Making Drawers for Cabinets

Measure the drawer opening of the cabinet using a tape measure. Measure the width, height and depth of the opening.

Purchase a drawer slide that is the same dimension as the depth of the cabinet from your local home improvement store. A simple European 3/4 extension drawer slide is the most common and is often white in color.

Subtract 1 inch from the height and width of the opening. This will be the size of the drawer box.

Measure the thickness of the drawer material with a tape measure. The most common thickness for drawer boxes is 1/2 inch thick. Subtract this thickness twice from the overall drawer box width to calculate the sizes of the front and back pieces of the drawer box. The sides of the drawer box will be the same length as the drawer slide.

Cut each piece for the drawer box using a circular saw.

Place a small amount of wood glue on the ends of the front and back section of the drawer box. Butt joint the front and end into the sides of the drawer box and secure them together using a hammer and nails. Place the nails about 2 inches apart to avoid cracking of the wood. Place the opposite side onto the ends and secure it in the same manner.

Measure the drawer box with a tape measure to calculate the drawer box bottom.

Cut out a piece for the bottom of the drawer box using a circular saw and fasten it to the bottom of the drawer box using a hammer and nails. Once again, place the nails about 2 inches apart.

Spray the drawer box with lacquer using a spray can.

Install the drawer slide using a power drill and the screws provided. Refer to the instruction manual that came with the drawer slide for proper installation, as many are different.

Slide the drawer box into the cabinet opening.