Building kitchen cabinets from scratch is not something many people would even consider doing

It’s one of those things these days that we leave to the professionals thinking only they can do it. Of course, while it’s true they have more experience and would be more qualified for a project like this, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a shot at it too. You can build your own kitchen cabinets and do a great job at it too. There’s plenty of great tutorials and plans that can help along the way so let’s have a look at a few and perhaps this will give you the push you need to get started. 
24 Easy DIY Kitchen Cabinet Ideas


Kitchen cabinets are usually made of several different modules which are combined in the end. Some are sitting on the floor while others are mounted onto the walls. This is a wall-mounted cabinet and as you can see it’s made out of wood. This is your best bet when it comes to DIY kitchen cabinets. It’s a very common and easy to find material and it’s easy to work with as well. You also have several varieties of wood to choose from, including reclaimed wood if you prefer the weathered look. Check out this tutorial on instructables to see how this cabinet module is built. 



Regardless of what type of kitchen cabinet you want to build, there’s usually a few general steps that you need to follow. You start by preparing the case panels, you then build the front frame of the cabinet and after start you start assembling everything. The next step is to prep and build the drawers if you included any in your design after which the cabinet doors are built and installed. Once you add the finishing touches the cabinet finally starts to look complete. Check out instructables for a bunch of useful tips in this regard. 



Plywood is also a very common material often used when building kitchen cabinets and furniture in general. It’s cheaper than solid wood and it’s easy to work with as well. You have lots of different options in terms of color and finish so this really lets you personalize your DIY kitchen cabinets in all sorts of interesting ways. If you’ve never worked with plywood or built any furniture before, start with something similar like this small cabinet featured on instructables. It has three shelves and an open front which simplifies the project significantly. 



One of the most difficult parts of building a kitchen cabinet from scratch is making the doors. They need to have the perfect proportions and to open and close smoothly so you really need to pay attention to the details when building them. There’s also a variety of different types of doors that you could give your cabinets so before you get ahead of yourself it might be best to start with a simple and classic one. Check out this instructables tutorial to find out how to make a cabinet door so you can understand the basics of it. 



It’s easier to understand how something is made when you can actually visualize the whole process. This video tutorial by DIY PETE explains how you can build a basic kitchen cabinet step by step. You get to see how the structure is made, then the face frame, how the drawers are built and constructed, how the doors are added and then finally how it’s all finished by adding a butcher block top. The design is simple and would suit most types of kitchens. 



If you’re planning to give your kitchen a complete makeover, with all new furniture, you’ll have a lot of work to do and a lot of cabinets to build. Even a small kitchen can take a lot of effort to furnish. There’s base cabinets, drawer units, wall-mounted modules and shelves to be built and this video tutorial by DIYTyler give you useful information regardless all these different types. 



If your kitchen needs a new look but the existing furniture is actually in pretty good shape, it might be better to give the old cabinets a makeover rather than making new ones. That can be a lot of fun to plan and do. A cool idea that we really like is using chalkboard paint to turn the cabinet door fronts into surfaces that you can write on. It’s really fun and this can also turn out to be a very practical and convenient feature for your kitchen as well. You can write down recipes, lists, notes and various other things. Check out lovemydiyhome for more details about that. 



You can also upgrade your existing kitchen cabinets by adding a few new features for them. For example, you can change their look with some decorative crown molding and you can install lights on the bottom to illuminate the countertops beneath. Of course, the biggest change of all can be painting the cabinets in a new color. Check out more info about this and more cool upgrade ideas on carriethishome. 



Replacing the old doors on your kitchen cabinets with new ones can also be a great idea. This tutorial from chriskauffman would also be very useful if you’re making DIY kitchen cabinets from scratch since the doors tend to be a tricky part usually left at the end of the project. These shaker doors are pretty easy to make and they look lovely too. 



This video tutorial by Hand Crafted by Jason Cooper is great for beginners because it explains the basics of building kitchen cabinets and lets you add your own touches from there. You can see here how both upper and lower kitchen cabinets are built, from prepping the wood to cutting it into pieces and then assembling everything. The cabinets only start to take shape at the very end when all the pieces are put together so don’t worry if you’re feeling like you’re not making great progress until then. 



To make things easier for yourself when furnishing your kitchen, you can take it all one step at a time. Building the furniture one module at a time makes it feel like you’re making progress and it also allows you to learn from your mistakes and to improve as you move on to the next piece of the puzzle. This looks like a perfect starting module and you can find out all about it and how to build it fast and easy from this tutorial by Bourbon Moth Woodworking.



