How to Build a Kitchen Tray Rack

Measure the space where you intend to install your kitchen tray rack with a measuring tape. The space you choose should be deep enough to accommodate the entire length of your trays and tall enough to allow them to stand upright on their sides. Record the length, depth and height measurements to use as the dimensions for your tray rack.

Cut two pieces of 1-by-2-inch hardwood to the desired length of your tray rack, minus two inches, using a circular saw. These boards will become the front and back of your tray rack. Cut two more pieces of 1-by-2-inch hardwood using the depth measurement of your tray rack for the side pieces.

Lay the two shorter pieces of 1-by-2-inch hardwood, the side pieces, upright on their longest narrow edges. Position these boards so they are parallel to each other. Sandwich the longer 1-by-2-inch hardwood boards, the front and back pieces, perpendicularly between the ends of the shorter boards.

Move the longer pieces of 1-by-2-inch hardwood in toward each other, leaving the two side pieces in their original positions. Keep moving the longer pieces of hardwood until they are positioned approximately two inches from the ends of the side pieces. Drive nails from a nail gun through the side pieces into the front and back pieces to secure the frame.

Use the measuring tape to make pencil marks every three inches along the entire length of the front and back pieces of hardwood. You may begin measuring at one end of the frame or find the center and measure outward in either direction.

Use a drill press with a 1/2-inch drill bit to drill holes in the hardwood where you made the pencil marks. Drill the holes to a depth of approximately 1 1/2-inches; do not drill all the way through the wood.

Cut pieces of 1/2-inch round dowel to the desired height of your tray rack, minus one inch. Subtracting this inch from the height will allow enough space for you to install and remove the tray rack easily. Count the holes you drilled in both the front and back pieces on the frame to determine how many pieces of dowel to cut.

Apply a bead of wood glue to the end of each wooden dowel then insert it into one of the holes you drilled in the front and back of the hardwood frame. Push the dowels gently until they reach the bottom of the hole and twist them slightly to distribute the glue.

Slide your completed track rack into the desired position in your kitchen cabinet or pantry. Position the rack so the dowels are at the front and back of the cabinet. Store your baking trays upright on their sides between the dowels.