How to Make Cabinet Doors With Glass Inserts

Remove the existing doors from your cabinets, if there are any, and measure their width and height using a measuring tape. If your cabinets do not currently have doors, measure the width and height of each cabinet section to determine the ideal dimensions for your new cabinet doors.

Subtract 2 inches from both the width and height measurements you just took and use a circular saw to cut a sheet of half-inch plywood to these new dimensions.

Cut four pieces of 1-by-4-inch hardwood to serve as the frame for your cabinet doors. For the horizontal supports of this frame cut two pieces of 1-by-4-inch hardwood to the original width measurement of the cabinet doors. Cut the remaining two pieces of hardwood for the vertical supports using the original height of the doors, minus 8 inches to accommodate the width of the horizontal supports.

Arrange the four pieces of hardwood you just cut in a rectangular shape. Sandwich the vertical supports between the ends of the horizontal supports, aligning the outer edges. Secure the frame by driving 2-inch wood screws through the outside edge of the horizontal supports at an angle into the vertical supports.

Apply a generous bead of wood glue around the edges of the sheet of half-inch plywood you prepared earlier.

Place the hardwood frame you just constructed on top of the plywood, pressing it gently into the glue. Flip the plywood over and adjust the hardwood frame as necessary so it borders the plywood panel evenly on all four sides. Attach the hardwood frame by driving nails from a nail gun through the plywood into the back of the hardwood frame.

Lay the cabinet door on a flat surface in front of you with the hardwood frame facing down. Sketch a template in pencil on the back of the plywood in the desired shape for your cut-out. After cutting out the template you will install a sheet of glass inside the cabinet door.

Use a reciprocating saw to cut out the template you just drew. When finished, gently sand the cut edges with fine-grit sandpaper.

Paint or stain the cabinet doors to match the existing cabinets. Once the paint or stain has dried completely, apply a coat of clear varnish or polyurethane and allow it to dry according to the manufacturer's instructions. Do not move on until the cabinet doors are completely dry.

Have a professional at your local home improvement store cut a sheet of one-fourth-inch tempered glass to about 1 inch less than the width and height dimensions of the sheet of plywood you used for your cabinet door.

Lay the sheet of glass gently on top of the back of your cabinet door. The glass should lay flat against the plywood. Adjust the glass so it is centered on the plywood, leaving a border about an inch wide all the way around.

Screw glass clips into the back of the plywood to hold the sheet of glass in place. Place the glass clips every 10 to 12 inches.

Install the cabinet doors using metal hinges. Attach two hinges to each door, positioning them about 2 inches from each corner on one side of the door. Screw the other side of the hinges into the cabinet frame.