shape of a beloved pet, or whatever else you can come up with.

And you can make 5 from a single 8′ board! I’m sharing all the details below, so if you’re ready to make them, let’s dive in.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before making a serving board

Making these personalized serving boards is quick and easy. But first, there are some important things to consider before building.

The personalization on these boards was done using a vinyl stencil and wood stain. Essentially, I cut and applied the stencils to the boards, stained the boards, then removed the stencil to reveal the design.

Keep in mind this is a SERVING BOARD. It is not a cutting board. It’s intended for serving things like cookies, candies, crackers, cheese, etc–like a charcuterie board. Or, it also makes a great decorative board for the kitchen, too.

What kind of wood to use for serving board

You can use just about any wood type you’d like for this serving board, but I recommend a smooth grain lumber for best results when stenciling.

I used a basic 1x12x8 whitewood board from my local big box store. “Whitewood” is what a lot of the big box stores call spruce.

Shara Woodshop Diaries holding 1x12x8 board in workshop

This is usually the most inexpensive and readily available wood option (at least where I live), and is a soft, very light colored wood.

BY THE WAY: Either a 1×12 or a 1×10 board would work great for this project!

It often has quite a few knots, so when selecting your board, be sure to dig around the pile and find one with the fewest (or at least the smallest) knots. Also, make sure to pick one that is as smooth as possible–without a lot of gouges, knicks, or dents.

Again, this is not a cutting board. You wouldn’t want to use a softwood for a cutting board.

If you wanted to use a hardwood for this serving board instead, you certainly can. However, the deeper grains in some hardwoods can cause your stain lines to bleed a bit so you may not get crisp lines with your stencil.

If you’d rather make a cutting board, check out this post instead.

What kind of finish to use

When staining around a stencil, I highly recommend using a water based stain as these give the crispest lines like you see below with my DIY Christmas Sled.

Wooden Christmas sled with water based minwax stain cans stacked in front

Personally, I use Minwax Water Based Stains. They come in either solid or semi transparent opacities and in hundreds of colors. For this project, I used Semi-Transparent in Pecan.

Once the stain is applied and the stencils removed, the boards should be properly sealed with a few coats of non-toxic finish that dries to a smooth, hard surface that is easy to clean. For this, I used Minwax Polycrylic in Semi-Gloss.

Close up of applying Minwax Polycrylic with brush

Polycrylic, (like many other paints and enamels) once it has fully cured and is wiped clean, is generally considered fine for serving dry goods on–like crackers, cookies, candies, etc. But it shouldn’t be cut on as this could chip the finish.

However, if you’re hesitant using it with food, do your own research and/or just use for decoration. For what it’s worth, I personally eat off of things I finish with Polycrylic all the time–dining tables, countertops, serving trays, etc.

How to use a this personalized Board

These serving boards can be used as a simple decoration on a kitchen countertop, hanging on the wall, on a shelf, as a trivet, etc.

It would also make a nice centerpiece, or a fun way to serve snacks and candies at the next get together.

You can use it a hundred ways, but it’s not intended for cutting on.

How to Clean serving board

Just like you’d wipe your dining table clean, you can simply wipe these boards clean with a damp dish rag and dry them with a clean towel.

They shouldn’t be soaked in water, though, as this can quickly damage the wood/finish.

Enjoy DIY projects and woodworking plans? Sign up for priority access for the latest posts on Woodshop Diaries!

How to Make a Personalized DIY Serving Board

If you prefer to watch, here’s a quick video showing how easy these DIY serving boards are to make.

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Tools & Materials

Tools:

  • Miter Saw (or any saw that can cut a straight line)
  • Jig Saw (optional)
  • Sander (if you don’t have a power sander, you can sand by hand instead)

Materials:

For personalizations:

Step 1: Cut Serving Boards to Size

First, I cut my 1x12x8 board down into five 18″ long pieces. But you can obviously cut yours differently if you wanted.

Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting 1x12 board on miter saw

You can cut it into smaller pieces and make more, but smaller serving boards.

Or you could cut it into larger pieces and make fewer, but larger serving boards.

Step 2: Cut Handle

This step is optional, but I cut out a handle shape on the ends of my boards with a jig saw.

Close up of jig saw cutting handle shape out of wood board

If you didn’t have a jig saw, but wanted a handle, you could also just drill a hole in one end and tie a rope, or add a knob or drawer pull as a handle as well.

You can obviously cut any shape and size handle you’d like, but there’s how I cut mine.

Diagram showing dimensions of serving board handle shape

Once cut, I gave each board a good sanding with 220 grit sandpaper to prep it for staining and wiped away all the dust. You want it to be dust free when you apply the stencil in the next step.

Step 3: Cut and Apply Personalized Stencil

Once the boards were cut and sanded, I created my personalizations in Cricut Design Space. This part is completely up to you, so get creative.

You can use premade designs, or draw some of your own. Learn more about how to use Cricut Design Space here.

Cricut design space program showing five designs for the 5 serving boards

Since my Cricut Joy Xtra machine only cuts up to 8 ½″ wide, I made my designs no more than 8 ¼″ big. But if you have a different machine will cut larger, you can absolutely go bigger.

TIP: Since the Cricut Smart Vinyl comes in 3ft rolls, I arranged and sized my designs so that I could cut them out on one roll.

I made five different designs–three large and two small–to stencil onto my boards and once I laid them out in Design Space, I cut them out on my Cricut Joy Xtra on Permanent Smart Vinyl.

Close up of Cricut Joy Xtra cutting vinyl stencils for serving boards

By the way, the color of your vinyl doesn’t matter since these will only be used for stenciling, then removed. Also, permanent OR removeable vinyl would work fine here.

Then, I cut my vinyl to separate my 5 different designs, removed the material around the lettering and applied transfer tape to each one.

Close up of one of the stencils with just the lettering reading "let's eat"

This allowed me to transfer the vinyl to my boards and remove the transfer tape to use it for a stencil.

Shara Woodshop Diaries removing transfer tape after applying the vinyl stencil to one of the serving boards

Step 4: Stain and Seal Board

I ran my fingers over the vinyl to make sure it was all stuck down well, then stained the board with a foam brush.

RELATED: How to stain wood

Applying wood stain with a foam brush to serving board with vinyl stencil in place

TIP: Water based stains work best to give you crisp lines on your stencil. But keep in mind they dry quick. I recommend staining the front side (where the stencil is) first and wiping away the excess before it dries. Then, stain the rest of the board the same way.

Once all excess stain was wiped away, I carefully removed the stencils.

Close up of Shara Woodshop Diaries removing vinyl stencil from serving board

Then, I applied three coats of Minwax Polycrylic to all sides of the board to seal it.

RELATED: How to apply clear coat finish

Three personalized serving boards stacked on workbench--one with round monogram, one with square monogram and one with last name in bottom corner

And with that, these simple customized boards are ready for gifting (or for keeps!). These would be so fun with a family recipe, or a handwritten note from a loved one if you didn’t want an initial.

Close up of monogrammed serving board with handle. Monogram "H" is stained into the board

The possibilities are endless!

By the way, let’s break down the cost for these. That’s 5 serving board gifts and I spent $15 on the board, $4 for the vinyl and $3.50 for the transfer tape. That comes to under $5 each!

Shara Woodshop Diaries holding five customized serving boards with lettering stained on the front.

Looking for more easy DIY gift ideas?

Enjoyed this project, but looking for more DIY gift ideas? Here are a few favorites:

DIY Book Holder
EASY DIY Picture Frames
DIY Salt & Pepper Shakers
DIY Book Stand
DIY Tic Tac Toe Game
Tea Box with Mug Holder

If you’d like to save this project for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing Shara Woodshop Diaries holding board at top and three personalized boards at bottom with text "DIY personalized gifts for under $5!"

Until next time, happy building!

DIY Built In Cabinets with Storage Bench

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In this post, I’m sharing how fill a blank wall with custom DIY built in cabinets with a storage bench!

Custom built ins not only add style and sophistication to a room, but they also add storage space. And everyone knows you can never have too much storage!

Built in cabinets with bookshelves and bench seat under window in office spanning wall to wall and painted green

While this is a large project in size, it’s a pretty simple in complexity when it’s broken into pieces. Essentially, you have two base cabinets, two bookshelves, and a bench.

So I recommend building these in sections to keep things simple and not get overwhelmed.

If you’re ready to dive in and get building, I’ve got the plans, video, tutorial, and plenty of tips below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to consider before building built in cabinets

Building your own custom built ins can seem a bit overwhelming. But consider this–built ins are literally just an assortment of boxes that are screwed to the wall and arranged in a way that fits your space.

exploded diagram of built ins showing base cabinets, bookcases, and bench seat separately

Don’t overthink it! But also…don’t underthink it. Here are a few things to consider as you’re planning your built ins.

Before starting, look over your space and take note of any outlet/switch/air vent locations and be sure to consider how your project can work with or work around these.

Customizing Built Ins to Fit Your Space

This project was intended as a built in to completely fill a wall in an office. The overall dimensions were 141″ wide, 94″ tall, and 22 ½″ deep.

DIY built in overall dimensional diagram

The cabinets are 34 ½″ wide and the bench seat was 72″ wide.

Because it’s very likely your wall won’t be the exact same length as my wall, you’ll need to figure your own dimensions to fit your space.

To keep this as simple as possible, I recommend building the bottom cabinets and top bookcases first. Then, install them. At that point, you can measure and build the bench seat to fill the open space between them.

Face Frame Modifications

This project was installed between two walls. Because walls are rarely perfectly square, the face frames on both the bottom cabinets and top bookcases are built/installed oversized so that it hangs off one side to create a built in “filler strip.”

I do this on many of my cabinets that will go against a wall:

Base cabinet overhead view showing face frame overhanging on one side as a built in filler strip

This helps minimize awkward gaps during installation in wall corners. However, if your project is not going against a wall, you’ll need to assemble your face frames without the overhang.

Adjustments to the face frame may also require slight adjustments to the cabinet door size as well. This article explains how to measure and size cabinet doors for any project.

Enjoy DIY projects and woodworking plans? Sign up for priority access for the latest posts on Woodshop Diaries!

You may find these resources helpful throughout the build:

How to create Built In Cabinets with storage bench

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

YouTube Thumbnail of DIY custom built in cabinets

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable built in cabinet building plans available here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Check out this post for the top ten tools I recommend for cabinet building

Materials:

*I recommend using hardwood plywood for this build–I used birch here. Learn how to use the best plywood for your project here.

For the 1x and molding material, any wood type you prefer would work fine. If painting, spruce, whitewood, or preprimed pine are great options. If staining, use the same type of lumber as your plywood (or something that will stain similarly) so they’ll match once finished.

Step 1: Assemble Base Cabinets

The first part of the project I tackled was building the base cabinets. These are the cabinets that will go on each side of the bench, in the bottom left and right corners of the room.

I assembled these cabinet boxes from ¾″ plywood, so first, I cut down my plywood sheets to get two sides, a bottom, and three support strips for each cabinet.

Learn how to cut down plywood sheets here.

Shara Woodshop Diaries stacking plywood pieces on workbench to use for base cabinets

You can find the full cut list and cut diagrams in the printable plans here.

Then, I drilled ¾″ pocket holes into the ends of the bottom panel and all three support strips to assemble.

RELATED: How to use a pocket hole jig

I assembled two identical cabinet boxes using 1 ¼″ pocket hole screws. Note that the bottom panel was installed about 5 ⅜″ up from the bottom of the sides.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling base cabinets for built ins in office

And the support strips are installed so that two are at the top, back corner and one is at the front corner.

FYI: This is very similar to how to build basic base cabinets for a kitchen, except for these built ins don’t have a toe kick.

Next, I assembled a basic face frame for each cabinet using 1x3s using pocket holes and screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries holding face frame for office built in cabinets

A standard size pocket hole jig can work if you’re careful, but I recommend using a Kreg Micro Jig for these thin pieces with pan head pocket hole screws. The smaller holes and screws are less likely to cause splits.

Learn how, when, and why to use the Kreg Micro Pocket Hole Jig here.

(If you watch the video, I mention that in hindsight, I wish I had used a 1×6 at the bottom of this face frame. Later, I came back and added a piece of 1×6 across the bottom.)

Because these base cabinets are butting up to a wall, I built the face frames about 1″ wider than the cabinet boxes. So, when I glued and nailed them onto the front, I let the frame overhang the side of the cabinet that will butt up to the wall.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing face frame onto front of cabinet on workshop floor

This creates a built in filler strip to help avoid any awkward gaps during installation in case the walls are unsquare.

If your cabinets were not going against a wall, you’d want to make your face frame the same size as your cabinet (no overhang).

Then, I cut two doors for each cabinet from ¾″ plywood, edge banded them, and cut some small decorative trim pieces to glue onto the fronts of each one.

RELATED: How to measure and size cabinet doors

Shara Woodshop Diaries gluing and taping molding onto front of cabinet doors on workbench

At this point, I went ahead and primed and painted the cabinet doors and cabinet boxes. These were going into my sister’s office and she wanted them to match the walls, so I painted them SW Basil.

RELATED: How to paint DIY furniture

Then, I installed these doors onto the cabinets using concealed hinges.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing concealed hinges onto cabinet doors on workbench

RELATED: How to choose the right cabinet door hinges for your project

ALSO RELATED: How to install concealed hinges

To finish up the cabinets, I drilled shelf pin holes inside and cut a shelf to fit. Then, I cut another piece of ¾″ plywood to use for the cabinet countertop.

You could simply edge band these, but I glued and nailed some of the decorative trim I used on the doors around the front and the side that won’t be butting up to a wall.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing trim detail around plywood edge for built in countertops

Then, I set the cabinets and tops aside for now. I’ll install them in step 3.

Step 2: Assemble Built in Bookshelves

The next part of the build was the bookshelves that will go on top of the base cabinets. For these, I used ¾″ plywood for the sides and top, but I used ½″ plywood for the back panel.

I drilled pocket holes along the back panel and into the top piece to assemble. Keep in mind you’ll need to drill ¾″ pocket holes into ¾″ thick material and ½″ pocket holes into ½″ material.

I assembled two bookshelves using pocket hole screws like shown in the photo. By the way, these bookshelves will not have a bottom since they’ll be placed on the cabinets from step 1.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling built in bookcase with pocket holes and screws

Then, I cut a piece of ¾″ plywood with an arch and installed this at the top of each cabinet using pocket hole screws on the inside.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing arched trim detail to top of built in bookcases

Prefer to print? Grab the printable built in cabinet building plans here.

Next, I glued and nailed 1x4s onto the front of each bookshelf for the face frame. Just like for the base cabinets, I allowed the 1×4 to overhang the “wall side” of the shelf about an inch to help avoid weird gaps with unsquare walls during install.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing face frame onto front of bookcases for built ins

Then I added various molding to dress these shelves up a bit. I glued and nailed crown molding around the tops first.

RELATED: How to cut crown molding

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing crown molding around tops of bookcases

Then, I added some baseboard at the bottom, some 1×3 blocks at the top, and some small decorative trim forming a rectangle between them.

Molding detail added to front of DIY built in bookcase cabinets

You can dress these up however fits your style. Once the glue was dry, I stained the inside of the bookcase in Minwax Early American, and painted the outside to match the base cabinets.

To finish these up, I drilled shelf pin holes along the insides and cut some shelves to fit.

RELATED: How to install shelves using shelf pins

Step 3: Install Built In Cabinets

I went ahead and installed these end cabinets before building the bench seat so that I knew exactly what size to build it so it would fit between them.

First, I removed the baseboard along the back wall and trimmed them down on the sides using an oscillating saw so that I could slide the base cabinets right in behind it in the corner.

Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting baseboard with oscillating saw

You don’t have to cut these in place if you don’t want. You can instead remove the baseboard and trim down on a miter saw, then reinstall.

I secured the base cabinets to the wall studs on each side of the room.

Then, I placed the countertops on and secured these through the top supports of the base cabinets.

Base built in cabinets installed in corners of room

Then, we placed the bookshelves on top and secured them to the wall studs with screws through the back panel. I also used a couple screws through the countertops to secure the shelves to the base as well.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing bookcase cabinet to countertops through base cabinet countertops

At that point, I could get a precise measurement of the open space between the base cabinets to build the bench seat for a perfect fit.

