How To Build Dividers for Your Kitchen Cabinets

Matt BoleyMatt BoleyUpdated: Mar. 01, 2023

Adjustable slots organize cookware for space-efficient storage.

cabinet dividers
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Time

A few hours

Complexity

Beginner

Cost

$20-50

Introduction

Tired of your kitchen cabinets being an unorganized mess? This organization system can fix that.

Tools Required

  • Basic hand tools
  • Brad nail gun (or hammer and nails)
  • Circular saw
  • Drill

Materials Required

  • 1/4” x 4’ x 8’ AC or better plywood
  • 3/4” x 1-1/2” x 4’ pine
  • 3/4” x 3/4” x 4’ pine
  • 3/8” x 1-1/2” x 8’ mull strip

Cookie sheets, cutting boards, cooling racks, serving trays, pizza peels…Most of us have a disorderly pile of large, flat cookware—and the thing we need is always at the bottom of the stack. This simple system of dividers brings order to the chaos. It requires minimal woodworking skills and goes together fast, which will allow you to spend more time cooking and less time searching and sorting.

Cutting List

vertical kitchen cabinet shelves cutting list

Figure A

cabinet dividers

Project step-by-step (7)

Step 1

Measure Inside Your Cabinet

  • Measure the width and depth inside the cabinet.
  • Subtract 1/8-in. from those measurements and cut the top and bottom panels to that size.

cabinet dividers

Step 2

Tack the Slats To the Panels

  • Fasten the slats with glue and 1/2-in. brads.
  • Space the slats with a scrap of 1/4-in. plywood and a credit card.

cabinet dividers

Step 3

Assemble the Top Frame

  • Build a frame the exact dimensions of the top/bottom panels. This frame provides a mounting surface for the top panel.

cabinet dividers

Step 4

Install the Top Frame

  • Screw the frame to the cabinet, making the bottom edge flush with the top of the cabinet opening.
  • Keep the frame propped up with a couple of braces cut from scrap wood while you work.

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Step 5

Install the Top and Bottom Panels

  • Secure the panels to the cabinet bottom and to the upper frame using nails or screws.

cabinet dividers

Step 6

Measure, Cut and Install the Divider Panels

  • Cut one panel to size, then test-fit it in several of the openings.
  • Use that panel as a template for making the remaining divider panels.

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Step 7

Put In the Panels

  • Once you’ve got them all cut out, slide the dividing panels into place. You can space them out as needed depending on how much room you need for properly storing cookie sheets, muffin tins or casserole dishes.

cabinet dividers

Originally Published: December 18, 2018