Building a Liquor Storage Cabinet

Draw up a sketch of your liquor storage cabinet design on a sheet of paper. Decide how many shelves you want to install inside your cabinet and determine the interval at which you plan to install them. To determine shelf heights, reference the height of the liquor bottles in your collection.

Measure the dimensions of the space you intend to fill with your liquor cabinet using a measuring tape. Determine the length, depth and height of the cabinet and write these measurements into your sketch.

Use a circular saw to cut two sheets of 1/2-inch pine to the desired length and depth of your liquor storage cabinet. These boards will become the top and bottom panels. Cut two more sheets of 1/2-inch pine using the depth measurement and the height measurement, minus one inch, for the side panels.

Assemble the four pieces of pine you just cut in a rectangular shape, placing the boards upright on their longest narrow edges. Position the side panels between the ends of the top and bottom panels. Drive 1 1/2-inch wood screws through the top and bottom panels into the side panels to attach them.

Cut another sheet of 1/2-inch pine to the length and height dimensions of your liquor cabinet. Lay this panel flat on top of the frame you just constructed and secure it in place by driving nails from a nail gun down through the panel into the frame beneath.

Flip the cabinet frame over so the open side is facing up. Measure and mark the intervals for your interior shelves on the side panels in pencil. Be sure to accommodate for the 1/2-inch thickness of each shelf when measuring your intervals.

Use the circular saw to cut your shelves from 1/2-inch pine. Each shelf should be cut to the depth of the cabinet and the length measurement, minus 1 inch.

Slide the shelves horizontally between the side panels of the cabinet where you made your pencil marks. Attach the shelves by driving 1 1/2-inch wood screws through the side panels into the shelves. Drive nails from the nail gun through the back panel into the shelves for added support.

Construct a door for your liquor cabinet by cutting another piece of 1/2-inch pine to the length and height dimensions of your cabinet. Lay the door flat on top of the open front of the cabinet and install two metal hinges along one edge about two inches from each of the corners. Screw the other side of the hinges into the cabinet frame.

Fill all nail and screw holes with wood filler and allow it to dry completely. Once the wood filler has hardened, sand the surface of the cabinet smooth using fine-grain sandpaper.

Paint or stain your liquor storage cabinet. Once the paint or stain has dried, apply one or more coats of clear varnish or polyurethane. Allow the finish to dry completely before moving on.

Mount your liquor storage cabinet on the wall, if you choose, by driving 2-inch wood screws through the back panel from inside the cabinet into the wall studs. You may also choose to leave your cabinet free-standing.