Wood Pullout Cabinet Drawer Organizer

Difficulty

Intermediate

After organizing my junk drawer successfully, I felt confident and inspired to tackle some more cabinet storage. And of course, first up, what to do with all the princess plates, lunchroom trays and sippy cups with missing lids.

How about a drawer, right at the height of a four year old? And how about a nice deep drawer, with a big chalkboard label on it?

Of course, you could install this drawer on the bottom shelf, make the drawer have taller or shorter sides, or even put it under the sink for trash cans . . . and attach the cabinet door to the front of it for a real pullout trash can on a super budget. There are no limits, beyond your time and your imagination.

I'm going to show you today how I built this drawer for Grace (and will probably be building more drawers for my pots and pans and maybe even one for our dog . . . ) and you can easily modify it to fit your cabinets. I spent about $10 on the drawer, with $6 for the 1x6 (I actually had scraps so this was free for me) and about $4 for the drawer slides. I also used half of a 2x2, so there's another buck. I made the chalkboard label with scrap plywood and chalkboard paint and glued in on. The drawer as shown here has not yet been finished.

Custom to fit your Cabinets

Preparation

Shopping List

1 - 1x6 @ 8 feet long

1 - 2x2 @ 4 feet long
scrap 1/4" plywood
21" Drawer Slides

Common Materials

2 inch screws

1 1/4 inch finish nails

Elmer's Wood Glue

Elmer's Wood Filler

Cut List

Cut to fit your cabinets.

Tools

General Instructions

Please read through the entire plan and all comments before beginning this project. It is also advisable to review the Getting Started Section. Take all necessary precautions to build safely and smartly. Work on a clean level surface, free of imperfections or debris. Always use straight boards. Check for square after each step. Always predrill holes before attaching with screws. Use glue with finish nails for a stronger hold. Wipe excess glue off bare wood for stained projects, as dried glue will not take stain. Be safe, have fun, and ask for help if you need it. Good luck!

Instructions

Step 1

The first thing you need to do is measure the opening of your cabinets and the depth of your cabinets. Mine had a clearance opening (the hinges took up a little room too) of 14 1/2". Remember that your drawer slides also take up 1" all for both, so that's a total drawer width of 13 1/2". To be safe, I made mine 13" wide, and cut 2 1x6s to this length. Then I measured the depth of the opening. Mine was 22 3/4" deep. So I cut the 2x2s to the depth of the cabinet and then cut the two 1x6s to this measurement minus 1 1/2" - so for me, 21 1/4". I then cut the 1/4" plywood to 13" x 22 3/4".

Step 2

With all the boards cut, I built a simple box (used 1 1/4" pocket hole screws but you could also use 2" screws countersunk) and glue. The I tapped the bottom on with 1 1/4" finish nails and glue.

Step 3

Because these cheapo drawer slides (that actually work really well and are quite strong) are side/bottom mount, you can get away with just tacking 1/4" plywood to the bottom. The weight of the drawer contents sits right on the slides. I attached the two drawer parts of the slides to the bottom of the drawer as shown above.

Step 4

Then I attached the remaining drawer slide pieces to the 2x2s as shown here. Make sure these pieces are attached level and in the same position on both 2x2s. This is important. I used the screws that came with the slides, and followed the directions on the slides.

Step 5

Step 6

Then I simply positioned the whole setup inside the cabinet, and because of the tight fit, screwed the 2x2s to the shelf from the underside. But if you had more clearance from the top, you could screw from the top too. Used 2" screws here, just two per 2x2.

Step 7

And then just put the drawer in. The drawer is easy to remove and clean (and in my case, finish) and I really love the 2x2s in there, because they keep things from sliding under your drawer. Off to build . . . six more.

Finishing Instructions

Preparation Instructions

Fill all holes with wood filler and let dry. Apply additional coats of wood filler as needed. When wood filler is completely dry, sand the project in the direction of the wood grain with 120 grit sandpaper. Vacuum sanded project to remove sanding residue. Remove all sanding residue on work surfaces as well. Wipe project clean with damp cloth.

It is always recommended to apply a test coat on a hidden area or scrap piece to ensure color evenness and adhesion. Use primer or wood conditioner as needed.

Project Type

Kitchen Island Plans

Kitchen Cabinet Plans

Cabinet Plans

Room

kitchen

Style

Cottage Style Furniture Plans

Comments

Marsa (not verified)

Mon, 03/21/2011 - 23:17

Wooden drawer pullout cabinet organizer

This is a fabulous Idea! I have wanted them for my cabinets but to have them done is outrageous. I am SO going to do this! Thank you Ana

Jeanne Miller (not verified)

Mon, 03/21/2011 - 23:20

lazy suzan cupboard?

We have a lazy Suzan style cupboard in our kitchen. I love the amount of room in it, but that shelf never stays up so I want to pull it out again. I was wondering if you might have some ideas about how to make it more functional?

sebringvillemum

Tue, 03/22/2011 - 05:28

YES!

I've done this before in our previous house... and really need to do it in this house for the tupperware lids! So nice to have a clear picture of how to make it work smoothly!

Brilliant... now to see if I have any wood to build a box with!

mplauger

Tue, 03/22/2011 - 05:44

cabinet color

we are remodeling our house so we are going to need stain for all kinds of things: doors, trim, etc and now that I found your site: I need it for furniture! Our cabinets and vanities are maple; one company calls is Sandelwood. They look really similar to yours, at least in the picture. I am having the toughest time matching up stain to it! Help!

BTW, love the drawers! :-D

sydneyroo

Tue, 03/22/2011 - 06:02

I didn't even know I needed

I didn't even know I needed this until I saw it! One step ahead, as usual, Ana!

mycreativeescapes

Tue, 03/22/2011 - 06:11

You read my mind!

OK Ana - you must have read my mind. I am building a craft room - and want to put in drawer slides - this came at the perfect time!!! Thank you so much!

songbirdfeeder

Tue, 03/22/2011 - 06:14

where did you get the drawer glides?

I had wanted to do this in my cabinets, but the only drawer glides I saw (at Lowe's--we don't have HD near us) were around $25. Where did you get some for $4?

Guest (not verified)

Tue, 03/22/2011 - 18:17

Got mine from Home Depot

It does depend on the length but I just bought 22 inch ones for 7.48. They had some that were MUCH more - around $25 - but you don't need all the hoopla that comes with it. I got mine at Home Depot but Lowe's and Home Depot are owned by competing brothers so I am surprised that they would have prices so different even if there isn't competition in your area.

songbirdfeeder

Thu, 03/24/2011 - 15:44

Thank you

I found the ones online at HD that you're talking about. I think I'll print that out and take to Lowe's. Maybe they have some comparable ones that I couldn't find when I was there.

judym

Thu, 03/24/2011 - 12:32

I found some at Lee Valley Tools

Though Lee Valley Tools only has stores in Canada, they do offer online shopping. Right now, there is a no shipping fee deal on until March 28. You can find all kinds of drawer slides ... the standard kitchen slides hold about 55lbs which is more than I need. The prices for a 21" (550 mm) set of slides range from $4.80-$6.00 depending on how many you buy. If you live in a rural area like me where there is no Orange or Blue or much of anything within a 30-45 minute drive, online is the way to go!