How to Build a Front-Loading Food Shelf

Preparing for Construction

• 1

  Use a tape measure to find the interior depth and width of the cabinet or wardrobe where you're installing the front-loading shelf. Add 1/2 inch to each dimension to ensure the drawer will fit inside the cabinet or wardrobe and accommodate drawer glides.

• 2

  Note the modified dimensions using pencil and paper. Acquire a pre-made drawer that matches those dimensions to fit inside the cabinet or wardrobe. The sides of the drawer should be no more than 3 inches tall to allow for ease of access to the items stored on the shelf.

• 3

  Measure the length of the drawer using a tape measure. Subtract 2 inches from the length and note the measurement. Acquire two sets of full extension drawer glides that match your measurement. The drawer glides come with mounting hardware for attaching them to both the sides of the drawer and the interior of the cabinet or wardrobe.

Building the Shelf

• 4

  Separate the drawer and cabinet side pieces of the drawer glides by sliding them apart. Pull the drawer side pieces forward as far as they'll go. Lift up on them and pull the rollers on the end free of the cabinet side piece.

• 5

  Hold one of the cabinet glide pieces firmly against the interior side of the cabinet at the level where you want the shelf to sit. Use a cordless drill to insert one of the screws that came with the drawer guides through the screw holes at each end of the glide piece and into the cabinet. Make the screws flush with the glide piece.

• 6

  Measure up from the bottom of the cabinet, or another marker, to the bottom of the glide using a tape measure and note the measurement. Measure up the other side of the cabinet by that same distance to determine the appropriate position for the opposite side of the shelf. Make a mark with a pencil on cabinet to denote the measurement. Place the other cabinet side glide against the cabinet, and insert the screws that came with the drawer glide to hold it in place using the cordless drill.

• 7

  Align one of the drawer pieces of the glide on the side of the drawer so it's flush with the bottom. Use the cordless drill to insert the screws that came with the drawer glide through the screw holes and into the drawer. Repeat the process for the remaining glide piece on the other side of the drawer.

• 8

  Measure the interior width and length of the drawer bottom, using the tape measure. Unroll a package of non-slip shelf liner and transfer those measurements onto the back side using a pencil. Use scissors to cut the liner to fit inside the drawer.

• 9

  Hold the drawer and align the drawer side glides with the openings on the cabinet mounted glide pieces. Slide the glide pieces together to hang the drawer. Place a level on the top of the drawer and check that it's level.

• 10

  Pull the shelf all the way forward on the drawer glides. Load your extra food products onto the shelf, pushing them from the front side to the back as you do. Push the drawer all the way into the cabinet on the glides when you're finished loading it.