Organizing your pantry cabinets can be a challenge. Often, you need to store a wide variety of items in the kitchen pantry and not all of them lend themselves to open shelving. Installing roll-out drawers in your kitchen pantry cabinets is a good solution to this problem. While you can purchase these drawers or buy cabinetry with such drawers, these are expensive solutions. Building your own kitchen pantry drawers is an ideal fix to keeping your kitchen pantry organized. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Measure the width of your cabinet. Subtract 2 1/2 inches from this measurement to determine the size to cut your plywood. Cut two sides for each drawer, 22 inches by 3 1/2 inches. Cut a front and back to the width minus 2 1/2 inches. The bottom of each roll-out drawer should be this measurement by 22 inches. If your kitchen pantry cabinets are unusually deep or shallow, measure and purchase the appropriately sized drawer slides and cut the plywood to fit your needs.
2. Assemble each drawer. Use glue and brads on the four sides of the drawer, being sure that each corner is perfectly square so the drawer will function properly. Attach the bottom of the drawer with glue and brads securely. Screw the drawer portion of the drawer slide onto each side of the drawer, positioning it 1/4 inch from the bottom.
3. Cut one-inch-by-four-inch pine lumber into 22-inch lengths. Mount the cabinet part of the drawer slide on the carrier pieces. Cut a piece of 1/4-inch plywood or MDF to fit the base of the carrier. This can be retained or removed later and does not need to be glued. Make sure that the drawer fits smoothly into the carrier.
4. Sand and apply polyurethane if desired to your roll-out drawers for easier cleaning and a more attractive look.
5. Place your carrier into the cabinet, flush against one side. Measure the gap between the other side. Divide this amount in half and cut 6 spacer strips just the right size for that gap, one inch wide by 3 1/2 inches long. Check the fit and make sure the spacers are snug, but not tight. Adjust if needed to fit your kitchen pantry cabinets.
6. Drill holes into the carrier and spacers and fit screws into these holes to hold the carrier assembly and spacers together. Screw the drawer carrier assembly into place in your cabinets and place the drawer in the slides. Remove the carrier base if desired. Install lower roll-out drawers first if you are putting multiple drawers in a single kitchen pantry cabinet.
7. Use scrap lumber to support an upper roll-out drawer carrier if you are installing more than one drawer or a drawer that does not rest on the bottom of the cabinet while you screw it into place. Remove these temporary supports after the carrier is securely screwed into the cabinet and place your drawer in the carrier.
Tags: kitchen pantry, your kitchen, your kitchen pantry, drawer carrier, roll-out drawers, carrier assembly, drawer slide
