Building Clothes Drawers

Use a circular saw to cut a piece of 9-by-31-by-1-inch wood for the drawer front. Cut three pieces of 24-by-7-by-3/4-inch plywood for the two drawer sides and the drawer back. Cut one piece of 29-by-7-by-3/4-inch plywood for the drawer’s bottom. Sand the cut pieces with medium-grit sandpaper.

Cut three grooves three-fourth inches deep and wide into the drawer front using a router. Place the first groove 1-inch in from either short side of the drawer front and 1 inch up from the bottom of the drawer. Place the other two grooves the same distance in from the sides of the drawer front and 1 inch from the bottom and top edge. Intersect the shorter grooves with the long one.

Fill all three grooves with wood glue. Insert the drawer bottom into the longer groove and the drawer sides into the shorter grooves. Apply wood glue where the sides and bottom meet. Hammer a finishing nail through the drawer sides into the drawer bottom every 6 inches.

Position the drawer back against the edges of the drawer bottom and drawer sides. Apply wood glue where the pieces meet. Secure the back of the drawer with more finishing nails every 6 inches.

Paint or stain the drawer to match the finish of the existing dresser. Allow the paint or stain to dry three to five hours.

Attach drawer pulls to the drawer front. The attachment process will vary based on the drawer pull. However, most require you to drill a hole through the front of the drawer. Use the included attachment screws to install the drawer pulls.