When it comes to DIY kitchen cabinets you obviously get an advantage because you get to design them yourself. That means you can have them custom-built so they perfectly fit into your kitchen and they complement its layout and style. You can design and build the cabinets around the appliances to save some space and a particularly nice idea is to have a unit built above the refrigerator. That’s usually a space that goes to waste in most kitchens. Check out this tutorial by grandmashousediy to see how you can take advantage of this area. 



In case you’re still worried you don’t have what it takes to build your own kitchen cabinets, check out this simple design shared by Paw Paw’s WorkShop. This lovely video tutorial explains how anyone with beginner DIY skills and basic tools can build cabinets from scratch and you can also apply and techniques and tips you’ve learned here to other projects if you ever decide to build more furniture in the future. 



We should also talk a bit about style. There’s a variety of different options to choose from and based on your preference you then have to select the right materials and supplies so your DIY kitchen cabinets look right. If you’re a fan of rustic or farmhouse-style kitchens, we think you’ll really love this barn wood sideboard that we found on mountainmodernlife. The design is quite simple but it has a lot of character and it makes the kitchen look and feels very inviting. 



Aren’t these cabinets lovely? We love the shaker style doors and we really like this tutorial from cherishedbliss which explains how you can add this look to your own kitchen. You can transform your flat kitchen cabinet doors so they look like this and it’s wonderful what some decorative trim and new hardware can do for something like this. While you’re at it, a change of color might be a good idea too. White is a wonderful choice in this case. 



It’s not just the cabinet door fronts that deserve your attention but the back sides as well. Whether you’re building new kitchen cabinets or just remodeling and updating your existing ones, you can add cool little details to them like this simple organizer that you can attach to the inside of a door. It gives you a place to put a few cleaning supplies and a paper towel roll and it’s great for the space underneath the sink which usually gets neglected. Check out ana-white for more details. 



Another detail that you can focus on when planning the new look of your kitchen is the lighting. You can add accent lighting to the kitchen cabinets in various different ways. A common option is to have LED bands installed on the underside of the wall-mounted cabinets. This way you illuminate the countertops and the backsplash which is very handy. You can also add lights to the upper section of the cabinets to highlight some open shelves. You can find out more about that on thriftydecorchick.



You might also find this video tutorial from GuysWoodshop useful if you’re thinking about DIY kitchen cabinets as your next project. Here you can find out more details about all the materials, tools and equipment required by a project like this and you can also find out details about the construction process and how everything is put together in the end to actually make the cabinets. 



Painting is one of the last few steps when building kitchen cabinets or furniture in general and it’s also something that you can do to transform existing cabinets and to give your kitchen a fresh new look. Usually you need to sand and prime the surfaces before you apply the new paint which takes some time and effort and also makes quite a mess. This tutorial from designertrapped however explains how you can skip those steps and make this process a lot easier. 



A nice idea to keep in mind when planning the design for your kitchen cabinets is that open fronts and shelves are great for making a small space appear bigger and more airy. That’s also a useful tip if you’re considering transforming your old kitchen cabinets. We came across a really cool idea on my3monsters. This tutorial basically shows you how you can take out the front panels of wall-mounted kitchen cabinets and replace them with chicken wire. It’s a small change but it has a big impact on the overall look and feel of the room. 



Something that many of us struggle with in the kitchen is finding a good spot for the garbage can. Although it’s easy to just give up and use the space underneath the sink for that, it really pays off to do something more convenient and practical instead. This is a pull-out system that you can install in one of your kitchen cabinets which lets you have two garbage cans. It’s super easy and convenient to use and you can install it yourself. Check out honeybearlane for details. 



As mentioned before, just painting your existing kitchen cabinets can change the look of this room completely. To make sure you’re doing a good job at it and you’re not ruining your cabinets, it’s good to check out a few tips beforehand. You can find a nice tutorial on thepalettemuse which shows you all the little tips and tricks that can help you make your cabinets look amazing and the best part no sanding is required. 



Along with painting your old kitchen cabinets there’s a few more things that you can do to change the look of this room. It might be cool to replace the old backsplash and try a different look and style instead and a new floor could help to really make everything come together. A kitchen remodel can involve a variety of different steps and details and projects like the one on amber-oliver can help to give you some ideas. Of course, keep in mind that every project is unique and that you need to adapt these features to suit your own needs and style. 



A change of style is actually easier than you think and doesn’t necessarily require you to get new furniture. In the case of the kitchen cabinets, just adding a few decorative details can help. A great example in this sense comes from dreamdesigndiy where you can see how adding farmhouse trim to some simple-looking cabinets changes their look instantly. 

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