Step 4: Assemble Storage Bench

The storage bench is built much like the base cabinets except instead of a solid bottom panel, I just used a couple plywood strips–one at the front and one at the back.

So the bench frame had two sides, a divider, and five support strips on each side. I assembled this using pocket holes and screws.

Build in bench seat frame assembled from plywood in workshop

To make this easy to adjust and fit into the space, I built the main body of the bench about 3 ½″ smaller than the opening between my cabinets.

Then I built the face frame the exact width of the opening. I used 1x3s on the sides and top and a 1×6 at the bottom.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing face frame onto bench seat

That way, when I glued and nailed the face frame on, it overhung each side about 1 ¾″.

That way, if it happens to be just a bit too big to fit in the space, I can easily trim a little off the side without having to take the whole bench apart.

After the face frame, I added drawer slides into each side of the cabinet and assembled two large storage drawers to fit.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing drawer boxes on top of storage bench

RELATED: Check out this article for more information on building drawer boxes

After I installed the drawers into the bench frame, I cut ¾″ plywood for the drawer fronts and added trim on them to match the doors on the base cabinets.

Then, I primed, painted, and installed these drawer fronts. TIP: I find it easiest to install drawer fronts if the project is lying on its back. Gravity helps hold the fronts in position.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing drawer fronts to built in bench seat

Step 5: Install Storage Bench

Finally, I could install the bench and wrap this up. I removed the drawers using the little tabs on the sides of the slides so that I could access the inside easier.

And I slid this bench frame into position between the cabinets.

After securing the bench to the wall studs through the back supports, I cut to fit a ¾″ piece of plywood to set on top (I stained it before installing).

Bench seat installed between base cabinet built ins with drawers removed

After the top was secured with screws through the top supports of the bench, I slid the drawers back in.

After adding some pulls to the drawers and doors, these built ins were complete and I could step back and see the big picture.

Shara Woodshop Diaries sitting on bench seat between DIY built in cabinets painted green with wood stained accents

Of course, after installing, you can certainly add some additional trim, run baseboard across the front, if desired, caulk any gaps between walls and cabinet and touch up any paint as needed.

DIY Built in cabinets with bench seat and drawers painted green in green room with wood stained accents

This is a great project that you can customize, trim out, size, and style to fit your space.

Close up of built in base cabinet with bookcase on top with bench seat and drawers

If you’re interested in building your own, grab the printable plans for these built in cabinets with storage bench here.

Close up of built in bench seat between two built in base cabinets in office

Looking for more built in storage ideas?

Wanting more ideas and information on building your own cabinets and built in storage? Here are a few posts you might enjoy browsing. Click on the images below to read more.

DIY Built In Hallway Cabinets
DIY Garage Cabinets
Mudroom Built Ins
How to Build Base Cabinets
How to Build Wall Cabinets
7 Ways to Build a Cabinet Door

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to save it for later by pinning or sharing to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing exploded view of built in cabinet diagram at top and completed DIY built in cabinets at bottom with text "DIY custom built in cabinets"

Until next time, happy building!

Easiest DIY Desktop Photo Frame

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In this post, I’m sharing how to turn a few wood scraps into the easiest DIY desktop photo frame!

I love the modern, minimalist look of these simple frames and they make an excellent inexpensive DIY gift idea for just about any occasion.

DIY two sided minimalist photo frames made from alder

I made these to fit a 5×7 photo as you can see on the left in the image above. But you could also use a 4×6 and “float” the photo (like on the right in the image above) so there’s blank space around the edges.

These simple frames are so easy to customize and I even made four different styles to show you a few different ways to make them.

You can see the two sided ones in the image above and the three sided ones in the image below.

DIY three sided walnut and maple photo frames with floating photo ad acrylic sheets

If you’re ready to make your own, grab some scrap wood and let’s get building!

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building

These photo frames are a super quick project and can be completed in just a few minutes of working time.

The glue will take a bit longer to dry, so total project time is closer to an hour or so depending on temperature and what kind of wood glue you use. You can make this quicker by using a few brad or pin nails in addition to the glue.

Enjoy DIY projects and woodworking plans? Sign up for priority access for the latest posts on Woodshop Diaries!

Where to find “glass” for the frame?

I have built several different picture frames in the past and I often cut my own plexiglass/acrylic sheets for them, especially if they’re large.

Cutting plexiglass with circular saw

But the edges don’t always look super clean. Now, that’s fine for a four sided frame where you won’t see them–like these giant DIY picture frames.

But, for these frames, where the edges are exposed, they really need to be smooth.

So I decided to purchase some precut acrylic sheets instead of cutting them myself. These come in various sizes and are pretty inexpensive.

Precut acrylic 5x7 for photo frames

The ones I bought came in a pack of 12 and are exactly 5″ x 7″. They worked perfect for this project and saved me a ton of time not having to cut my own pieces.

What type of wood should you use?

You can use any wood species you’d like for this project. I used a combination of walnut, maple, and alder.

walnut, maple, and alder boards laying on workbench

While you could make these from wider boards, I recommend using 1x2s and/or 1x3s to keep them slim and modern. Wider boards may look a little too chunky for these small frames.

Each frame only needs a couple small pieces, so I encourage you to “shop your scraps” and see if you can use those to make these.

How to make an easy DIY photo frame

If you prefer to watch, this quick video shows you how to make these simple photo frames so you can see it in action:

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

Step 1: Cut Slot for Photo

The first step is cutting the slot for the acrylic and photo to slide into. Now, each frame needs two pieces of acrylic to sandwich the photo.

When I put two of my acrylic sheets together with a photo between them, the thickness was just a tiny bit less than the thickness of my table saw blade (which is a general purpose Diablo 10″ blade).

So I adjusted the table saw blade height to about ¼″, adjusted my rip fence, and ran my boards through.

adjusting table saw blade height with Kreg Multimark tool

PS: If you’re curious what I’m using to adjust my blade height in the photo, it’s a Kreg MultiMark. Super handy little tool!

Since my blade was just a little bigger than my acrylic sheets and photo, one cut was the perfect size to slide these into. But if your blade is thinner or your acrylic is thicker, you may need to make another pass to widen your slot.

This slot doesn’t have to be in any specific location on the board. You can center it, or cut it off center. I preferred mine a little off center.

Slots cut in walnut and maple 1x2s to fit photo and acrylic sheet

Step 2: Cut Bottom of Photo Frame

Once the slot was cut in the board(s), I cut my photo frame bottoms from them. I cut these on my miter saw with square ends–no bevel or miter angle.

For the three sided frames, I cut the bottoms about ⅜″ shorter than the width of my acrylic. (Since the slots are about ¼″ deep, this allows a little extra wiggle room once the sides are on in step 3.)

  • For portrait orientation, the acrylic width is 5″, so I cut the bottom to 4 ⅝″ long
  • For landscape orientation, the acrylic width is 7″, so I cut the bottom to 6 ⅝″ long

I mixed and matched the wood on my three sided frames and cut one from maple and one from walnut.

Cutting DIY desktop photo frame bottom piece with miter saw

For the two sided frames, it doesn’t really matter exactly what length you cut the bottom piece.

I just cut mine a littler longer than the width of my acrylic (see photos below)–one for landscape and one for portrait orientation.

Step 3: Cut Side(s) of Photo Frame

Before cutting the sides, consider whether you prefer your photo to stand straight up and down, or slanted back a little.

Two sided photo frames side by side showing one as straight vertical and one as slanted

For my slanted photo frames, I adjusted my miter angle to 15 degrees to cut the ends of my photo frame sides.

For my straight upright photo frame, I cut the side pieces with ends square.

Now the side pieces can be cut as tall or as short as you’d like. I cut mine short so that the acrylic was taller than my sides, but you could cut yours to go all the way up.

Maple and walnut landscape photo frame pieces cut and dry fit together

To be honest, I just held my sides in place and marked where I thought the height looked right and cut. I didn’t even measure anything.

Step 4: Glue Up Frame

Before gluing, I test fit my acrylic sheets into these frames to make sure everything fit together well. Here are my four frames dry fit together.

Four DIY desktop photo frames dry fit together with acrylic sheets on workbench before glue up

Make sure the acrylic can slide in and out of the slots easily.

Then, I glued and clamped the sides to the bottoms of each frame making sure the slots stayed aligned once clamped.

Shara Woodshop Diaries applying wood glue to end of bottom piece of photo frame
Two sided EASY DIY desktop photo frame with sloped side glued up in clamps

NOTE: It’s absolutely critical the slots stay lined up when these are glued together. If they’re off, the acrylic won’t fit properly into the frame.

Make sure to remove any glue that squeezes into the slots before it dries.

Shara Woodshop Diaries clamping sides of DIY photo frame together

If you wanted to add a few brad or pin nails to help hold these, you certainly can, but I just used glue.

Step 5: Finish

Once the glue dried, I sanded away any squeeze out and finished these frames using Walrus Oil Furniture Finish oil.

Shara Woodshop Diaries applying furniture finish to DIY photo frames

Then I removed the protective film on the acrylic sheets, sandwiched my photos between them and slid them into my frames.

Maple and walnut DIY Desktop photo frames sitting on table top

This two sided slanted frame is my favorite one, but it’s hard to pick because I really love them all!

DIY two sided floating photo frame on desktop

I love the 4×6 photos in these 5×7 frames. That empty space between the photo and frame is such a neat effect.

Floating photos in DIY wooden photo frames on desktop

These simple DIY photo frames are perfect for your desk, console table, or shelf!

Looking for More easy DIY projects?

With the upcoming holidays, I’ve teamed up with my friend, Kati, from Houseful of Handmade and Anika from Anika’s DIY Life to share some easy and fun gift ideas that you can make this season!

I’ve included their projects in the gallery below plus a few of my own (click on the images to see how to make each one).

DIY Rotating Picture Frame
DIY Craft Cart
DIY Book Holder
DIY Book Stand
Cutting Board Drink Coasters
DIY Basic Cutting Board

Enjoyed this project and want to save it for later? Be sure to pin it or share it to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing scrap lumber at top with text "turn this" and completed DIY photo frames at bottom with text "into this" EASY DIY PHOTO FRAMES

Until next time, happy building!

DIY Organizer Catch All Tray

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In this post, I’m sharing how to make a simple catch all organizer tray for your desk, nightstand, or entryway.

This simple project provides a great place to toss your keys, pens, paper clips, wallet, glasses, etc. without them just piling into a mess.

Red oak DIY desk organizer tray with post it notes, glasses, phone, pens, and keys

But it also makes a great handmade gift, too! I’m actually making this one for my Dad for Christmas to help him keep his desk organized (and quit losing his keys–hopefully!).

You can customize the size and go a little bigger to fit in a drawer, or keep it small just for the essentials.

If you’re ready to get building (and organized!), let’s dive in.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to consider before building

Keep in mind that this project is not a one size fits all kind of DIY. Think about how you (or the person you’re making this for) would most likely use it and customize it however makes sense.

What type of wood to use for this project

You can use just about any type of wood you’d like for this project–pine, poplar, oak, maple, etc.

If you want, you could mix and match different species to create some contrast between the sides and the bottom or between the bottom and the dividers.

Here, I used red oak plywood for the bottom and solid red oak lumber for the sides and dividers. But to give it some contrast, I stained the bottom. See step 1.

close up of piece of red oak lumber in hands

Either ½″ or ¾″ plywood would work fine for the bottom of the tray. And either 1×2 or 1×3 would work fine for the sides of the tray (1×3 would make a taller lip around the edges).

For the dividers, you can use some ¼″ or ½″ square dowels, or just cut your own thin strips of wood whatever size you’d like.

Organizer Tray Size

This particular tray ended up being 1 ½″ tall (not including the pencil holder) x 9″ deep x 17 ½″ wide.

Empty wooden catch all tray with dimensions noted on length and width

But, you can adjust your size however you’d like by simply cutting your tray bottom in step 1 a different size.

Enjoy DIY projects and woodworking plans? Sign up for priority access for the latest posts on Woodshop Diaries!

How to make a DIY organizer tray

If you prefer to watch, here’s a quick video showing how to make this simple DIY tray organizer:

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Tools & Materials

Tools:

  • Miter saw (or any saw that can cut straight lines)
  • Table or Circular saw (optional for cutting plywood if needed)
  • Clamps

Materials:

  • ½″ OR ¾″ plywood scrap (for tray bottom)
  • 1×2 board (enough to frame all sides of tray bottom)
  • ½″ square dowel (for dividers)
  • ½″ thick wood (solid or ply–optional to make pencil holder)
  • Wood Glue
  • Wood Finish of your choice

Step 1: Cut Tray Bottom

To get started, I dug around my scrap pile to see what plywood pieces I had. I found a piece of ½″ red oak plywood that was 7 ½″ wide x 16″ long.

This was just about the perfect size I had in mind for my tray, so I didn’t bother trimming it down any.

However, if you don’t have a scrap piece the size you want, trim down a piece of either ½″ or ¾″ plywood to make the organizer tray bottom.

I wanted the bottom of my tray to be dark, so I stained this piece with Minwax Water Based Stain in Black.

Shara Woodshop Diaries staining red oak plywood panel black on workbench

Of course, you can stain/paint/leave your plywood bottom however you’d like.

Step 2: Attach Tray Sides

I cut some red oak 1x2s to fit around the sides of this plywood piece to form a tray. (I cut these before I decided to stain it in step 1, so just ignore that.)

Shara Woodshop Diaries dry fitting pieces of 1x2 around plywood panel on workbench

You could miter the ends where they meet at the corners, but I just butted them together.

Once I made sure the pieces fit around the plywood, I glued them onto the sides.

I glued the short sides first, and clamped them tight. Then I glued on the long sides and clamped those as well.

1x2s glued and clamped around organizer tray bottom

If you didn’t want to wait for the glue to dry, you could add a few brad nails to hold them in place instead of using clamps.

Step 3: Add Optional Pen Holder

If you’re using this DIY tray organizer as a catch all on the nightstand or in a drawer, you may not want to add this optional piece.

But if you’re using it for a desk organizer, it might come in handy. I added a little wooden “cup” to this tray for my Dad to put his pens/pencils into.

You can make this from ½″ plywood, but I had some ½″ red oak leftover from when I made these wooden sunflowers, so I trimmed this down into four pieces to make a “box.”

Shara Woodshop Diaries holding pieces of ½" thick red oak lumber cut to small pieces

NOTE: You could use thicker material instead, but it’ll be pretty chunky.

I cut two sides 2″ and two sides 3″ and glued them together.

Shara Woodshop Diaries gluing pieces of pencil holder together on workbench for organizer tray

These pieces were about 4 ½″ wide, so my box was 4 ½″ tall–which seemed to be about the perfect size for basic pens.

four pieces of pencil holder glued together in clamps on workbench for DIY catch all tray

Once the glue was dry, I sanded the edges and set it aside for now.

Step 4: Install Dividers

Now it’s time to divide out this tray into sections to make it easy to keep organized.

For my tray, I used ½″ square dowels for the dividers, but you could also use ¼″ square dowels or cut your own thin wood strips. Anything that can separate the sections will work fine.

Here is where you really want to consider what you plan to use this for.

I cut a few pieces of square dowel and just kind of played around with the layout to figure out how I wanted to space them.

Shara Woodshop Diaries arranging items in catch all tray to test layout of dividers

I placed my glasses, keys, phone, etc in the tray to see what would fit where.

If you made a pen/pencil holder in step 3, make sure you fit that where you want it within your dividers.

Once I was happy with my spacing, I glued each piece into the tray.

Shara Woodshop Diaries gluing dividers into wooden catch all tray organizer on workbench

TIP: If you want to glue your pen/pencil holder onto the tray, you absolutely can. Just keep in mind it won’t be removable if you ever change your mind and want to move/replace it.

Step 5: Finish

To seal the tray, I applied a few coats of Minwax Polycrylic and once that was dry, this simple organizer is ready for work.

Wooden organizer tray with pencil holder cup and wooden dividers separating post it notes, phone, keys, glasses

I know this is such a basic project, but it’s so handy to have. It’s one of those projects that you think “why didn’t I make this sooner?!” (Or is that just me? HA!)

DIY catch all tray with glasses, phone, pens, keys, wallet on wood countertop

I can’t wait to give this to my Dad for Christmas as a practical, and thoughtful gift that I know he can put to good use.

