Build Your Own Storage Cabinet

Build Your Own Storage Cabinet – These DIY storage shelves are easy to make with 2×4 lumber and plywood! Download free woodworking plans and build your own today.

Our backyard shed has become a dumping ground! It’s full of random stuff, I couldn’t get our bikes out without rearranging the mess. I’ve had this simple 2×4 shelving unit on my to-do list forever, and now I regret not making it years ago!

Build Your Own Storage Cabinet

These easy DIY storage shelves require minimal cutting and cost less than $75 for all materials. If you’re looking for a smaller size or corner configuration, check out my tutorial and plans for these DIY garage shelves instead!

Ways To Diy Your Own Built In Shelves

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Before I could begin construction, I needed to dig up the mess and tidy it up. Apparently, my previous system of throwing everything into the corner wasn’t working…

Camping gear was mixed in with ski boots. Grass seed and cement sat side by side. Beach bags were filled with sand toys. I started grouping like things in these big totes I picked up from Home Depot.

I managed to remove enough material to add this DIY bike rack to the wall opposite the door. Now you can reach my new storage shelves without having to weave through the maze of handlebars and pedals! You can find more DIY bike rack ideas here!

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The back wall of the shed was exposed as the rubbish was removed. It is 9 feet long and 8 feet high, which are easy dimensions to work with.

I used full length 2×4 studs and two 4′ x 8′ sheets of cheap oriented strand board (OSB) that I cut at the store. You can also use plywood if you don’t like the look of OSB. I managed to get it all home in my car without scolding myself in the driver’s seat!

Of course, after hauling all this lumber into the house, I realized that the studs I bought were less than 8 feet long. Hey! It looks a little blurry because the frame is smaller than the top. But storage shelves don’t have to look pretty!

There are two ways to build these shelving units: build the shelves and then attach them to the uprights, or fasten the frame to the uprights. I started with the former, then switched to the latter when I realized the shelves were too heavy to install myself! I will show both methods so you can choose which one is best for you.

Build Your Own

Start by cutting nine 21″ long 2×4 boards. I like to use a Craig Stop Track to make multiple cuts like this. (You can read more about my miter saw stand setup.)

Attach the three 21″ pieces to the front of the 8 foot long 2×4 using 3″ screws. You can also drill pocket holes in shorter pieces and attach them with 2 ½” pocket hole screws. Attach an 8 foot long 2×4 to the other end to form a frame.

Place a 24″ wide sheet of OSB on top of the frame, and screw it into place from the top with 3″ screws. Repeat this process for the remaining shelves.

Decide how high you want the bottom shelf to be and mark that height on the remaining three studs. Set your first shelf on its side and line it up with the marks on the legs. Verify that the studs are square, then attach them to the frame with 3″ screws.

Garage Storage Cabinets

Repeat for the other two legs. Now flip the whole thing over and attach the other three legs in the same way. Raise it up, and you have the first shelf complete!

Continue building full shelves, then attach them to the uprights. Use the clamps to hold them in place at the correct height, and don’t forget to check they are level!

Building methods changed after the first shelf went in. There was no way I could lift an entire shelf and screw it in myself, and I was too impatient to wait for my husband to get home to give me a hand. Luckily, the second method was just as easy!

Mark the vertical support 21″ above the first shelf, and clamp one of the long 2x4s in place. I used short frame pieces to hold the board at the correct height while I clamped it in place. Attach with 3″ screws, then repeat for the other side. do

Kids Closet With Toy Storage

Then, clamp the short pieces and screw them in place. I couldn’t get to the back of the shelving unit, so I used pocket holes for this. Move them a few inches away from the vertical support so you don’t hit one of the other screws.

Slide the next sheet of OSB over the top of the frame and screw it around the perimeter with 3″ screws.

These shelves provide a lot of storage in a small footprint. I can easily fit 16 large plastic totes in this space!

My new bins fit together perfectly, with enough room to slide them in and out easily. Don’t forget to label them so you know what’s inside. I can’t live without my label maker!

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Lightweight, bulky items are mounted on the wall with large wall hooks (I got mine from Harbor Freight, but I found similar ones here). An extra sheet of OSB will come in handy when I need to create a temporary work surface outside. It also helps protect the wall from bike tire marks!

All landscaping power tools like leaf blowers and string trimmers are stored on this handy garden tool storage rack. You can even use leftover scraps from a storage shelf to make these!

My old miter saw and stand near the door to the new house to make it easier to get into the yard. I can’t wait to work outside on sunny days!

Just wondering what is the weight capacity for these shelves? I need to make a shelf that holds something like 150 or 200 pounds. I need to know that I don’t have to worry about the weight falling off or breaking because the objects will be glass terrariums that house living creatures. The dimensions I’m looking at are 80 1/2 by 22 1/2 inches (I’ll probably round up for ease of measurement but the wall they’re going on is 7 1/2 feet long). .. would the same design but down size hold that kind of weight?

Diy Storage Console {with Cabinets, Shelves, And Cubbies!}

Good question! A house is usually built out of 2×4’s like these shelves, with boards spaced 16″ apart. Your dimensions are very close to that, and weigh significantly less than the house! I would add more 2×4’s under the shelves and use 3/4″ plywood. Will replace OSB for extra strength. But it should be about 150 to 200 pounds!

This is exactly what I want for my garage. Just bookmark it and get content. Great guide!

I picture these shelves full of canned goodies from my garden. I am pinning this post. Thanks for sharing your post on sunday best.

I can think of so many places I could use those shelves! Thanks for joining the Dishing It & Digging It Link Party. Hope you made some new friends and had fun! Have a great weekend!Hey guys! Today I’m sharing a DIY farmhouse X storage cabinet that I designed and built to go in my bedroom. I made this before my baby entered the world to keep my printers and some of the stuff I use that I don’t keep in her room. I have designed it a bit on the higher side. My husband insisted on hanging our TV in our room higher than I wanted, and I thought a higher piece helped balance the look on the wall… a girl can dream, right? 😉  Here’s how it turned out!

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My first step was to rip out the hardwood plywood at Home Depot. We always rip them into long boards, and we make small cross cuts at home with a miter saw. I used Purebond plywood for this project.

First, add 3/4” pocket holes to each end of the three vertical cabinet boards. Attach these boards to the base piece using 1.25” pocket hole screws and wood glue. Make sure the 2 outer boards are flush with the ends of the bottom board.

Next, attach the top project panel. Attach it to the ends and top of each vertical board with wood glue and 1.25” pocket hole screws. When I first built the cabinet, I waited until the next step to attach the top and had trouble getting to all the pocket holes. I adjusted that step in the plans which is why some of the photos don’t show the top attached.

Now add the shelves. Each one will have 3/4” pocket holes on each end

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