Make the most of your drawers
When we built our home twelve years ago, wood tiered drawer dividers weren’t exactly in the budget.
But one day while strolling around big blue, I happened to come across these:
What could be better than that…except for maybe custom wood tiered drawer dividers! The more I studied them, the more I realized I could make some myself, and probably for a lot less. It’s basically just a second drawer living inside the first, with its own set of drawer slides. So I bought lots of wood and two sets of heavy duty side-mount full extension drawer slides.
I started by removing the drawer from the cabinet and cutting off the top half only of the back side.
Next, I mounted one set of the new slides along the inside top edge of both sides of the bottom drawer, as in the picture above. I built a drawer box for the top (inside) drawer next, using both wood glue and nails to hold everything together. I laid my utensils down inside it and moved them around until I had an arrangement I was happy with. Then I started cutting more wood pieces, gluing and nailing them together until I had finished sectioning off every bit of available space in that drawer. I repeated this part in the bottom drawer.
Next, I installed the second half of the new drawer slides onto the outside of the top drawer and slid the top drawer into the drawer slides, so it was nested inside the bottom drawer. Almost done!
The last step was to replace the old set of drawer slides with the second set of heavy duty slides that I bought, to make sure it could handle the weight of not one, but two drawers. Here’s what it looks like now:
I was so happy with the way it turned out that I also did my spice drawer.
My bathroom drawer isn’t quite deep enough to have a second inside drawer, but as large as it is, it still needed some organization, so it wasn’t long before I made a custom divider for it too.
And then I did our “junk” drawer, which probably WAS deep enough to have a second drawer.
So there you have it! See how easy it is to customize your drawers with just a few basic tools and supplies? Are you ready to tackle a drawer or two in your house? Let me know what you think!
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Wow, I need to customize my drawers. It’s amazing how much you got in to them. Especially like the spice drawers, so nice to be able to see everything so easily! Thanks for sharing your creative inspiration with Sunday’s Best – you helped make the party a success!
I am totally in LOVE with these drawer dividers! what wood did you use to make them? and how deepis your utensil drawer without the dividers? thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Misty, and thanks! The wood I usually use for the dividers and the sides of the drawer boxes is poplar, and is a scant 1/2″ x 2″ (which is to say it actually measures about 3/8″ x 1 1/2″), and is available in various lengths for between $2-$4 a piece. For the bottom of the drawer, I purchased a piece of 1/4″ thick plywood, probably a 2′x2′ and then cut it down to size. The drawers I put the tiered dividers in measure just a smidge over 3 3/4″ deep on the inside. The drawer slides I use measure just over 1 3/4″ tall, so that leaves about 2″ for the bottom drawer. The top drawer is only about 1 1/2 deep (inside measurement) but depending on how wide your drawer is, that may be plenty of space, as it is for mine.
please, please, please add a subscribe by email option to your blog so i won’t miss any of you posts!
Thanks so much for asking! I just did. :)
I’m so glad that I found you on Overflowing with Creativity! What a clever idea. I’m definitely going to have to do this. Thanks for posting:)
Katie
http://www.funhomethings.com
Wow, what a great idea! I love you dividers! Thanks for sharing this amazing organization idea!
Awesome! What a great idea – I love how organized everything is! Thanks so much for sharing! ;) Pinning this!
I can’t lie, That’s pretty freak’in fabulous!!!!
Great job!
Ashli
OH, my goodness! This idea is fantastic. Last week, I tried switching my spices to a drawer, but there were just too many. I have a feeling they may just find a new location some day soon!
I like this idea so much that I be pinned it and shared the pin on Facebook at OneCreativeMommydotcom. Feel free to stop by OneCreativeMommy.com and grab a featured button.
Thanks for sharing this idea at One Creative Weekend!
Wow, wow, wow. You are so organized. I am seriously impressed. Job well done with those DIY’d organizers. Thanks for sharing, liz
Your are so organized! I can’t get over how nice your drawers look. Thanks for the great tips. Thanks for sharing the link to the drawers.
I have a very deep utensil drawer that has some major wasted space in it. I think I finally found a way to cure that! Thank you, thank you for this wonderful idea! Pinning!!
Oh my goodness, you just keep adding to my to-do list! My silverware drawer is a complete mess and it drives me crazy. This is awesome!
WOW!!! Brilliant idea.