Looking for more handmade gift ideas?

With the upcoming holidays, I’ve teamed up with my friend, Kati, from Houseful of Handmade and Anika from Anika’s DIY Life to share some easy and fun gift ideas that you can make this season!

I’ve included their projects in the gallery below plus a few of my own (click on the images to see how to make each one).

DIY Dice Tower
DIY Phone Amplifier
Scrap Wood Key Holder Catch All
Cutting Board Drink Coasters
DIY Key Holder Organizer
DIY Serving Tray with Handles

Enjoyed this project and want to save it for later? Be sure to pin it or share it to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest image showing finished DIY desk organizer at bottom and text at top "how to build a simple organizer tray for your desk, nightstand, or drawer"

Until next time, happy building!

Simple DIY Book Holder

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a super simple wooden book holder for your nightstand or side table!

Not only does it hold your book’s place for you, it’s got space for your drink and a place for your glasses, highlighters, pens & pencils, too.

DIY modern wooden book holder made from alder wood with book on top, glasses and mug on bottom

I’ve seen these book holders online selling for over $50 and that’s crazy to me because you can build it in about 15 minutes and with about $5 worth of lumber.

If you’re a bookworm yourself and want to make one for keeps, I don’t blame you.

But if you want to make an extra one, it makes an excellent gift idea, especially when paired with a new book!

Much more fun than a plain ole bookmark *wink wink* So if you’re ready to make one, let’s dive in!

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to consider before building

This project is quick and easy to make. It’s very basic and I’d say it’s a beginner level build.

BUT, there are some angles, so if you’re brand new to the miter saw, you might want to practice on a few scrap pieces first.

RELATED: How to cut angles on a miter saw

What wood to use

You can use any wood species you’d like for this project. Pine, maple, walnut, oak, etc. You can even use ¾″ plywood if you wanted.

This project was made using a piece of alder wood 1×6 in size. However, if you wanted a deeper book holder, you could also use a 1×8 or a 1×10 board.

Alder 1x6 board laying on workbench

You only need about 3′ of board (a little less, actually), so I encourage you to check your scrap piles as you may already have everything you need!

The overall size of this book holder/stand is 5 ½″ deep x 8 9/16″ tall x 13 ⅞″ long.

Enjoy DIY projects and woodworking plans? Sign up for priority access for the latest posts on Woodshop Diaries!

How to make a DIY book holder

If you prefer to watch, here’s a quick video showing how this simple wooden book holder came together.

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

  • 1×6 board about 3′ long (could also use 1×8 or 1×10 instead)
  • 1 ¼″ brad nails
  • Wood glue
  • Wood Finish of your choice (I used Furniture Butter)

Step 1: Cut Book Holder Pieces

To make this book holder, I just needed to cut three pieces. Now, you can certainly adjust your sizing here to make your book holder larger or smaller.

But I cut my bottom 1×6 piece about 13″ long with one end cut square and the other end beveled 30 degrees off square.

Book holder bottom board dimensional diagram

Then, I cut a piece of 1×6 to about 9″ long with both ends beveled 30 degrees not parallel to each other.

Cutting 1x6 board on miter saw with blade beveled 30 degrees

This is the tall side, so if you want a taller or shorter bookstand, adjust this length as desired.

Finally, I cut a third piece about 6″ long with both sides beveled just like the last one.

Shara Woodshop Diaries dry fitting the book holder pieces together on workbench

I intentionally cut this piece short so that it wouldn’t go all the way to the bottom, but if you’d like for it to, simply cut it the same length as the previous piece.

Once cut, I sanded each piece before assembling.

RELATED: How to sand wood

Step 2: Assemble Book Holder Stand

I attached the two smaller pieces together first. These are the pieces that make up the part that the book rests on.

So I applied wood glue along one end of the 9″ piece.

Shara Woodshop Diaries applying wood glue to board end

Then I lined it up with the shorter piece and brad nailed these together like shown below. Since these pieces aren’t at 90 degrees, be careful to angle the nail so that it will be fully seated in the wood and not pop out the end.

Shara Woodshop Diaries brad nailing board together to make book holder

You can try to clamp these pieces before nailing, but the angle may be difficult to clamp. I found it easiest to hold them together and nail one side, then flip it over and nail the other.

Once nailed, I sanded the joint smooth and made sure to remove all glue squeeze out.

Step 3: Attach Stand to Bottom

Then, I applied a bead of wood glue to the beveled end of the bottom piece, and attached this assembly to it the same way–using a couple of brad nails.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing book holder to bottom board on workbench

While the nails alone don’t add a ton of strength, the glue, once dry, will hold the pieces together firmly.

I sanded this joint as well and made sure all glue residue was wiped/sanded away.

Step 4: Finish

To finish up, I applied a tiny dab of wood glue into the nail holes and sanded these while it was still wet.

The glue mixes with the saw dust to help fill the holes, but you could also just use some wood filler as well.

Then, I finished this book holder with Walrus Oil Furniture Butter.

Applying furniture butter finish to DIY book holder stand

FYI: I love this stuff, but be sure to let it (or any other oil based finish) cure a few days before placing a book on it or it may leave behind some oil spots. The oils in this finish solidify once cured.

And now this simple book holder is a stunning new addition next to the bed, next to the chair, or wherever your favorite reading spot may be.

Finished alder wood DIY book holder stand empty on wood top
DIY book holder with open book on top and classes and mug on bottom

Looking for more handmade gift ideas?

With the upcoming holidays, I’ve teamed up with my friend, Kati, from Houseful of Handmade and Anika from Anika’s DIY Life to share some easy and fun gift ideas that you can make this season!

I’ve included their projects in the gallery below plus a few of my own (click on the images to see how to make each one).

DIY Wood Trivets
DIY Book Stand
Scrap Wood Key Holder Catch All
DIY Guitar Bookends--And Easy and Quick Scrap Wood Project
Scrap Wood Bookends

Enjoyed this project and want to save it for later? Be sure to pin it or share it to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing dimensional diagram of book holder at top and completed book holder on bottom with text "how to build a modern book holder"

Until next time, happy building!

DIY Wooden 4 in a Row Game Board

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a DIY wooden 4 in a row game with a storage box that doubles as a stand!

One of my favorite games growing up was Connect 4. I remember playing it with my cousins at every family get together.

Finished DIY 4 in a row connect game made from plywood and wooden dowels with red and blue game pieces

But I also remember it was so flimsy and such a pain to put together with the little plastic feet/stand.

This DIY version is a much more durable, easier to set up option that’s just as fun to build as it is to play.

Plus, it’s a super fun handmade gift idea for Christmas or birthdays–for both kids and adults!

If you’re ready to build one, I’ve got you covered with the how to below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

A few notes before building

This is a great beginner project that is super fun to make. The game board assembly is pretty straightforward, but you can build the box a hundred ways.

Keep it simple with glue and nails, or opt for dovetails, splines, or box joints. Lots of options with this project, so take your time and enjoy the build!

Material Options

This project was made using scrap red oak plywood and red oak lumber. The game pieces were cut from a poplar dowel rod.

However, any type of wood you’d like to use for this project will work fine–pine, maple, birch, walnut, etc.

plywood and wood dowel laid out on workbench ready to be cut for DIY connect 4 game build

The ½″ square dowels can be substituted for ½″ plywood strips if you wanted to use that instead. See video below.

I encourage you to check your scrap pile for the materials needed and use what you have on hand. The pieces for this project are fairly small, so it’s likely you already have everything you need.

Built In Stand & Storage Box

This game is built with a storage box to hold the game board and pieces. When you’re ready to play, the box has a built in stand for the game board.

4 in a row game showing storage box with game pieces and game board laying next to it

So it’s easy to set up, easy to put away, and easy to store when it’s not in use.

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How to Make a Wooden 4 in a Row Game

If you prefer to watch, this quick video goes over the 4 in a row game building process so you can see it in action.

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

If you prefer to print, grab the printable building plans for this project here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

Step 1: Build Game Board

I made my game board using ¼″ plywood panels for the front and back and ½″ square dowels for the dividers. (Well, truth be told, I used ½″ plywood cut into ½″ wide strips–which is practically the same thing.)

So first, I trimmed two ¼″ plywood panels to 8 ¼″ x 14 ½″.

¼" plywood cut to size for DIY 4 in a row game boar assembly

Then, I marked out 7 vertical lines and 6 horizontal lines on one of these pieces. All dimensions can be found in the printable plans.

I clamped the two pieces of plywood together, then used a 1 ⅛″ Forstner bit to drill holes at the intersections of each my my lines.

Shara Woodshop Diaries drilling holes for 4 in a row wood game

There should be 42 holes total on each panel. Clamping them together saves a little time since you can drill them both at once.

holes drilled in ¼" plywood panels for 4 in a row game board

TIP: Use a piece of scrap wood under the panels while drilling. This helps prevent it from tearing out on the back side.

Then, I glued my ½″ square dowels onto the back side of one of the panels as the dividers. I used a scrap 1×2 (which is 1 ½″ wide) to evenly space these dowels.

Using a 1x2 to space dividers on DIY connect 4 game board

Once they were glued to one panel, I glued the other panel onto the other side to complete the game board.

Gluing up wooden game board with dividers for 4 in a row game

NOTE: It’s important that the dividers stay 1 ½″ apart. The game board pieces in step 4 are 1 ⅜″ diameter. This extra ⅛″ allows the pieces plenty of wiggle room so that they don’t get stuck when dropped into the game.

Step 2: Assemble Game Board Storage Box

While the glue dried on the game board, I went ahead and assembled the storage box/stand that it will go into.

For this box, I used 1x3s for the sides and back and a 1×2 for the front.

I cut the sides and back so that when the pieces were together, the game board fit inside of them.

Shara Woodshop Diaries test fitting game board into storage box on workbench for connect 4 game

Then, I cut the 1×2 for the front so that it will rest under it.

The 1x3s were cut so that the corners were beveled, so I glued these together first. Painters tape over the joints helps keep them tight during glue up.

Shara Woodshop Diaries gluing up mitered corners on connect 4 storage box

Then I screwed the 1x2s between the sides at the front and plugged the holes with a dowel.

Driving a screw to attach 1x2 to front of storage box

NOTE: If you wanted to simply glue and nail the box together, that’s totally fine. Or if you wanted to build your box differently with dovetails or box joints, etc, that’s fine too.

Then I cut and glued a piece of ¼″ plywood onto the bottom of the box.

Game board storage box/stand assembled on workbench in clamps

Step 3: Install 4 in a Row Board Stand Supports

Now the board and the box is together, but I needed to make a way for the board to stand upright in the box to play the game.

So, I cut two pieces of 1×2 to about 3″ long and glued them inside the box flush to the front.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing game board supports into storage box for 4 in a row game

Then, I placed the game board behind them and cut to fit two more 1x2s to glue inside the box flush to the back.

That gave me a “slot” or space between the blocks to slide the game board into to play the game.

Support pieces glued and clamped into storage box to hole game board vertically

Step 4: Cut Game Board Pieces

All that’s left is cutting the pieces to play the game with. For these, I used a 1 ⅜″ diameter dowel rod.

I sliced these into ⅜″ thick pieces. It helps to set up a stop block on the miter saw to make these cuts a consistent length.

Stop block set up on miter saw to cut wood dowel for game pieces

I cut 42 pieces (you probably don’t need that many to play the game, but that’s how many holes are in the game board).

To designate the different pieces, I stained half blue (Minwax Royal Pine Water Based Stain), and the other half red (Minwax Spice Water Based Stain).

Step 5: Finish & Play

To seal the box and game board, I applied a few coats of Minwax Polycrylic, and now this game is ready to play!

To set up, remove the game pieces from the box and slide the board into the slots.

Completed wooden 4 in a row game board in storage box/stand with blue and red game board pieces

To take down and store away, remove the game board from the slots, place the pieces inside the box, and place the game board on top.

4 in a row game board placed inside storage box

The Basic Rules: One player gets the red game pieces, the other player gets the blue game pieces. Each player takes turns dropping a piece into the game board. The goal is to be the first player to connect 4 of your pieces in a row. They can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.

Looking for More easy DIY projects?

With the upcoming holidays, I’ve teamed up with my friend, Kati, from Houseful of Handmade and Anika from Anika’s DIY Life to share some easy and fun gift ideas that you can make this season!

I’ve included their projects in the gallery below plus a few of my own (click on the images to see how to make each one).

DIY Playing Card Holders
DIY Toddler Book Cart
DIY Tic Tac Toe Game
Game Board Coffee Table
DIY Rotating Bookshelf

Enjoyed this project and want to save it for later? Be sure to pin it or share it to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing 4 in a row game board in play at top and put away in storage box at bottom with text "how to build a 4 in a row game with storage box"

Until next time, happy building!

DIY Wooden Salt and Pepper Shakers

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In this post, I’m sharing how to make DIY wooden salt and pepper shakers!

This is such a fun little project that makes a great handmade gift for the holidays, a housewarming, or a hostess gift!

walnut and maple wooden salt and pepper shakers on wood table top--salt shaker turned on its side

And the best part is, you only need a few wood scraps! I ended up having enough scraps leftover to make a matching napkin holder (you can see that in the video!).

These little shakers were so much fun to make, so let’s dive into the how to.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

Some notes before building

This is a super quick project that requires minimal tools and just about an a hour of working time.

What wood to use

You can use just about any type of wood you’d like for this project, but tight grained hardwoods like you’d use in a cutting board are recommended–like maple, walnut, cherry, acacia.

But softwoods like pine or poplar would also work. Just don’t use anything treated or plywood for this–you want solid, untreated lumber.

walnut and maple 1x2 lumber laying out on workbench

In this case, I made my salt shaker from maple and my pepper shaker from walnut.

These shakers can be made from either 2x2s, or 1x2s (glued together). You only need a very small amount of wood for this project.

Stopper Options

I used a cork to plug the holes on the bottom of these shakers, but in hindsight, I recommend using a silicone stopper instead.

Close up of tapered cork for plugging salt and pepper shakers

If you watch the video below, you’ll see that I struggled with the cork a bit and found them difficult to remove. I ended up having to trim them a little shorter and add a screw in the bottom for something to grab on to.

Silicone stoppers come in tons of sizes and styles, so you can simply find one you like that will fit the cavity that you drill in step 2 below.

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How to make Wooden Salt and Pepper Shakers

If you prefer to watch, here’s a quick video showing how to make these wooden salt and pepper shakers PLUS a matching napkin holder.

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

Step 1: Glue and/or Cut Blocks

You can make these shakers from EITHER 2x2s or 1x2s. If using 2x2s, simply cut a piece 4″ long for each shaker, sand, then skip to step 2.

But, I wanted to make mine from walnut and maple and I didn’t have any 2x2s. So instead, I used 1x2s, and cut two pieces of each wood type 4″ long for each shaker.

Shara Woodshop Diaries holding1x2 walnut and maple pieces cut to 4" long in front of miter saw

Then I glued these together to make my own 4″ long 2x2s.

Shara Woodshop Diaries clamping 1x2s together to make salt and pepper shaker blocks

Once the glue dried, I sanded these well to remove all glue squeeze out and even out the glue joints.

Step 2: Drill Inside Cavity

I flipped these blocks upside down and drew a line across each diagonal to mark the center.

You could use a drill press to drill out your shakers if you want, but I just used a drill. It’s important to securely clamp the shaker so that it won’t move while drilling.

To do this, I used one clamp on the shaker, then used a second clamp to clamp that to my workbench.

Close up of drilling 1 ¼" diameter hole in bottom of pepper shaker

Then, I used a 1 ¼″ forstner bit to drill about ½″ deep into my shakers.

The exact depth here isn’t critical–this larger hole is just to make it easier to get your fingers into to replace and remove the stopper.

Larger hole drilled in bottom of pepper shaker

After the larger hole was drilled, I swapped to a ¾″ forstner bit and drilled this as deep as it would go.

drilling out cavity to store salt and pepper into wooden shakers with forstner bit

My drill bit wasn’t long enough to go all the way through, but if yours are longer, make sure you leave at least ¼″ material at the bottom. Don’t drill all the way through!

Holes drilled in bottom of salt and pepper shakers

NOTE: You CAN drill a larger inside cavity than ¾″ diameter if you want–just make sure whatever size hole that you drill matches the size stoppers you’re using.

