If you’re running out of storage space in your home, it might be time to add a new chest of drawers. But don’t buy a generic chest from a retailer, build your own!
Make a Plan
Before you start building, you need to decide what the chest of drawers will look like and how big it will be. Start out by deciding how high and wide you want the chest of drawers to be. It should be tailored to the space you have and how much storage space you need.
Then decide how many drawers the chest will have. Don’t make them too small or each one won’t be able to hold very much. 4 or 5 drawers is the standard choice to go for. Finally, decide which wood you’re going to use, and finalise the measurements.
Put the Basic Structure Together
Start with the bottom panel which will work as the base of the chest of drawers. Once you’ve cut the bottom panel to the correct size, you will need to screw L-brackets onto each of the 4 corners of the panel.
This process should be exactly replicated for the top panel of the chest. Then you need to fix the 3 sides to the draws. Cut them to the correct size and then screw them into place using the L-brackets you’ve already put in place.
Attach the Drawer Runners
Each drawer you have need be able to slide into the frame, so you need to attach drawer runners to the frame of the chest. You need to do this very carefully. Each drawer requires a runner on the left and the right, and you need to make sure they match up exactly in terms of height.
There are lots of different types of drawer runners out there. The more expensive ones will be much smoother to use and won’t slam as easily. This can be a good investment as it will keep your drawer in better condition.
Prepare the Drawers
Once your drawer runners are in place, you need to create the drawers themselves. This needs to be done very carefully so that they fit into the slots you have created. This should all have been planned out before though, so refer back to your original plan.
When you’ve created the structures of all the drawers you need, you should attach each drawer to the runner that you’ve already attached to the main frame of the chest. Once you’ve done that for each drawer, you’re almost complete.
Finish by Decorating
To finish off the chest of drawers, you need to make it look good. If you used a nice looking wood, you could simply add a few layers of stain to the wood and finish it off with varnish. But you could go for something a little more.
If you used a cheap wood, it’s usually a better option to paint the chest of drawers. Choose a colour that fits in with the rest of your room, and then you’re finally finished. Put the chest in place and put it to use!
Why buy a chest of drawers when you can follow this guide and build your own?
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