Kitchen cabinets provide functional storage solutions for all of your cooking area essentials. They can be used to store different items from tableware and other utensils to herbs and spices.
Having a knack for doing DIY or do-it-yourself projects can help in your quest to furnish your home with customized kitchen cabinets. Customizing your own can help attain the perfect size, look, and functionality on your kitchen cabinets fit your space, style, and personality.
You don’t need to be a trained professional to do DIY projects such as crafting your kitchen cabinets. Whether you’re building a new one or replacing kitchen cabinets, you can always hone your DIY carpentry skills by learning from easy-to-follow tips such as the ones in this article guide. Read on to learn how to build kitchen cabinets from scratch all by yourself.
1. Choose the Right Kitchen Cabinet Materials
It’s crucial to decide on the type of material you’ll use for your kitchen cabinet project that best suits your budget and preference. What are your best options, then? Here are some of the recommended options for kitchen cabinet materials:
Solid Wood
There are different types of solid wood that have their unique characteristics. Red oak is tough, durable, and inexpensive, recommended for building wood kitchen cabinets. Walnut, hickory, cherry, and alder have a lot of texture and character if you’re going for a stained and organic look.
While solid wood is a durable material used in residences, but it expands and contracts, making it not ideal for a busy kitchen environment.
Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF)
Medium-density fibreboards or MDFs are smooth, heavy, and resistant to peeling and cracking. The mentioned qualities make them a lot easier to paint over than other materials, perfect for a great kitchen design. This high-grade composite material is made from resin and recycled wood fibres, machine-milled under high pressure.
Plywood
Plywood is a relatively low-cost material with greater stability and higher moisture resistance than MDF. An exposed wood veneer, thermofoil, or plastic laminate coats its exterior for an added layer of protection.
Particleboard
Particleboard consists of combined wood chips and particles fused into the panels using adhesive. It’s another alternative many homeowners can consider for their next DIY project.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is often used in professional kitchens. Unlike wood, this material doesn’t expand and contract, making it a great material option for moisture-rich kitchens.
2. Prepare Everything You Need
A DIY project should involve preparing everything before the actual work to ensure a smooth process to save time and effort. Here are the things you need to prepare before building kitchen cabinets:
Taking Measurements:
- Tape measure;
- Planning grid or scratch paper;
- Pencil;
- Calculator;
- Ladder or step stool;
- Level ruler; and,
- Laser measuring tool used to double-check measurements.
Building Kitchen Cabinet Materials:
- Plywood for the concealed areas such as the bottoms and side panels;
- A solid wood or plywood panel for the door panels;
- Solid wood for the drawer front, face frame, and door frame;
- Drawer slides;
- Cabinet door hinges; and,
- 1 to 1/4" pocket hole screws.
Tools:
- Table saw or circular saw;
- Drill for making round holes and installing fasteners; and,
- Any type of pocket hole jig.
3. Take Measurements
Prepare the measurements of your kitchen thoroughly to ensure accuracy and avoid costly mistakes. Here’s a quick guide when taking measurements:
Make A Sketch
Draw a rough plan or a new blueprint using grid paper for the layout. Label all appliances, doors, and windows, as well as electrical, vents, and plumbing.
Note The Horizontal Measurements
For a kitchen overhaul, measure the wall space to reconfigure the kitchen cabinets easily. Take measurements of the existing cabinets for replacement, from one wall edge to another, to obtain the total space. Measure openings, such as windows and doors, from one underside to another. Remember to don’t include the moulding or trim in your notes.
Don’t Forget The Vertical Measurements Too
Measure the distance from the floor to the ceiling at each corner, including the middle of each wall. Also, consider the soffit or the little wall hanging down from the ceiling in front of doors and other areas. Measure from the kitchen floor to the bottom of the soffit.
Locate the Central Point of Existing Kitchen Fixtures
Consider the existing sink, windows, and sink layout unless you want to change the layout. Find the centre point of the stove or sink beginning at the end closest to the wall and then measure toward the stove or sink.
Remember To Inspect Other Components
Pay attention to the windows and doors. Exclude the frames and trims of the doors and windows in your kitchen from the measurements. Also, measure the objects’ distance to the ceiling and floor to ensure no obstacles in the way.
4. Prepare The Case Panels
Use a circular saw to cut full sheets of plywood into manageable sizes for the side panels and the bottom shelves. Each side piece should have a 3x3-inch notch in the bottom front corner for a toe kick, using a jigsaw for better-cut quality. But you can also use a table saw.
5. Rip Face Frame Pieces
The front frame of a kitchen cabinet establishes the location of all the drawers and doors. It provides structural stiffness. The measurement depends on the number of preferred doors and drawers. You can rip the face frame pieces from 1x6-inch boards.
6. Start Assembly
Once the face frames are finished, attach the side panels with pocket holes. It’s advised to use pocket screw joints, the screw version of toenailing, in joining the boards using angling fasteners through the edges.
Secure the bottom shelves with pocket holes to hide them. Support the top perimeter of the kitchen cabinet and provide a surface to screw through. Attach a couple of strips of plywood to the top interior of the side panels.
7. Prepare Doors and Build Drawers
Pre-stain the ¼ inch plywood panel and build the drawers. The drawer bodies could be pieces of ¾-inch plywood screwed together with a same-sized section nailed to the bottom. Next, mount the drawer slides.
8. Build the Cabinet Doors
Constructing cabinet doors depends on the style you prefer. You might want a traditional or modern style, implementing the best and latest kitchen design trends.
To start building cabinet doors, cut a groove using a regular table saw blade to fit the plywood panels. Use a dado blade to cut the tongues on the end rails. Slide the plywood panel into place after gluing the two rails. Never use glue on the panel for a solid wood panel because it will only cause door assembly issues later on.
9. Finishing
Paint the kitchen cabinets with your desired colour. You can also spray a clear water-based finish after sanding and staining. Finally, install the door hinges.
Conclusion
You’ve just learned how to build kitchen cabinets from scratch. Follow the above steps and tips to keep you guided. Make sure to use the right tools, prepare all the materials you need, and dedicate enough time to complete this DIY project so you can enjoy the experience.
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