Step 3: Drill Shaker Holes

I flipped the shakers back right side up and marked the center and four surrounding holes to drill out for the salt and pepper to shake out.

Tops of salt and pepper shakers marked for shaker holes

Make sure the holes will fall within the size cavity you drilled out in step 2.

Then I drilled these through using a 5/64″ drill bit. You could use a different size bit if you wanted more/less salt and pepper to come out when you shake.

Drilling shaker holes in top of wood blocks for the salt and pepper

Step 4: Finish & Add Stopper

I blew out all the sawdust from inside the shakers and thoroughly wiped them clean. Then I worked on my stopper situation.

The corks I had bought for these were tapered and were 0.87″ at the large end. That’s why I drilled my cavities ¾″. If I had drilled them the next size bigger (⅞″), the corks would be smaller than the hole, so it wouldn’t plug it.

Cork in bottom of pepper shaker

However, once I put them in, getting them back out was a challenge. So I ended up trimming them down a little.

But even still, they were tough to get out. So, I drove a screw into them and that allowed me to grab hold of them to make removing them easier.

Corks plugging bottom of finished wooden DIY salt and pepper shakers

This is obviously not ideal, so I recommend opting for a silicone stopper instead. These are made in various sizes and you can get one to fit the same diameter cavity you drilled in your shakers.

To seal and finish the shakers, I applied a couple coats of Minwax Polycrylic and allowed to dry.

Maple and walnut wooden DIY salt and pepper shakers

And now they’re ready for the table.

Looking for more handmade gift ideas?

Every occasion is a great opportunity to give a heartfelt handmade gift.

With the upcoming holidays, I’ve teamed up with my friend, Kati, from Houseful of Handmade and Anika from Anika’s DIY Life to share some easy and fun gift ideas that you can make this season!

I’ve included their projects in the gallery below plus a few of my own (click on the images to see how to make each one).

DIY Bread Slicer
DIY Cutting Board Stand
DIY Book Stand
Cutting Board Drink Coasters
DIY Lazy Susan
DIY Basic Cutting Board

Enjoyed this project and want to save it for later? Be sure to pin it or share it to your favorite social channel!

Maple and walnut salt and pepper shakers side by side on table top with text above "easy DIY salt and pepper shakers from wood scraps"

Until next time, happy building!

Scrap Wood Christmas Tree Art

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In this post, I’m sharing a simple scrap wood Christmas tree art piece to kick start your holiday decorating!

This adorable Christmas tree sign is quick to make and easily customizable to any size you need.

Scrap wood art sign of tree with snow on branches

It was inspired by one of my all time favorite DIY projects ever–this simple pumpkin sign and these wooden sunflowers.

This holiday season, I decided to take that same concept and make a fun little Christmas tree.

If you’re ready to make one of your own, grab your jig saw and let’s get building!

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

  • Scrap Wood (see notes below)
  • Tree shape (or other shape as desired) printed on paper
  • Wood Stain as desired
  • Brad nails (optional)
  • Wood Glue

A note about material options

For this project, I used some ¾″ birch plywood for the backer and red oak lumber for the cut outs and frame. I also used some scrap ¼″ plywood to add the snow.

But you could use ½″ plywood for the back instead and any wood type you’d like for the rest.

There is no right or wrong material to use for this. However, if you have it, red oak is great for the shape cut outs because the grain patterns really add some nice texture.

Amount of material needed will depend on the size and shape you’re making. You can make this project as big or small as you’d like.

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How to make a scrap wood Christmas Tree Sign

This is such a fun little project you can easily create in just an hour or two. If you prefer to watch, check out this video on my YouTube channel featuring 3 holiday projects (including this one!):

Youtube thumbnail of 3 holiday project video

Below you can find the detailed tutorial and step by step to make your own!

Step 1: Find a Template

First, I found a template tree shape I wanted to cut out for this project. You can do a quick Google search, sketch a drawing yourself, or find one from a coloring book.

black and white template of a christmas tree shape printed on paper

Any shape will do, but consider the detail when making your selection. The simpler the design, the easier it will be to cut.

Also, I recommend finding a template or drawing that is in sections. For example, the one I choose has the tree drawn in four parts plus a trunk.

Christmas tree template shape cut into pieces on workbench

I sized and printed this out, then cut apart the pieces.

TIP: If you want it large, print it on multiple pages.

Step 2: Lay Out and Cut Tree Pieces

I cut my tree pieces from some scrap 1×8 red oak. Any 1x material you’d like to use for this would work fine.

I just kind of laid out my cut out pieces however they would fit on my board and traced around them with a pencil. They should be close, but don’t have to be perfect.

Shara Woodshop Diaries tracing Christmas tree shapes onto red oak board

TIP: It’s best to turn each piece a little so that the grain will run different directions once they’re all put together.

Then I cut these out with a jig saw. I recommend using a fine finish or scroll blade for best results.

Christmas tree wood art cut out in pieces laid out on workbench

For the trunk, I cut a thin scrap piece, but you could make yours chunky if you wanted.

Before attaching anything, I went ahead and sanded each piece and stained the tree pieces in Minwax Evergreen.

Christmas tree wood art pieces stained green and laid out on plywood backer

FYI… Evergreen is not an “off the shelf” color. It is a Minwax color, but they have to be mixed–kind of like paint.

I stopped by my local Sherwin Williams to get it mixed up for me, but you can check out Minwax’s website here to see where it’s available in your area and to see all their other color options as well.

Don’t stain the back side–just the front and the edges.

Step 3: Glue Tree Onto Backer

I found a piece of scrap ¾″ plywood a little larger than my overall tree shape and laid these pieces out on them how I wanted to attach.

Then, I carefully glued each piece in place with some wood glue starting at the trunk and working my way to the top.

Shara Woodshop Diaries applying glue to back side of christmas tree pieces

If you’re impatient, add a few brad nails to hold them while the glue dries.

Step 4: Add a Frame

Once the tree pieces were dry on the plywood, I cut, glued, and brad nailed some 1×2 pieces around the edges to frame this sign out.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing 1x2 frame around Christmas tree wood art piece

Step 5: Decorate Your Tree

I could have absolutely left the tree sign as is at this point, but I felt like it needed a little something extra.

Some wooden balls or slices of wood dowel stained different colors would be a fun decoration if you wanted. But I thought if I added some snow, it could last all winter long–even after the holidays!

So I used the bottom edge of my templates to kind of sketch some thin strips on ¼″ plywood. I did a little piece that could line the bottom of each section.

Shara Woodshop Diaries tracing around bottom edge of tree templates on ¼" plywood

Then I cut these out with a jig saw and laid them on my tree to see how I liked it. Some of the pieces were a little too chunky at first, so I recut them a little thinner.

Plywood snow shape cut outs placed on Christmas tree art shape

Once I was happy with them, I spray painted them white and glued them onto my tree.

And after they were dry, this little sign was ready to display! I have a little wall shelf in my dining room that I love swapping out wooden signs for the seasons and I plan to set it on that.

Completed scrap wood Christmas tree wood art sign standing on work surface

But if you wanted to hang it, you could add a little sawtooth hanger on the back and hang it instead.

Looking for more Holiday DIYs?

Needing some more ideas to deck the halls this season? Here are a few of my favorites you might enjoy:

DIY Christmas Sled
Stackable Christmas Tree
DIY Christmas Candy Tray
DIY Wooden Snowflake

If you enjoyed this project and want to save it for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing Christmas tree with snow wood art piece

Until next time, friend, happy building!

DIY Corner Base Cabinet with Bi-Fold Doors

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a basic corner base cabinet with a bi-fold door!

This L-shaped corner cabinet can be customized with shelving, drawers or a lazy Susan. Just like basic base cabinets, corner cabinets have plenty of options, but the box itself is a simple build.

Completed DIY corner base cabinet with bi-fold doors sitting in corner of room

There are several types, sizes and styles of corner cabinet. An L shaped option is common for base cabinets, but is sometimes seen in wall cabinets as well.

I’ll be sharing how to build some additional corner cabinet options in the near future, so be sure to stay tuned for those!

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to check out this post for the basics of building base cabinets. It covers some additional details and extra tips on general cabinet building.

But if you’re ready to dive into building a L shaped corner cabinet, I’ve got all the details below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building

The corner cabinet box is pretty standard, but what goes inside is definitely not a one size fits all kind of thing.

Like regular base cabinets, corner cabinets can have drawers (it’s not the most efficient use of space, but it’s doable), or shelves. But a more common option is adding a lazy Susan.

Corner base cabinet with bi-fold doors open revealing adjustable shelf inside with two lazy susans

Lazy Susans for corner cabinets come in three basic styles: pole mount, pie cut, and kidney.

  • Pole Mount: These come as a kit with two round shelves mounted to a pole. The pole is mounted into the cabinet between the top supports and bottom panel and the two shelves rotate around it.
  • Pie Cut: This is the same as the pole mount style, except with these, the cabinet doors mount directly to the lazy Susan shelves. So when it’s spun around, the doors spin into the cabinet. This is only an option with inset cabinet doors.
  • Kidney: This is a stand alone lazy Susan shelf with hardware mounted to the bottom. They’re installed directly to the cabinet bottom and/or a shelf inside the cabinet (like shown in the image above)–they’re not mounted to a pole.

This design can fit a 24-28″ lazy Susan, but before ordering one for your cabinet, be sure to check the manufacturer’s specs to ensure it will properly fit your cabinet. Each brand and style has some variations.

Overall Dimensions

This corner cabinet’s overall dimensions are approximately 34 ½″ tall x 35″ wide x 35″ deep. Note that the cabinet depth on the sides (not including the doors) is 23″.

Dimensional diagram of DIY corner base cabinet

Bi-Fold Doors

This corner cabinet has a bi fold door with specialty hinges to give you full access to the cabinet opening.

The doors themselves are just simple cabinet doors–the same as you’d build for any other cabinet. The difference here is that this cabinet requires two of them and they’re attached together in the corner with hinges.

Completed DIY corner base cabinet with bi fold doors open revealing four hinges and a shelf inside

You can use butt hinges or piano hinges in this case, but I prefer to use concealed hinges because 1: they’re concealed, so they’re hidden when the door is closed and 2: they have adjustments to help get your doors perfectly aligned.

For the bi-fold, you’ll need two pair of hinges–one pair of 165 degree hinges to attach the door to the cabinet and one pair of 135 degree hinges to attach the two doors together.

You may find these resources helpful throughout the build:

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How to build a corner Base Cabinet

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

YouTube thumbnail for how to build a corner base cabinet video

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable corner cabinet building plans available here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Check out this post for the top ten tools I recommend for cabinet building

Materials:

*I recommend using hardwood plywood for this build–I used birch here. Learn how to use the best plywood for your project here.

**You can build your doors hundreds of different ways using hundreds of different materials. I built mine using 1x3s for the door frames and ¼″ plywood for the door panels. For more information, see 7 ways to build a cabinet door.

Step 1: Assemble Corner Cabinet Box

The entire corner cabinet box here is built from ¾″ plywood. So to get started, I cut down my plywood sheets into:

  • (2) side panels (22 ¼″ x 34 ½″)
  • (2) back panels (22 ¾″ x 34 ½″)
  • (1) bottom panel (33 ½″ square)

The cut diagrams and exact cut list can be found in the printable plans.

Learn how to cut down plywood sheets here.

plywood back and side panels for corner cabinet cut and laid on workshop floor

Most base cabinets have what’s called a “toe kick.” This is basically a notch out of the front corner to prevent your feet from kicking the cabinet when you’re standing at it.

The two side panels are the parts of the cabinet that will butt up against the adjacent cabinet boxes once installed. So I marked and notched out a 3 ½″ tall x 4 ½″ deep toe kick on the front bottom corner of these two panels.

The bottom panel also needs some additional cuts to make this cabinet into an L shape.

So I cut a 12″ square out of the front corner of the bottom panel and a diagonal across the back corner.

Corner base cabinet bottom panel on workbench with markings where to cut

Often, corner cabinets have the back corner kind of “chopped off” and this usually makes installation much easier since the walls are rarely square.

I assembled this cabinet box using pocket holes and screws and attached the bottom panel between the side panels first.

RELATED: How to use a pocket hole jig

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling corner base cabinet with pocket hole screws on workbench

The bottom panel is large and oddly shaped, so attaching it between the sides was a bit challenging. It would be helpful to have an extra set of hands for this part.

Then, I attached the back panels to each side panel.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing back panel of DIY corner cabinet with pocket holes on workshop floor

Then, I secured the bottom to the back panels, too. Ignore that piece under the bottom panel for now–I didn’t mean to attach it just yet.

Corner cabinet carcass partially assembled in workshop

Prefer to print? Grab the printable corner base cabinet building plans here.

Step 2: Install top and bottom supports

Once the main box was together, I installed some ¾″ plywood strips as top supports. The long piece should be the same length as the bottom panel (33 ½″) and the short piece should be 12″.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing top supports to corner cabinet

These help hold the back and side panels square at the top, but will also provide some support for the face frame in a later step.

I also installed some more ¾″ plywood strips at the bottom as well. These are what I’ll call “toe kick backers.”

DIY Corner cabinet turned on its back revealing toe kick backers installed under bottom panel

They help support the large, awkwardly shaped bottom panel, but will also give you somewhere to nail the toe kick to once the cabinets are installed.

NOTE: These toe kick backers won’t be seen in the finished project. Once all cabinets are installed, you’ll cut a long piece of wood to nail across the front of all the cabinets as the toe kick.

Step 3: Install Angled Back Panel

The last piece of the cabinet box is the back diagonal panel. This piece runs between the two back panels, but it will need to be cut with beveled edges for it to fit.

So I cut to fit a piece of ¾″ plywood into this opening so that the two edges were beveled 45 degrees opposite each other.

Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting beveled edges on back panel of corner cabinet with circular saw

I used a circular saw and a straight edge to cut this, but you could also use a table saw if you wanted.

Angled back panel installed into corner cabinet closet up from top view

Then, I used a few screws through the back panels to secure it in place.

Step 4: Install face frame

Now the cabinet box is finished, but I need to finish out the front with a face frame. You can certainly build this corner cabinet in a frameless style, but the face frame here helps add a little extra support.

Not sure what the difference between frameless and face frame cabinets is? Check out this post for more information.

For the face frame, I used preprimed 1x2s and I made two “partial” frames with one vertical piece and two shorter horizontal pieces.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling face frame for corner cabinet with pocket holes and screws

I assembled my face frames using pocket holes and screws. Note that this thin material can split pretty easily.

Prefer to print? Grab the printable corner base cabinet building plans here.

A standard size pocket hole jig can work if you’re careful, but I recommend using a Kreg Micro Jig for these thin pieces with pan head pocket hole screws. The smaller holes and screws are less likely to cause splits.

Learn how, when, and why to use the Kreg Micro Pocket Hole Jig here.

Then I attached the two “partial frames” together at the ends to make an L shaped face frame.

Shara Woodshop Diaries holding face frame up on front of corner base cabinet

PRO TIP: When building and attaching face frames, it’s better to err on the side of a little too big than a little too small. If your face frame overhangs the edges of your cabinet a little, that’s okay! But if it doesn’t completely cover the front of your cabinet, you’ll have gaps when you install and it will be difficult to hide.

Then I attached this face frame to the front of the cabinet using pocket holes and screws.

Attaching at the top and down the sides is simple, but when you get to the bottom, it’s a little trickier.

Shara Woodshop Diaries screwing face frame onto front of corner base cabinet

I wasn’t thinking when I added the toe kick backers that it would be difficult to drive the pocket hole screws through these holes in the bottom panel.

Instead of removing them, I decided to drill access holes through them directly behind where the pocket holes were. That way, I could get a drill bit through the hole to drive the screws.

Driving screws to secure corner base cabinet face frame through access holes drilled in toe kick

The actual toe kick will cover these holes after they’re installed, so you’ll never know they’re there.

Step 5: Add Corner Cabinet Shelf (Optional)

Like I mentioned earlier, adding a shelf inside this cabinet is completely optional. If you plan to add a pole mounted lazy Susan, skip the shelf.

But if you’re like me and prefer having a shelf over a lazy Susan, it’s an easy add to this project.

I used a shelf pin jig to drill shelf pins into the two side panels. Learn how to use a shelf pin jig here.

