How to Build a Storage Rack for Dinner Plates

Cut 14 wood dowels with a handsaw to 12 inches, and cut 14 more to 7 inches. Sand the cut edges to smooth.

Cut three 1x1s to 18 inches with a handsaw and sand the edges.

Draw a straight line with a pencil and straight edge lengthwise down the center of one side of each 1x1 (the line should extend down the entire 18 inches of the board). Choose one of the 1x1s and draw a second line on the side to the right of the line already drawn.

Draw an X on each line every 1 ¼ inches; there should be 14 Xs. Put a 3/8-inch drill bit into a drill press or hand drill and drill a hole at every X.

Apply wood glue to the tops of the 12-inch dowels and insert them into one of the 1x1s with holes drilled on one side. Apply wood glue to the bottom of these dowels and insert them into the 1x1 that has holes drilled on two sides. The side with open holes will hold the extended shelf.

Put wood glue on one edge of the 7-inch dowels and insert them into the second set of holes on the 1x1 from Step 5. Add wood glue to the exposed ends of the dowels and cap them with the last 1x1. This should look like an L shape.

Cut three 1x4s with a saw to 18 inches. These make a frame around the shelf and hold the shelf 5 inches above the ground.

Glue and center the top 1x1 of the L-shaped shelf to one 18-inch 1x4. Secure the wood together with finishing nails spaced every 2 inches.

Attach the remaining 18-inch 1x4s to the side of the L-shaped shelf with wood glue and nails at every point where the wood mates. Note that the side with the 8-inch dowels should be protruding and does not have a border around it.