Easy Pull-Out Drawers for Kitchen Cabinets

Want to add more function and organization to your kitchen cabinets? These DIY pull-out drawers are the perfect solution. Since they pull out, you can easily access the stuff in the back of your cabinets without having to move everything that’s in front. 

Alright, let’s start DIYing! 

Recommended Tools: 

• Circular saw
• Drill 
• Kreg Jig 
• Brad Nailer

New to DIY? Check out our post on beginner woodworking tools to determine which tools to get!

What You’ll Need:

• ½” plywood (we used maple and were able to get 2 drawers out of a single 4×8 sheet in addition to the wood for our DIY cookie sheet organizer and DIY pots and pans organizer)
• 22” nylon drawer slides (length may differ based on depth of your cabinets)
• Rear-mount drawer slide sockets
• 1” Kreg screws 
• 1” nails 
• Wood glue
• Polycrylic (we used the semi-gloss sheen) 

How to Make a Pull-Out Drawer For Kitchen Cabinets

STEP 1: MEASURE YOUR CABINET 

You want to make your total drawer box width 1” smaller than your cabinet opening to account for your drawer slides. If you have a face frame, measure the distance available between the face frame and subtract 1”. This will be the final width of your drawer box to account for the drawer slides that you will plug into step 2.

If you have partial overlay doors, measure between the doors as well to confirm that your drawer box will actually be able to slide between the doors when open.

STEP 2: MAKE YOUR CUTS 

To determine your cut list, use the following formulas. W = final desired width (see step 1 to ensure you have the correct width) and D = final desired depth. “X” in this case means by, not multiply. 

Front/Back: W x 2.5

Sides: D – 1” x 2.5

Bottom: W x D-1”

STEP 3: ADD POCKET HOLES

Using the ½” settings, drill pocket holes around the bottom of the drawer bottom. They should be spaced 1.5-2” from the ends and then spaced every 6-8”. 

Pocket holes are the foundation of most DIY furniture. Become a pocket hole pro in less than an hour in Pocket Holes: Explained.

STEP 4: ASSEMBLE THE BOX 

Using glue and 1” Kreg screws, secure the sides to the bottom. The bottom and sides should be flush. 

Then secure the front and back pieces to the bottom, lining up with ends with the sides. 

Finally, add (2) nails through the front and back pieces into the sides.

STEP 5: PROTECT 

Sand everything with 220 grit sandpaper and then apply 3 coats of Polycrylic. I recommend the semi-gloss sheen so that it’s really easy to wipe down if needed. Sand with 220-grit sandpaper between coats for an extra smooth finish. 

STEP 6: INSTALL THE DRAWER

If you have cabinets with face frames like we did, I’d recommend mounting the drawer slides using the rear mounting brackets. They are easy to install and don’t require any additional scrap wood to install. 

We just followed the instructions provided with the drawer slides to attach them to the cabinet and drawer box. 

There you have it! Now you know how to make your very own pull-out drawers for kitchen cabinets. It really helps with organization and making your storage more functional! 

The question is…how many are you going to build now that you’ve seen how easy they are?

If you’re interested in more kitchen organization posts, be sure to check out the following:

• DIY Ziploc Organizer 
• DIY Spice Rack Drawer Organizer 
• DIY Adjustable Drawer Dividers 
• DIY Pots and Pans Organizer
• DIY Cookie Sheet Organizer
• DIY Hanging Measuring Cups