Drilling shelf pins into sides of corner base cabinet with Kreg shelf pin jig

But, in addition to the side panels, I also drilled shelf pin holes up the angled back panel as well. If you don’t add shelf pins in the back, the shelf will tilt and not sit flat.

Then, I measured and cut to fit a shelf in a similar shape as the bottom and placed it in the cabinet with shelf pins.

Adjustable shelf installed into corner base cabinet

NOTE: Whatever you plan to put inside your cabinet, make sure to place it inside BEFORE ADDING A COUNTERTOP. You can adjust things once they’re inside, but you won’t be able to get a shelf and/or lazy Susan into the front opening of the cabinet. These need to go in through the top.

Step 6: Add Bi-Fold Cabinet Doors

This type of corner cabinet requires two small individual doors. These doors connect together to make a single bi-fold cabinet door.

So first, I assembled two identical cabinet doors. You can assemble your doors a hundred ways, but I built mine using 1x3s for the door frames and ¼″ plywood for the center panels.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling cabinet door on workbench

Learn how to build a cabinet door 7 different ways here. I used method #4 for these.

I built these doors for a 1 ¼″ overlay. Not sure how to size cabinet doors? This post explains how to determine cabinet door size.

Before installing them I primed and painted the doors and the cabinet face frame. In my experience, it’s easier to paint the doors before the hinges are on.

RELATED: How to paint without a sprayer

Once the paint dried, I used a concealed hinge jig to drill 4 hinge cup holes on one of my doors–two on each side.

Shara Woodshop Diaries screwing concealed hinges into cabinet door on workbench

I installed 165 degree hinges into the holes on one side and 135 degree hinges into the holes on the other side.

Then, I installed the second door to the other side of the 135 degree hinges. This allows the two doors to bend at a 90 degree when shut, but straighten up when opened.

Attaching bi fold cabinet doors together with 135 degree hinges

Now, these 165 degree hinges are made for only a ¾″ overlay. Since I needed a 1 ¼″ overlay, I needed to notch out the face frame the difference, which is ½″.

So I marked where the hinges would hit on the door frame and notched this out ½″ deep with a jig saw. The painters tape helps protect the frame from scratches while cutting.

DIY corner base cabinet face frame notched out to install hinge

Then, I could install the hinges into these notches. If you wanted a different overlay, you can adjust the size of your doors, and/or the depth of the notch as needed.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing bi-fold cabinet door to face frame with hinges

For each reference, here’s a quick guide to what door width you’d need for what overlay you want.

Door Width for:

  • 1 ¼″ overlay = 10 ¾″ (cut ½″ deep notch)
  • 1″ overlay = 10 ½″ (cut ¼″ deep notch)
  • ¾″ overlay = 10 ¼″ (no notch needed)
  • ½″ overlay = 10″ (no notch needed)

Once the doors are on, this cabinet is ready to install!

DIY corner base cabinet with bi-fold doors sitting in corner of room--no cabinets on the sides

This cabinet should be secured to the wall studs once it’s in place and screwed to the adjacent cabinets on each side. Once secure, be sure to add whatever you want inside the cabinet (shelves, lazy susan, etc) before adding a countertop.

Bi fold corner base cabinet with adjustable shelf inside and doors open

I’ll be eventually adding this corner cabinet into my pantry once we renovate it, so if you’d like to see it installed, be sure to stay tuned and follow along. I’ll be sharing that soon.

Want to learn more about DIY cabinet building?

You might find these posts helpful for additional information on building your own cabinets. Click on the images below to read more.

How to Build Base Cabinets
How to Build Wall Cabinets
How to Determine Cabinet Door Size
7 Ways to Build a Cabinet Door
How to Install Cabinet Hinges
What Type of Hinge Do You Need?

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to save it for later by pinning or sharing to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing base corner cabinet with doors closed at top and doors open at bottom with text "how to build a corner base cabinet"

Until next time, friend, happy building!

DIY Farmhouse Dining Table

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a basic DIY dining table that you can customize to any size you need!

Dining tables can come in so many different styles, shapes and sizes. And while I love a unique design, it’s hard to beat a traditional, classic table style.

Finished DIY dining table with white painted base and wood stained table top with two black chairs at each end

These are some of the easiest tables to build yourself, and also make a timeless piece that will never go out of style.

So if you’re ready to build a simple, but stunning focal point for your kitchen or dining room, let’s dive in to the how to!

I’ll show you how to build it below plus some tips on customizing to any size you need.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

This post was originally published September 13, 2017 but this project was rebuilt and republished October 16, 2024.

What to consider before building

A dining table was actually my very first DIY furniture project, so it’s definitely doable as a beginner. The base comes together pretty easily.

Making the table top is the hardest part. It can be a bit challenging to get everything to line up and be flat. So be patient and prepared for plenty of sanding…

Choosing Your Table Legs

Table legs can be purchased in thousands of shapes, styles, and sizes. The table legs used here were these Timberwolf Massive Monte Cristo Dining Table Legs.

Four chunky dining table legs standing on workshop floor

They are 5″ square at the top and 29″ tall, so they’re pretty beefy. If you want to use a thinner leg, or even just a basic 4×4 post, that’s totally fine, too.

Often, you can find these turned table legs available in different species. Unless you’re staining, I recommend choosing rubberwood or pine legs as these are usually the cheapest options and they paint well.

If you plan to stain your project, choose legs that are the same wood type as what you’re using for the rest of the project so they’ll match.

Overall Dining Table Dimensions

There is no one standard size for a dining table. Typically, widths range from 36″-42″ and lengths can vary greatly from as little as 4′ to as long as 12′ or more.

The one dimension that stays pretty much the same is the height. Standard dining table height is 30-31″ tall. This fits most typical dining chairs.

This particular table is 30 ½″ tall x 40″ wide x 84″ long.

Diagram showing overall dimensions of DIY dining table

To customize the size, simply glue up a top to whatever size you want your table (see step 1), then build the base to fit (see step 2).

Helpful resources for this project

You might find these resources helpful throughout the build:

Enjoy DIY projects and woodworking plans? Sign up for priority access for the latest posts on Woodshop Diaries!

How to build a classic DIY dining table

If you prefer to watch, check out the full build video on my YouTube channel packed full of behind the scenes footage, tips, and great visuals to help with the build:

YouTube Thumbnail image for how to build a basic dining table video

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable dining table building plans available here:

A bit of backstory about this project: You can see the full story of this table in the video I’ve linked above. I originally built it for a friend back in 2017. But, after a recent house fire, it had some damage and needed to be rebuilt.

I reused the parts that I could, but replaced the parts that were damaged. So in the photos below, you’ll notice some of the pieces were already painted when I assembled–those are recycled from the previous table.

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

*This table can be built using any wood type you’d like. I used construction lumber (pine/spruce) for the table base and red oak for the top.

But, hardwood (like red oak), can be pricey. I’ve built this exact same table using construction pine 2x12s for the top and that is a great budget friendly option. See video for more information about the top.

Step 1: Build the Table Top

You can build the top from any 1 ½″ thick material–so you can mix and match 2x4s, 2x6s, 2x8s, etc. The wider the boards, the less pieces you’ll need to glue up to get your total width.

That’s why I recommend using 2x12s–you just have to glue four of them together to make a large top like this:

2x12 glued up table top in workshop sanded flat

But, if you’re using hardwood, the boards often come in various widths, so you may just have to mix and match pieces until it’s the size you want.

Once you’ve gathered the boards you want to build the top with, square the edges on the table saw or jointer.

Close up of board end showing rounded vs squared edges

If you’re using construction lumber, the corners are usually rounded. Trimming these off gives you a crisp, clean edge so that when you glue them together, you don’t have any weird gaps for crumbs to get stuck into.

Learn how to square board edges here.

Then apply wood glue liberally to the board edges and clamp them together. I prefer to glue up my table tops one board at a time to make things easier to keep flat.

Shara Woodshop Diaries gluing two red oak boards together to make dining table top

I allow a couple hours for the glue to dry before adding another board. Then after the final board is glued on, I leave it in the clamps at least overnight.

RELATED: How to glue up a table top

Shara Woodshop Diaries gluing up large dining table top on workshop floor

Once the top was glued together, I used my circular saw and Kreg Accu-Cut to trim it to length. I made sure to trim a little off each end so that the edges were clean, even, and square.

Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting dining table top down to final size

TIP: If there are any knots or cracks in the top, fill with wood filler and/or epoxy.

Then, I sanded it down to flatten everything out and remove all the glue residue. Any remaining glue residue left on the top won’t absorb stain, so make sure to sand off ALL the glue.

I started with 80 grit and worked my way up through 120, 180, then 220 grit sandpaper to get it nice and smooth.

RELATED: How to sand wood

Shara Woodshop Diaries sanding table top with belt sander on workbench

Finally, I stained the top (Minwax Weathered Oak) and applied four coats of Minwax Polycrylic to seal it. Then I set it to the side while I built the base.

RELATED: How to apply clear coat sealer

Applying wood stain to large red oak dining table top

TIP: Be sure to seal all sides of the top to help prevent warping.

Prefer to print? Grab the printable building plans for this project here.

Step 2: Assemble the Base

I cut four pieces of 2×6 to run between the table legs to make the table apron. This is basically the frame of the base and what supports the table top.

The table needs two long and two short apron pieces. To determine the length to cut these pieces, first decide how much you want your table top to overhang your legs. In my case, I wanted 1 ½″ overhang on all corners.

Short apron piece length = width of table top – (2x width of table leg) – (2x overhang)

Long apron piece length = length of table top – (2x width of table leg) – (2x overhang)

Once these pieces were cut to length, I cut a ¼″ dado ¼″ deep about 1″ up from the bottom edge of these pieces on the table saw.

Close up showing dado cut on table apron pieces

This is completely optional, but it gives a little extra detail and dimension to the table.

Then, I drilled 1 ½″ pocket holes into the ends of these 2×6 pieces, and attached them between the table legs.

Short table apron attached between two table legs with pocket holes and screws
Diagram showing table apron assembling for DIY dining table project

NOTE: Standard size pocket holes and screws work fine for this application, but for extra hold, consider using the Kreg XL Jig with XL pocket hole screws.

Learn how, when, and why to use the Kreg XL Jig here.

Step 3: Add Table Top Supports

For the middle table supports, I cut two pieces of 2×4 to run between the long table aprons. I installed these evenly spaced (and flush to the top) using pocket holes and screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing top supports on dining table frame using pocket holes and screws

Then, I cut four more 2×4 pieces to go into each corner. I cut these so that the ends were mitered 45 degrees and I notched out the middle just a little with my jig saw so they’d fit snug around the legs.

You could cut these longer and avoid having to notch them, but I liked how the notch kind of helped hold the leg snug.

Installing corner supports around dining table legs with pocket hole screws

I installed these using pocket holes and screws as you can see above.

Once the base was together, I gave it a couple fresh coats of paint. I primed it first, then applied three coats of SW Pure White.

Shara Woodshop Diaries rolling paint onto dining table legs

RELATED: How to paint DIY furniture

Step 4: Attach Table Top

Once the paint was dry, I drilled slotted holes into the supports from step 3 to attach the top. The slotted holes allow for seasonal wood movement to prevent the top from splitting over time.

Slot hole drilled out in dining table support to attach table top

To drill a slotted hole, I used a ⅜″ drill bit and drilled two holes right next to each other. Then I kind of twisted the drill back and forth to “clean out” the material between the holes.

This creates a slot. These slots should run the width of the table as this is the direction the wood will move most.

I drilled 8 of these–one in each corner support and one on each end of the middle supports.

Then, I placed the table top on the base and made sure the overhang was even on all sides before securing them together.

I used 2 ½″ wood screws through these slotted holes, but because the screw would fit through the slots, I needed to add some washers.

RELATED: How to choose the right wood screw

Wood screw with two different size washers

Basically, I needed a washer (or combination of washers) that were small enough that the screw wouldn’t go through, but large enough to not go through the slots.

I drove these screws through the slotted holes from the bottom of the table and tried to place the screws as close to the center of the slot as possible.

They need to be snug, but not so tight that the washer is digging into the wood–it needs to be able to move as the top expands and contracts.

View from underside of table where screw is used through slotted hole to attach table top

And with that, the table is finished and ready to gather around for your next family meal!

Finished two tone classic DIY dining table with four chunky table legs and large table apron with wood stained red oak table top
Close up view of white painted chunky dining table leg with red oak table top

Looking for more DIY table ideas?

Looking for more DIY dining table ideas? Here are a few you might enjoy browsing. Click on the images below to see how to build them:

Modern DIY Dining Table
DIY Outdoor Table & Bench
Outdoor Dining Table
Barnwood Dining Table
DIY X Base Dining Table
X Base Dining Table

If you enjoyed this project and want to save it for later, don’t forget to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing dimensional diagram of table build at top and completed dining table at bottom with text "how to build a basic dining table with printable plans"

Until next time, friend, happy building!

DIY Kitchen Pantry Cupboard

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a kitchen pantry cupboard–also sometimes called a larder cabinet.

This large pantry cabinet can stand alone in your kitchen to add extra storage for food and snacks. OR, it can be built in alongside other cabinets in a walk in pantry, or closet.

Finished Kitchen Pantry Cabinet with right door open--shelves on door have food items

In my case, this cupboard will (eventually) be going into my walk in pantry as a built in.

But first, we’ve got to move a doorway and a light switch, then patch drywall and flooring. It’ll be a whole thing…

So for now, it’ll be a freestanding piece until we are ready to “build it into” the space.

If you could use some extra storage in your kitchen, I’ve got the plans and details to build your own below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building a larder cabinet

This project is a great one to practice all sorts of skills with. Since it involves building and installing both drawers, doors and shelves, it’s a bit complex, so I’d consider it an intermediate level build.

Cabinet Door Options

Personally, I do not enjoy building cabinet doors and these large, three panel doors proved quite the challenge since I opted to assemble them using a tongue and groove method. (Lots of precise cuts–was not very fun haha)

Tongue and groove joint close up

If I were to build this again, I’d probably choose a simpler way to make the doors. So if you watch the video and are overwhelmed with the door part, don’t panic! You can make them other ways.

I share 7 basic ways to make cabinet doors here so feel free to choose a method you feel comfortable with.

Door Weight Considerations

On the topic of doors, since these pantry doors are large, it’s important to consider the weight, especially when adding shelves to the back side.

As a general rule of thumb, standard concealed hinges are rated for about 10 lbs each (check the manufacturer’s specs on your specific hinges as this can vary). So two hinges on a door means the door can weigh ~20 lbs.

Shara Woodshop Diaries adjusting hinges with pantry cabinet doors open--three hinges per door

Three hinges would be ~30 lbs, four hinges would be ~40 lbs, etc. Keep in mind that heavier doors also put strain on other parts of the project, so number of hinges is just one consideration.

These doors should not be loaded down with heavy items. I used three hinges per door. If you wanted more weight capacity, consider adding four hinges or using heavy duty hinges.

Overall Dimensions

The overall dimensions of this kitchen pantry cupboard are approximately 23 ¾″ deep (including the door) x 42″ wide x 84″ tall.

Overall dimensional diagram of pantry cabinet

Helpful Resources for this Project

You might find these resources helpful throughout the build:

Enjoy DIY projects and woodworking plans? Sign up for priority access for the latest posts on Woodshop Diaries!

How to Build a Kitchen Pantry Cupboard

If you prefer to watch, check out the full build video on my YouTube channel packed full of behind the scenes footage, tips, and great visuals to help with the build:

Youtube Thumbnail image of how to build a kitchen pantry cabinet video

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable pantry cabinet building plans available here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

*Table saw and/or router are only needed for the door assembly using the tongue and groove method. If you choose to assemble your doors differently, these tools may not be needed.

Materials:

I recommend using cabinet grade plywood for this project (birch, maple and oak are great options). Learn how to choose the right plywood for your project here.

For the 1x material, any wood type is fine. I used pre-primed pine for the parts I painted (the face frame and door) and spruce (whitewood) for the parts I wasn’t painting (the interior face frame).

Step 1: Assemble the Main Cabinet

To begin, I cut down my ¾″ plywood sheets to build the main body of the cabinet. You can find the full cut list and plywood cut diagrams in the printable plans.

RELATED: How to cut plywood sheets with a circular saw

Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting plywood sheet with circular saw

The main cabinet consists of two side panels, a top, bottom, and middle panel, and three thinner strips. The front edge of the middle and top panels will be exposed in the finished build, so I applied edge banding to them.

RELATED: How to apply iron on edge banding

I assembled this cabinet using pocket holes and screws, so I drilled ¾″ pocket holes into the ends of the top, middle, and bottom panel and into each end of the three strips.

RELATED: How to use a pocket hole jig

Close up of drilling pocket holes into plywood using Kreg 720 jig

Then I assembled the cabinet with pocket hole screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling kitchen pantry cabinet box with pocket hole screws

One of the plywood strips goes above the top panel flush to the front. One of them goes under the middle panel flush to the back. And the last one goes under the bottom panel about 3″ from the front.

Main kitchen pantry cupboard assembled with plywood in workshop

The top strip gives you somewhere to nail the face frame, the middle strip gives you a way to secure it to the wall studs once it’s built, and the bottom one is the toe kick.

Step 2: Install Shelves in Top Section

The top section of this pantry is intended for shelving, but before adding the shelves, I cut a back panel to fill the opening from ½″ plywood.

I drilled pocket holes along all the edges to install it.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing back panel onto tall larder cabinet

TIP: The Kreg Micro pocket hole jig isn’t required for this, but it drills smaller pocket holes, so it’s great for thinner material like ½″ plywood. Learn how, when, and why to use the Kreg Micro Jig here.

Close up of drilling pocket holes into ½" plywood with Kreg Micro Jig

Then, I cut and installed a full length shelf across the top section and added a divider panel above it.

You’ll notice these pieces were cut several inches shallower than the cabinet box because later, when the shelves are added on the back of the doors, they need room to be able to close.

Shelves installed into top section of larder cabinet

I wanted to add some adjustable shelves on each side of the divider, so I drilled shelf pin holes in these sections to add some small shelves later.

RELATED: How to add adjustable shelves using shelf pins

Step 3: Install Drawer Bracing

The bottom section of this pantry is where I added the drawers. These would be great for canned goods, bulk items, and boxed goods.

First, I assembled a simple frame to fit into the bottom opening of the cabinet using pocket holes and screws. I made the sides 1x3s and the top and bottom 1x2s.

I screwed this into the cabinet so that it was about 1″ inset from the front edge.

Shara Woodshop Diaries placing interior face frame into bottom section of kitchen cupboard

This frame is partially for looks (it makes the drawers look “built in”), but also helps space the drawers out so they don’t interfere with the hinges on the doors when they’re added.

But now that this frame is in place, I needed to add some bracing to screw the drawer slides to. For this, I ripped some plywood strips and two at the back–one on each side.

Then, I cut six strips (three for each side) to run between the front and back like shown in the photo below. I spaced these out where I wanted my drawers to go because this is where I will mount the slides.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing bracing strips to mount drawer slides onto

Then, I installed 3 pair of 20″ ball bearing drawer slides onto these braces.

RELATED: How to install drawer slides

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing drawer slides onto drawer bracing in pantry

I’ll add the drawers in a later step.

Prefer to print? Grab the printable building plans for this project here.

Step 4: Attach Face Frame

I assembled a simple face frame using 1x2s for the sides and bottom and a 1×4 at the top.

TIP: This is another place where the Kreg Micro jig would be helpful. The smaller pocket holes are less likely to split this thin material.

Once the face frame was together, I applied glue liberally to the front of the cabinet, then nailed it in place.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing face frame onto front of larder cupboard

NOTE: I used a 1×4 at the top because I plan to add crown molding to this cabinet once it’s installed in my pantry. Having this extra material at the top gives me somewhere to nail that to.

Step 5: Build and Install Drawers

I built the drawers for this project a little different than usual. Normally, I install ¼″ plywood bottoms into my drawers in dadoes. See how to build a drawer box here.

But in this case, I glued and screwed ½″ plywood onto the bottom of my drawers. I had two reasons for doing this:

  1. I planned to store heavy items inside these drawers (like canned goods), so a thicker bottom might be a good idea
  2. This is the key reason. I already had the leftover ½″ plywood (left after cutting the back panel), but I didn’t have enough ¼″ plywood without buying another sheet

My usual ¼″ plywood bottom would have been fine (it could have held the weight), but using ½″ plywood saved me from buying another sheet.

Shara Woodshop Diaries screwing bottom panel onto drawer boxes

So I assembled three shallow drawer boxes using ¾″ plywood for the sides and ½″ for the bottom.

Then, I installed these into the pantry cabinet onto the slides.

Need help installing? Check out this guide to installing drawer boxes and drawer slides.

Drawer boxes installed into bottom section of tall kitchen cupboard

Then, I cut three drawer fronts from ¾″ plywood and added these onto the front of each box using screws from the inside.

Step 6: Assemble Pantry Cabinet Doors

The doors were built from 1x3s for the frames and ¼″ plywood for the panels. I mentioned earlier that there are much simpler ways of building these than what I did.

If I were to build this over again, I’d use a different method. See 7 ways to build a cabinet door here. (I’d choose method #2 or #4 if I had to do it over.)

I cut all my 1x3s to make the door frames and I cut “tongues” on each end of the rails (horizontal door pieces) that were ¼″ wide and ⅜″ long.

Diagram showing rails and stiles for door assembly using tongue and groove

Then I cut ¼″ wide dadoes down the center of each frame piece so that the tongues and the ¼″ plywood would fit into the grooves.

I assembled two identical doors using wood glue. (I recommend cutting the pieces and dry fitting without glue to make sure the pieces fit together well before actually adding the glue.)

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling cabinet doors for pantry
Large cabinet door gluing up in clamps

Once the glue dried, before installing, I went ahead and primed, caulked, and painted the doors and the cabinet. Learn how to paint your DIY projects here.

I painted the doors and the outside of the cabinet with SW Colonnade Gray and sealed the inside of the cabinet with Minwax Polycrylic.

Then, I installed three hinges on each door using a concealed hinge jig.

RELATED: How to install concealed hinges

Installing concealed hinges onto cabinet doors

I used 1 ¼″ overlay hinges for face frame cabinets. Learn how to choose the right hinges for your project here.

Doors installed onto larder cabinet--open and Shara adjusting them with screwdriver

Step 7: Add Door Shelves (optional)

Now the last part is adding the shelves that will go on the back side of the doors. This is optional, but is a simple way to pack this cabinet with even more storage.

I made these door racks from ¾″ plywood and ⅜″ dowel. I nailed three tiered shelves together and placed the dowels a few inches above each shelf to help keep the items in place.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing together door shelf for back side of door

Then, I used 1 ½″ corner brackets to install these shelves onto the door. One bracket will go on each corner–two at the top and two at the bottom. Check out the video for more details.

Once the brackets were on the doors, I could slide the shelf in place and screw them to it.

Shara placing door shelf onto corner brackets on back of door

And with that, after a couple of handles were added to the door, this project was ready to go!

Shara Woodshop Diaries with pantry cabinet doors open reaching in to open drawer

To prevent tip over, this cabinet should be secured to the wall studs wherever it’s going. You can secure through the back panel (the ½″ plywood) and through the back support under the middle shelf.

Finished DIY Kitchen Larder Cabinet with doors open--drawers in bottom and shelves at top and on back side of doors
Completed larder cabinet with doors closed

Ready to build your own? Grab the printable building plans for this project here.

Looking for more cabinet projects?

If you’re looking for more DIY cabinet project ideas, here are a few favorites you might enjoy browsing. Click on the images below to take you to the tutorial to build it.

DIY Garage Cabinets
How to Build a Pantry Cabinet
How to Build Base Cabinets
How to Build Wall Cabinets
Workshop cabinets
How to Build Workshop Cabinet Boxes
Simple Bathroom Cabinet

If you enjoyed this project and want to save it for later, don’t forget to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing diagram of overall dimensions at top and completed DIY kitchen pantry cabinet at bottom with text

Until next time, friend, happy building!

How to Fix a Warped Cabinet Door

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In this post, I’m sharing 5 ways to fix a warped cabinet or furniture door without having to replace it.

One of the most challenging things about building cabinet and furniture doors is their tendency to twist and warp.

Shara Woodshop Diaries opening large door on DIY pantry cabinet

They can develop the warp during the assembly process due to the way the pieces are clamped together.

Or they can develop the warp after the assembly process due to the way it’s finished and/or the moisture content in the air.

No matter when or how the warp developed, it can be annoying to deal with if your door won’t lay flat in your project.

So in this post, I’m sharing 5 ways to deal with a warped cabinet or furniture door plus some tips on how to prevent them in the first place.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

Types of Warped Cabinet Doors

First, let’s identify the difference between a bow and a twist. Either of these can be considered a “warp.”

A bow is when the door has a hump in it–like it’s curved. This is usually caused by the board(s) or panel already being bowed before assembly.

Diagram of a cabinet door with a bow in it

A twist is when the door is literally twisted. Two opposite corners are “twisted forward” while the other two opposite corners are “twisted back”.

Diagram showing an example of a twisted cabinet door

A twist could have occurred for many reasons and is one of the most common issues with cabinet doors.

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5 Ways to Fix a Warped Cabinet Door

This post is focused on fixing already warped doors, so I’ll share some remedies first.

But at the end, I’ll also share some tips to prevent cabinet door warps in the first place so you can avoid having to fix them on your future projects.

Fix #1: Adjust Cabinet Door Hinges

I always recommend this option first as it’s the easiest, least invasive, and will fix most minor issues.

Check to see what type of hinges your cabinet door is hung with. Hopefully, it’s a concealed hinge that looks something like this:

Shara Woodshop Diaries positioning cabinet door in vanity with concealed hinges

Most modern cabinet and furniture pieces use these types hinges for hanging doors. They’re a very common style.

Concealed hinges have adjustment screws that allow you to adjust the door in all three directions–up/down, left/right, front/back.

There are different styles and brands of concealed hinges, so these adjustment screws aren’t always in the same place on every hinge. But here’s an example:

Close up of concealed hinges with arrows pointing to various adjustment screws

RELATED: Learn more about the different types of concealed hinges here.

If you’re not sure which screws move in which direction, use a screwdriver and start slowly turning the different screws to see how the door moves.

Check out this quick video for a demonstration!

Once you’ve got a feel for how to adjust the hinges, you can adjust as needed to help compensate for the warp.

For example, if the door is twisted, you can adjust the bottom hinge to pull the door closer to the cabinet and adjust the top hinge to push the door further out. Or vice versa depending on which way the door is twisted.

This adjustment basically transfers the warp to the hinge side of the door, which may be less noticeable.

Basic base cabinet with shaker style door on front

If the door is bowed, you can consider adding another hinge to the middle of the door that can help pull or push the bowed part in line with the rest of the door.

Fix #2: Install Magnetic Catch

If adjusting the hinges isn’t working, adding a magnetic catch is another simple solution that will work in most cases.

You can find inexpensive magnetic catches or stops in many shapes, styles, colors and sizes, and they’re usually about $1 at my local big box or hardware store.

Close up of magnetic catch behind cabinet door

Magnetic catches work by attaching the small metal plate (included with the catch) to the back side of the door. Then you install the magnet part inside your cabinet.

So when the door is shut, the magnet attracts the metal plate to pull the door tight.

If your door is twisted and one corner sticks out, install the magnetic catch behind that corner so that when the door is shut, it pulls the warped corner flat.

If your door is bowed outward, you can install the catch behind the middle section of the door that needs to be pulled flat.

If regular strength catches don’t have enough holding power to keep your door in place, you can try extra strength catches like these.

TIP: If the door is inset and you pull one corner in, it may pull the other corner in, too. If that’s the case, you can install a stop block behind the “good corner” so when you pull the “bad corner” in, it flattens out.

Fix #3: Sand the Door

Sanding the door CAN work on minor warps, but if the door is already finished, it will need to be refinished if you start sanding on it.

Shara Woodshop Diaries holding shaker style cabinet door up in workshop

How to sand will depend on what kind of door it is (inset vs overlay) or if the door is plywood.

Avoid trying to sand down plywood doors as the veneers are very thin. You’ll likely sand through them trying to “re shape” it.

However, for solid doors, you can sand some areas to get the door to lay flat (or at least appear flat).

Sanding cabinet door on workbench

You’ll be able to remove material more quickly with lower sandpaper grits (like 80 or 100), but you’ll need to work your way back up to smooth it back out before finishing.

RELATED: How to sand wood

Fix #4: “Reverse Warp” by Counter Clamping

Another option is to essentially clamp or position the door in a reverse warped position for an extended period of time to help even it out.

Unlike the last three fixes, this option can help reverse the warp of the door vs hide it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. So don’t get your hopes too high, but it’s worth trying.

To do this, CAREFULLY clamp the door in a way that it bends or twists the door in the opposite direction as it is currently warped.

For example, you could place a couple scrap blocks under opposite corners and use clamps to pull down the other two corners to bend it slightly.

Overhead view of cabinet door placed on workbench on scrap blocks with clamps clamping opposite corners

If you don’t have a good way to clamp your corners down, you could also use a weight to help pull them down.

Additionally, you can use a hairdryer at the joints to heat and loosen the pieces a little. Leave the door clamped for at least a day or two–longer if you can stand it.

After you remove the door from the clamps, check to see if it’s flattened out any. If not, you can try again with more heat and stronger pressure.

Fix #5: Install a Cleat

If all else fails, you could also try adding a permanent cleat to the back side of the door.

Essentially, this is just adding a brace across the door on the back side. It attaches with a screw to the two twisted corners to help pull them flat.

Overhead view of cabinet door with 1x2 cleat screwed across diagonal

You can use a 1×2 or 1×3 as this cleat. Or even a strip of ¾″ plywood. You want it to be strong/thick enough to be able to pull the warp out (instead of just bending with it).

Just make sure to position the cleat so that it won’t interfere with the hinges and/or the cabinet framing so it can still open and close properly.

This method isn’t ideal since you can see it when you open the door. But it can work well, especially if it’s on a door in a garage or workshop where you don’t mind seeing it.

Tips to Preventing Cabinet Door Warps

While fixing a warped door is possible, it’s always ideal to prevent a warped door in the first place.

Here are a few simple tips to help prevent building a warped door for your DIY cabinet and furniture projects.

Examine material carefully

This one seems pretty obvious, but before building your doors, make sure the wood you’re using is good quality, and as flat/straight as possible.

If you build a door using wood with bows and twists, don’t be surprised if your door is bowed and twisted.

bowed board held up in workshop

Learn how to shop for and inspect wood here.

A note about plywood: I use ¾″ plywood for my cabinet doors quite often and I’ve found if it’s flat to start, it rarely warps once it’s hung (even on huge doors like on my workshop cabinets!). But if it’s warped to start, it’s hard to flatten back out.

So double check your material–especially plywood. And avoid using warped, bowed, or poor quality lumber to build your doors.

Make sure cuts are square

It’s not enough to have the straightest boards, though. If your boards are perfect, but your cuts are not, you can still easily end up with warped doors.

Double check that your saw is cutting square–not just on the miter, but also on the bevel. Even a slight bevel can cause a warp in a door frame, especially on a large door.

Miter saw close up showing 0 degrees on miter and bevel

Pay attention when clamping

When clamping up a door frame, be careful to pay attention that the door is clamped up flat.

Don’t place the clamps on an uneven surface where they may be twisting the door. Make sure the pieces are flat in the clamps. You can use a level across the diagonal of the door to check for flatness.

Shara Woodshop Diaries clamping mitered corner cabinet door in pipe clamps

If the door frame is clamped up warped, it will stay warped once the glue dries.

Seal properly

If you’ve built a nice, flat door, you can help keep it flat by properly sealing it. Whether you’re painting, staining or just clear coating your piece, make sure to finish and seal all sides of the door.

Sealing only the front of a door can cause the wood to absorb moisture in the air unevenly. This can cause it to warp even if it was flat at one time.

Base cabinet with shaker style cabinet door opened to reveal inside

Looking for more tips on DIY cabinet doors?

If you’re looking for more tips and information on cabinet doors, you might find these posts helpful:

7 Ways to Build a Cabinet Door
How to Determine Cabinet Door Size
How to Install Cabinet Hinges
What Type of Hinge Do You Need?

If you enjoyed this article and want to save it for later, don’t forget to pin it or share it to your favorite social channel!

how to fix a warped cabinet door pin image

Until next time, friend, happy building!

DIY Wooden Wheelbarrow

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a decorative DIY wooden wheelbarrow!

I’ve always thought these rustic wooden wheelbarrows were so cute in the garden and on the porch–especially at fall.

DIY Decorative wooden wheelbarrow filled with pumpkins in yard

But, they’re a little difficult to find during certain times of the year and rather expensive to buy.

So, instead of buying one, I decided to build mine from a few leftover fence pickets and some 2x2s I had in the shop.

cedar fence pickets and 2x2 lumber on concrete floor

I made this one to fill with pumpkins for fall, but it would also make an adorable planter box that would work well for any season.

If your porch could use a fun new decoration, I’m sharing the plans to build your own wooden wheelbarrow in the post below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to know before building

Once finished, this wheelbarrow does actually function–the wheel spins and it does support a good amount of weight inside.

However, it’s intended for decorative purposes–not to be used as an actual wheelbarrow.

The overall size of this project ended up being approximately 13 ¾″ wide x 21″ tall x 49 ½″ long.

Overall dimensions of decorative wooden wheelbarrow diagram

While I would have loved to be able to find an antique metal wheel to use with this, I didn’t have any luck finding one the size I needed at the local junk stores.

So instead, I used a replacement lawnmower wheel. It’s not as rustic looking as I would have liked, but it works well and was fairly inexpensive.

replacement lawnmower wheel used for DIY wheelbarrow

Alternatively, you could also use a small bicycle wheel or cut your own wooden wheel from some plywood or other scraps.

The exact type, style and size of wheel isn’t critical here, so feel free to get creative. But a wheel about 12-14″ diameter seemed to be a good fit.

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How to build a decorative wooden wheelbarrow

This project is an easy build that you can complete in just an hour or two. You can assemble with nails and/or screws, but if using nails, don’t skip the wood glue!

Feel free to get creative and adjust the style, angles and sizing as desired. This is one of those projects where you don’t have to be super precise and many of the details aren’t critical.

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

  • (3) 1x6x6 fence pickets (or 1×6 boards)
  • (2) 2x2x8 boards
  • ⅜″ diameter wooden dowel rod (about 10″ long)
  • 1 ¼″ wood screws
  • 2 ½″ wood screws
  • 1″ OR 1 ¼″ brad nails (optional)
  • Wood Glue
  • Wheel (see notes)

*NOTE: I assembled parts of this project using brad nails, but if you don’t have a brad nailer, you can use a drill and screws instead. Brad nailer and nails are optional.

Not sure what screws to use? Check out this post to learn how to choose the right screw for your DIY projects.

Step 1: Cut and Assemble Sides & Bottom Separately

I made the wheelbarrow part of this project from 1×6 cedar fence pickets. Cedar fence pickets are a great option for this because they are a fraction of the cost of regular 1×6 cedar lumber.

But any regular 1×6 boards would work fine here. You may even be able to find some in your scrap pile!

cedar 2x4, fence picket, and 1x6 boards laying side by side for comparison

I used cedar since this was an outside project, but pine would also work fine. It just may not last as many seasons if it’s exposed to the elements (rain, sun, harsh weather).

For the bottom of this wheelbarrow, I cut two pieces of fence picket to 26″ long. By the way, 1×6 boards are actually 5 ½″ wide. For more information, see this post on understanding lumber sizing.

Then, I cut another piece of fence picket to 11″ long and ripped it in half to make two thinner strips to go across the longer pieces like shown below.

Cedar fence picket boards cut to make bottom panel of wooden wheelbarrow

NOTE: If you didn’t want to rip fence pickets in half, you could use 1x3s instead, or use the full width picket.

Fence pickets are often pretty rough, so I recommend sanding the pieces well before assembling.

I glued and nailed these pieces together like shown below to make the bottom panel.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing bottom of wheelbarrow together with brad nailer

TIP: Since fence pickets are only ⅝″ thick, I used 1″ long nails. If you were using regular ¾″ thick material, use 1 ¼″ nails. And if you didn’t want to nail, screws would work, too.

For the two sides of the wheelbarrow, I cut two more pieces of 1×6 cedar fence picket to 26″ long and 15″ long with ends mitered 15 degrees.

diagram showing dimensions of pieces to make wheelbarrow side panels

I ripped another piece of fence picket in half and cut these to fit across these boards like shown (note the ends will be mitered 15 degrees).

wheelbarrow side panel pieces cut from cedar fence picket laying on workbench

Then I glued and nailed them together, just like the bottom panel, making sure one side panel mirrored the other side panel.

Step 2: Assemble Wheelbarrow Body

Once the glue dried on the bottom and sides, I screwed the sides to the bottom using 1 ¼″ wood screws.

diagram showing how to assemble wheelbarrow body

Be sure to predrill before driving the screws to prevent splitting the wood.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling wooden wheelbarrow body with screws

Note that the bottom should be installed so that the supports face down and the sides should be flush to the bottom of the supports like shown above.

For the front of the wheelbarrow, I cut two more fence pickets to 11″ long. Then I cut another piece of fence picket in half to connect them together just like the bottom and side panels in step 1.

fence picket pieces cut for front of wheelbarrow

I placed this assembly into the front of the wheelbarrow and marked where it met the top of the side panels.

Shara Woodshop Diaries test fitting pieces of DIY decorative wheelbarrow

Then I trimmed this down along the mark (try to avoid cutting into any nails or screws!) and installed between the side panels with 1 ¼″ wood screws.

Wooden Wheelbarrow body assembled on workbench

I thought this looked neat being inset a little, so I set it back about 1″. But, you could install it flush to the front edge of the sides. It’s a decorative wooden wheelbarrow–some of these details are not that critical and is really just personal preference.

Step 3: Assemble Wooden Wheel Supports

Now that the body is together, I needed to build the bottom supports that connects with the wheel. For these, I used cedar 2x2s (but regular pine 2x2s would work fine, too).

I cut two 2x2s to 46″ long and marked 3″ from one end of each board, centered side to side.

I used a ⅜″ diameter drill bit to drill holes through the boards at these marks. Once I had drilled through, I carefully “expanded” the hole slightly by keeping the bit spinning while kind of twisting the drill around.

Shara Woodshop Diaries drilling ⅜" diameter holes in 2x2 boards

This hole needs to be large enough for a ⅜″ diameter dowel to go into it and have a tiny bit of wiggle room.

Once the hole was drilled, I cut two more pieces of 2×2 to 10″ long and screwed this into the long 2x2s about 12″ from the opposite end as the hole using 2 ½″ wood screws.

Diagram with dimensions to build wheelbarrow support handles

Then, I cut two pieces of 2×2 with ends mitered 45 degrees to go run between them.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling bottom wheelbarrow supports

Step 4: Attach Wheelbarrow to Supports

I cut a piece of ⅜″ diameter dowel to about 10″ long and inserted this through the hole of one of the braces from step 3.

Then, I slipped the wheel onto the dowel, then ran it through the hole on the other brace so that the wheel is kind of “sandwiched” between the braces.

Shara Woodshop Diaries fitting wheel into wooden wheelbarrow supports

There should be some space between the wheel and the braces so that they don’t rub together. And the braces should have enough wiggle room to kind of angle out a little from the wheel to the back handles.

If the dowel feels too tight, widen the holes in the braces a little more.

Once everything seemed to fit together well, I placed the wheelbarrow body onto the braces and adjusted everything so it looked even and the spacing seemed right (this doesn’t have to be specific).

Placing wheelbarrow body on wheelbarrow supports on workbench

Once I had the wheelbarrow on top, I tried to adjust so that the wheel had about ½″-1″ space on each side between the braces and so that the braces were even with the back corners of the wheelbarrow body.

Diagram showing wheelbarrow handle placement with wheel

With everything in place, I secured the wheelbarrow to the braces below using 2 ½″ wood screws through the bottom in four places–two through each bottom support.

Shara Woodshop Diaries screwing wheelbarrow body to supports

Step 5: Finish

Then I stained the wheelbarrow with an outdoor stain and sealant. I used Cabot Semi Transparent stain in Bark Mulch.

TIP: I removed the wheel to make finishing easier.

Applying wood stain to wooden wheelbarrow body on workbench

Feel free to use any stain or paint or combination of finish for your project. Keep in mind if you’ll be using this outdoors that it’s best to use an outdoor rated finish.

Once it was dry, I slipped the wheel back on and now it’s ready to fill with pumpkins, mums, flowers, or whatever else you’d like to use it for.

TIP: Once you add the wheel back on, if the dowel is too loose, you can add a cap, screw, or some kind of “stop” on each end of the dowel to keep things in position. Mine ended up being a nice, snug fit, so I left it as is so it’s easy to remove later if I need to.

Completed decorative wheelbarrow filled with pumpkins in yard
DIY wooden wheelbarrow made from cedar fence pickets with pumpkins inside

Looking for more DIY porch decorating ideas?

Looking for more DIY porch decorating ideas? Here are a few fun projects you might enjoy browsing. Click on the images below for the instructions on how to make each one!

DIY Fall Planter Boxes
DIY Planter Post
DIY Louvered Planter Box
Scrap Wood Planter with Trellis
DIY Front Porch Wagon

If you enjoyed this project and would like to save it for later, don’t forget to pin it or share to your favorite social platform!

Pinterest collage image showing dimensional diagram of wheelbarrow at top and completed wooden wheelbarrow with pumpkins at bottom with text "how to build a wooden wheelbarrow"

Until next time, friend, happy building!

DIY Modular Closet Cabinets

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build basic DIY modular closet cabinets for a small walk in closet!

You can mix and match this design to fit your specific space and adjust drawers, shelves and hanging rods however you’d like.

Small walk in closet with custom plywood cabinets with shelves and drawers and hanging rods

I literally designed these cabinets to be as easy as possible to mix and match and to swap around because I know not every closet is the same shape or size.

And I know not everyone stores their clothes the same way. Do you prefer to hang more? There’s plenty of space to add another hanging rod.

Maybe you prefer more shelves? That’s an easy swap!

If you’ve got a closet that needs a little bit better storage and organization, I hope these modular cabinets give you some inspiration.

I’ll show you how to build them below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What to consider before building

Here’s a look at the closet I was working with for this project. It’s a small walk in closet that measures about 6 foot deep and about 5 ½ foot wide.

Walk in closet before DIY modular closet cabinets showing wall dimensions

As you can see it was in need of some more practical storage besides just a couple shelf brackets and hanging rods.

This closet is laid out so that the door is in the front left corner, so the best way to arrange these cabinets would be an L shape across the back and right wall.

The left wall would be good for hanging hats and belts maybe, but there wasn’t room for any cabinets.

So what I designed was two tall closet towers that would anchor the back left corner and the front right corner.

Diagram of modular closet cabinets in walk in closet space

I put the cabinet with drawers and shelves in the back and the one with shelves and a hanging rod in the front. But, these are easy to switch!

Then, to keep things simple, once these cabinets were in place, I could cut to fit a shelf and a hanging rod to fill the space between.

That’s what makes this project so great–your closet doesn’t have to be these exact same dimensions for this to still work!

Modular Closet Tower Cabinet Dimensions

The closet cabinet with drawers and shelves measures approximately 17″ deep, 35 ¾″ wide, and 84″ tall.

Drawer and shelf combination tall closet cabinet diagram with dimensions

The closet cabinet with hanging rod and shelves measures approximately 13″ deep, 33 ⅜″ wide, and 84″ tall (once shelf is added on top).

Hanging rod and shelf closet cabinet diagram with dimensions

Of course, these are easy to customize should you need other sizes.

Also keep in mind that either of these cabinets could be built with any combination of drawers and shelves, drawers and a hanging rod, a hanging rod and shelves, or two hanging rods. So mix and match however you’d like.

Helpful resources for the project

You may find these additional resources helpful throughout the build:

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How to Build Modular Closet Cabinets

Like most cabinet projects, these DIY closet cabinets are just simple boxes. While they may be somewhat large in size, they’re incredibly basic in construction.

Because they’re so simple, they’re quick to build and super easy to modify the size. This is a great intermediate level build.

If you prefer to watch, I’ve shared the full build video with tons of tips, behind the scenes, and additional details on my YouTube Channel here.

YouTube thumbnail for how to build basic closet cabinets video

Love watching how-to videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel for plenty more where that came from!

Prefer to print? Grab the printable closet cabinet building plans available here:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

*You only need the fifth sheet of plywood for additional shelving. Full cut diagrams and details are in the printable building plans.

I recommend using hardwood plywood for this build–I used birch here. Sanded pine plywood would work okay, but make sure you are happy with the quality, strength, and smell of it first.

It’s cheaper than hardwood ply, but there are several reasons (one being that it’s often a bit stinky).

Step 1: Assemble Closet Tower Cabinet

Since this entire project was made from plywood, I started the build by cutting down my plywood sheets.

You can find the full cut list and diagrams in the printable plans for each cabinet part.

Shara Woodshop Diaries cutting plywood on workbench

For the tall cabinet with drawers, I cut two tall sides, a top, middle and bottom shelf, plus two 3 ½″ wide strips that will be the back support and the toe kick.

Since I wasn’t adding an additional face frame to these cabinets, I used iron on edge banding to cover the plywood edges that will be seen in the finished project.

Close up of plywood edge banded vs not edge banded

Edge banding is optional, but makes a huge difference in how clean your project looks. Learn how to cover plywood edges here.

I drilled ¾″ pocket holes into the ends of the two plywood strips and all three shelves, then assembled the cabinet with pocket hole screws.

RELATED: How to use a Kreg Pocket Hole Jig

Drilling pocket holes in plywood with Kreg Pocket Hole Jig

I installed the bottom shelf 3 ½″ up from the bottom of the side panel with the toe kick strip underneath it.

Then I installed the top shelf flush to the top edge, and the middle shelf 36″ up from the bottom.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling modular plywood closet cabinet with pocket holes and screws

The other plywood strip goes just underneath the top shelf. This piece is so that the cabinet can be secured to the wall studs once it’s in place.

Now the main cabinet is together and you can choose how to customize it.

Step 2: Add Shelving

For this particular cabinet, I choose to add stationary shelves into the top section. If you’d rather add adjustable shelves, go for it! Either option would work well.

For stationary shelves, I cut two pieces of plywood and installed them evenly spaced into this cabinet with pocket holes and screws.

Installing stationary closet shelves into cabinet with pocket holes and screws

For adjustable shelves, you can drill shelf pin holes up both sides and install however many shelves however far apart you want with shelf pins.

Learn how to install adjustable shelves into any project here.

Customization Option: Instead of shelves, you could install a hanging rod. I’ll show how I installed this into the other cabinet in a later step. You can install it into this cabinet exactly the same way.

Step 3: Add Drawers to Closet Cabinet

I added three deeper drawers and one shallow drawer into the bottom section of this cabinet. Of course, you can adjust the number and depth of your drawers to fit your needs.

Shallow drawers are handy for small items like jewelry and accessories. Deeper drawers are great for bulky items like hoodies and sweaters.

I installed 4 pair of 16″ ball bearing drawer slides into the cabinet so that they were about 1″ inset from the front edge.

RELATED: How to install side mount drawer slides

Installing side mount drawer slides into plywood closet cabinet for drawers

Then, I built my drawer boxes. If you need guidance on drawer building, check out this post and detailed video tutorial on how to build drawer boxes.

Shara Woodshop Diaries assembling large drawer box for modular closet cabinet storage

Once the drawers were assembled, I installed them into the cabinet and cut my drawer fronts from ¾″ plywood.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing drawer boxes into plywood closet cabinet

If you wanted a more decorative drawer front, you can certainly do that. But I just make flat panel plywood fronts to keep things simple.

After edge banding the sides, I installed the fronts onto the drawers with screws from the inside.

Securing drawer front with screws from inside drawer box

Customization Option: Instead of drawers, you could also install shelves or another hanging rod in this bottom section. I’ll show how I installed this into the other cabinet in a later step. You can install it into this cabinet exactly the same way.

At this point, this cabinet is complete and I moved to the second closet cabinet tower that will go into the other corner.

Step 4: Assemble Hanging Rod Cabinet

This cabinet was a bit simpler than the first one as it just has shelves and a hanging rod.

For this one, I cut two tall sides, two 3 ½″ wide strips (one for the top back support and one for the toe kick), and four shelves.

I drilled ¾″ pocket holes into the ends of the shelves and the strips, then I assembled the cabinet with pocket holes and screws.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing sloped shoe shelves in closet cabinet with pocket holes and screws

The bottom three shelves I installed with a slope. This is totally optional, but I planned to use these shelves for shoes and I liked the slope here. You can certainly install them flat if you’d rather.

Then I installed the top, fourth shelf flat (again–sloped or flat, it doesn’t matter either way).

Shara Woodshop Diaries moving tall closet tower cabinet in workshop

NOTE: I didn’t add a top to this cabinet because the shelf I add in step 6 will serve as the top.

Step 5: Add Hanging Rod

Now that this cabinet is together, I wanted to add a hanging rod in the top section for hanging clothes on.

I trimmed a 1 ⅜″ diameter dowel rod to fit between the sides and secured this in place with 2 ½″ long screws. I recommend testing your usual clothes hangers on this rod to find the best placement before securing.

Shara Woodshop Diaries test fitting hanging rod between side panels of closet cabinet

You want to install the rod low enough that once the top is in place, you can still get the hanger over it and also far enough from the back that your hangers aren’t scraping your wall.

Step 6: Install Closet Cabinets

Now that both cabinets are complete, I carried them inside to install. I removed the baseboards and painted the closet before installing. Fresh paint isn’t required, but the baseboards do need to be removed so that the cabinets can sit flush against the wall.

I positioned the drawer cabinet in the back left corner and secured it to the wall studs through the top support.

Shara Woodshop Diaries securing closet cabinet to wall studs

Then, I did the same for the hanging rod cabinet at the front right corner of the closet.

I measured the exact length of the right wall and cut a ¾″ plywood shelf to fit. This shelf will rest on the hanger rod cabinet and span the entire length of the wall.

Installing shelf onto modular closet cabinets in small walk in closet

Step 7: Cut to Fit Additional Hanging Rod(s)

You may be wondering what supports the other end of the shelf in step 6–this will explain it.

I cut two pieces of ¾″ plywood about 5″ wide–one of these pieces will go on the back wall and one will go on the side of the hanging rod cabinet. I plan to span an additional hanging rod between these two pieces.

Drilling hole in plywood piece with Forstner bit to install hanging rod

So I drilled holes in each piece the same diameter as my hanging rod. Note that these holes should be in the same location as where the rod was installed to the cabinet in step 5.

I screwed one of these into the wall studs on the back wall–this will support the other end of the shelf.

Plywood support screwed to wall

Then I cut to fit my hanging rod, slipped it into the holes, and screwed the other piece to my cabinet.

Shara Woodshop Diaries installing hanging rod support between wall and closet cabinet

I liked this tall hanging section in the back of the closet for long dresses and suits. But if you wanted more hanging space, you can add another rod just like this one about halfway down between the wall and the cabinet.

TIP: If the length of the span next to the rod cabinet is greater than about 40″, you may consider adding a shelf bracket for additional support to prevent sagging.

Step 8: Finish and Trim

I applied Minwax Polycrylic to the cabinets to seal them, added knobs to the drawers, and replaced the baseboard around the cabinets to finish up.

RELATED: How to apply clear coat to DIY wood projects

Small walk in closet with hanging rod and plywood cabinets with shirts and dresses hanging up

And with that, this closet was ready to fill back up! I love that this project provides versatile, simple, but practical storage.

Tall modular plywood closet cabinet with hanging rod at top and shoe shelves at bottom

There’s a place for everything and it looks clean and classic.

Small walk in closet with DIY plywood modular closet cabinets installed on back and right walls with shelves, drawers, and hanging rods

Looking for more closet storage and organizing ideas?

Life is too short for boring closets! Here are a few more custom closet themed projects you might enjoy browsing for inspiration:

DIY Closet System
How to Build Your Own Stand Alone DIY Closet Cabinets With Clothes rod and adjustable shelves and even a shoe rack!
DIY Freestanding Closet Cabinets
Built in Hallway Closet Cabinets
Built In Closet Cabinets
Turn a Closet Into Built Ins

If you enjoyed this project and want to save it for later, don’t forget to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Before and after of small walk in closets with custom closet cabinets installed--before image at top and after image at bottom with test "how to build modular closet cabinets"

Until next time, friend, happy building!

DIY Wood Block Photo Stand

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In this post, I’m sharing how to make these super simple DIY photo stands from scrap wood blocks!

These wooden stands are ideal for displaying photos, business cards, place cards, or holiday cards.

Scrap wood blocks cut into triangles for DIY photo stands with photo in one next to vase

You can even print out a favorite motivational quote or a daily to do list to prop up here and put on your desk!

You can make these in a few different shapes and styles that I’ll show you below, but no matter which you choose, this is great easy way to use up some of those wood scraps.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

What kind of wood can you make photo holders from?

The short answer is: any type you want! But the long answer is, well…a little more in depth.

I used scrap 1x material and scrap 2x material for these. I don’t recommend using anything thinner than ¾″ thick. And I don’t recommend using pieces shorter than about 12-16″ long.

While these photo stands are small, it will be difficult to cut them from a tiny piece of wood. It’s better to start with a longer board and trim it down into the smaller blocks.

These are some of the scrap boards I used–2x pine and cedar boards on the right and scrap 1x hickory and red oak boards on the left.

scrap wood on workbench for photo stands

1x3s, 2x2s, and/or 2x3s work perfect for these little photo blocks, but you can go larger if you’d like. As you’ll see below, you can cut these in different orientations, so mix and match sizing and shapes however you’d like!

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How to Make Wood Block Photo Stands

These little stands are super quick to make and you only need two tools plus your scraps!

Tools & Materials

Tools:

  • Table Saw
  • Miter Saw

Materials:

  • Scrap 1x and/or 2x lumber

Step 1: Select Your Lumber and Orientation

First, I took a look at my scrap options and decided on the orientation I wanted for each piece.

Essentially, I decided how I wanted them to stand so that I knew which edge of the pieces I needed to cut my slots for my photos.

For my 1×3 hickory board, I wanted these to sit flat, so I needed my slot cut across the face. For my 2×2 boards, since both dimensions are the same, it didn’t really matter which edge I cut the slot on.

Step 2: Cut Photo Slot

After I decided what side to cut my slot on, I set up my table saw so that the blade was about ½ to ⅔ the height of my piece.

2x2 board next to table saw blade showing approximate blade height for photo stand slot cut

TIP: You don’t have to measure this precisely–just set the board next to the blade and raise it so that it looks like to would cut about ½ the thickness.

Then I adjusted the rip fence so that the blade would run right down the middle of the board. Again, this doesn’t have to be precise–you can eye ball where the centerline would be.

Close up of rip fence adjusted approximately half of board width from saw blade

NOTE: If your pieces aren’t all the same size, you’ll need to adjust between boards. For example, I didn’t cut my 2x2s with the same settings as my 1×3.

Once the blade was set, I carefully ran my pieces through to cut the slots.

Picture slots cut in wood boards

Step 3: Cut Photo Stand Block to Size

Once the photo slots were cut in the pieces, I just needed to trim them down to their final size and shape on the miter saw.

RELATED: How to cut angles on a miter saw

Board being cut in miter saw

NOTE: This is why I recommend using longer scrap pieces. Cutting small pieces like this on the miter saw can get tricky if your board isn’t long enough to hold properly.

This is where you can get as creative as you want. For some of these, I cut them with 45 degree ends so that they were like little triangles with the tips facing up.

picture stand blocks with tips pointed up on workbench

For others, I cut them into triangles so the tips faced forward.

mitered picture frame blocks with tips pointed outward

You can cut them like this so that the “tips” aren’t even tips at all. So they’re more like a trapezoid.

And for the 1x3s, I cut these into triangles, but I also cut one straight, but with slightly beveled ends.

small triangle blocks with picture card holder slot cut across them
card holder block with beveled ends

Feel free to get creative in your size and shape. As long as the base is large enough to hold the weight of the photo/card/etc., any shape or size will work fine!

Step 4: Finish

Just like the shape, the finish is fun to customize however you’d like.

Recently, I made a set of outdoor scrap wood lanterns and I stained each a different color and thought they went well together.

So I did that again here in my sets of three. I stained these with Minwax True Black for the black stand, Minwax Pecan for the brown one, and a simple clear coat on the light one (Walrus Oil Furniture Finish).

three wood blocks with picture/card holder slots cut stained various colors on wood top

For my hickory pieces, I applied a coat of Walrus Oil Furniture Finish.

triangle wood blocks with photos in them

And once these pieces were all dry, they were ready for displaying your favorite photos and cards!

These are such a simple way to display photos on your desk, bookshelf, or console table. They’re easy to swap out and very minimal in style–unlike large, bulky photo frames.

three different color stained card holder blocks on wood top with photo in one

These would also make such a fun gift idea or place card setting at a wedding or formal event.

Looking for more simple scrap wood ideas?

Scrap wood projects are my favorite! If you enjoyed this one, but are still looking for more inspiration, I’ve got you covered!

Here are a few of my favorite simple DIYs you’ll love to browse. Click on the images below for the tutorial.

Cutting Board Drink Coasters
DIY Book Stand
Scrap Wood Key Holder Catch All
DIY Tic Tac Toe Game
Tea Box with Mug Holder
DIY Key Holder Organizer
Scrap Wood Tiered Plant Stand

And for more where that came from, check out my full list of scrap wood DIYs here.

Want to save this post for later? Don’t forget to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest collage image showing scrap wood with slot cut on top and completed picture frame block stands at bottom with text overlay "easy DIY picture blocks"

Until next time, happy building!

DIY Wall Shelf Organizer

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In this post, I’m sharing how to build a simple DIY entryway organizer and key holder shelf with a few pieces of wood scraps!

I don’t know about you, but I always have fun turning scraps into something useful.

Entryway shelf organizer with key pegs holding glasses and keys

Not only is it nice to get these pieces out of my shop (that ever growing scrap pile is starting to take over!), but it’s also nice to put them to work in a way that is beneficial.

This project did just that and is the perfect addition to the entryway to give us somewhere to keep the keys and the mail (besides on the kitchen table ha!).

If you could use a simple entryway organizer, I’m sharing all the details on how to make this one below.

*This post contains affiliate links. See website policies.

A few notes before building

This wall shelf is small–I was using the scraps that I had available and they were pretty small pieces. That said, if you need a bigger one, this project is SUPER easy to modify.

How to Modify the Size

This project used a scrap 1×6 for the back piece and 1x3s for the shelf.

1x3s and 1x6s laying on workbench

You can make it taller by simply using a wider board for the back or a scrap piece of plywood. And you can make it longer by simply cutting your back board longer.

Full transparency: I didn’t even measure the length of the pieces I used for this project until after I was finished so I could share them with you! So clearly, dimensions aren’t critical here.

For the key holder pegs, if you wanted hooks instead, you can simply swap those out. So use this post as a guide, but feel free to customize however you’d like.

What type of wood should you use for this project?

You can use any type of wood you’d like for this project. I used solid red oak, but if you wanted to use pine 1x boards or even ¾″ plywood instead, feel free. Those would both work great!

Close up image showing red oak lumber

If you really want to get creative, use a different wood type (or stain color) for the back piece than you do for the shelf and wood pegs.

Enjoy DIY projects and woodworking plans? Sign up for priority access for the latest posts on Woodshop Diaries!

How to make Wall Shelf organizer

This project is a great beginner DIY and is easily built in under an hour. If you don’t need one yourself, this would also make an excellent inexpensive, handmade gift, especially for a housewarming!

Here’s what you need to build it:

Tools & Materials

Tools:

Materials:

  • Scrap 1×6 board
  • Scrap 1×3 boards
  • ⅜″ dowel pegs (can cut from ⅜″ scrap dowel rod)
  • Wood Glue
  • 1 ¼″ long brad nails
  • 2 ½″ long wood screw (to hang shelf)

Step 1: Cut Pieces to Size

First, I cut my 1×6 and 1×3 boards to the size I wanted. The back will be the 1×6 and the shelf pieces are the 1x3s.

To give this project a little modern vibe, I mitered the ends of my back piece and the piece that goes along the front of the shelf 15 degrees off square.

RELATED: How to cut angles on a miter saw

Then, to match this angle, I beveled the right edge of my shelf 15 degrees.

Pieces cut and labeled on workbench to build DIY wall organizer shelf

The back ended up being roughly 15″ long, the shelf piece roughly 13″ long and the front piece roughly 9″ long.

Step 2: Attach Shelf

After sanding, I marked a line about 2″ up from the bottom of the 1×6 and applied wood glue along the back edge of the 1×3 shelf piece.

I placed the shelf piece on the 1×6 back so that the bottom edge of it ran along this line I marked and the left edges were flush.

Placing shelf on back piece of entryway organizer

I used a brad nailer to drive a few nails through the back to hold this piece in place while the glue dries. If you don’t have a brad nailer, you could also drive a couple screws through the back instead.

Shara Woodshop Diaries nailing shelf onto back panel of key holder shelf

TIP: If you have some clamps, use them to hold the shelf piece in place while you drive fasteners through the back.

Then, I flipped this back over and glued and nailed the other 1×3 piece onto the front of the shelf.

Key holder wall organizer shelf assembled on workbench next to brad nailer

Step 3: Add Key Pegs or Hooks

Here’s where you can add wooden pegs or your own hooks. I had some scrap ⅜″ dowel, so I cut four of these about 2″ long.

If you had another size dowel, that would work, too–it doesn’t have to be ⅜″.

I marked ¾″ from the bottom edge of the 1×6 piece and evenly spaced out my dowels how I thought they looked right. They ended up being about 3″ apart.

Drilling ⅜" holes to install key pegs

Then I drilled ⅜″ holes at these locations using a ⅜″ forstener bit. I drilled about ⅜″ deep (this was about the depth of the head of the bit).

Holes drilled in wall organizer for wooden key pegs

I added a little glue into each hole and tapped the dowels in with a rubber mallet.

wooden pegs installed on wall shelf organizer

If you wanted to add hooks, you can screw those onto the back in place of the pegs.

Step 4: Finish and Hang

Once the glue was dry, I stained this piece in Minwax Weathered Oak, but feel free to paint or stain any color you’d like.

RELATED: How to stain wood

After the stain was dry, I screwed this DIY wall organizer to the wall using a 2 ½″ long wood screw through the 1×6 and into a wall stud.

scrap wood entryway shelf installed to stud using a screw

You could also hang this using sawtooth hangers if you wanted. Those would work fine, but with sawtooth hangers, a slight bump could accidentally knock it off the hangers, so I usually prefer screws.

I only used one screw for this little shelf–this should hold fine, but it will still be able to twist if its pulled on. (You have to be pulling pretty hard, though.)

If you are concerned about that or if you made yours larger and need additional holding power, add a screw at the top and at the bottom (both into studs!) to prevent it from twisting.

Completed wall shelf entryway organizer with picture and notebook setting on shelf and glasses and keys hanging on pegs

And now you’ve got a cool place to hang your keys, glasses, lanyard, hat, etc. The shelf is a great place for your favorite photo, a notebook, your mail, whatever you need to keep by the door so you don’t forget it when you leave the house ha!

Close up of angled edge of entryway wall shelf with glasses and keys hanging on pegs

Looking for More Scrap Wood DIYs?

Can’t get enough scrap wood projects?? I’m teaming up with my friend, Kati, from Houseful of Handmade all month long for “Scrap Wood Summer!”

Check out all the projects in the series below. Click on the images to learn how to make each one!

DIY Arched Lanterns
Stacking Shoe Storage Boxes
Scrap Wood Plant Stand
DIY Scrap Wood Egg Trays
Cutting Board Drink Coasters
DIY Pasta Drying Rack
ScraP Wood Corbels
DIY Key Holder Organizer

This is our third year hosting Scrap Wood Summer and I enjoy it a little more each time. But, if you’ve never heard of it before, that’s okay!

Essentially, we each shared a new scrap wood project every Tuesday throughout the month of August (2024). So by the end of the month, you’ve got 8 new project ideas to try.

Check out previous Scrap Wood Summer projects plus other scrap wood ideas here.

If you’d like to save this DIY key holder shelf project for later, be sure to pin it or share to your favorite social channel!

Pinterest image of entryway organizer wall shelf with text overlay

Until next time, happy building!