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Looking for easy and affordable ways to organize your kitchen? Look no further than Brad Rodriguez from Fix This Build That. In his latest video, Brad shares three DIY projects that use basic tools and cost $10 or less in lumber.
The first project involves creating a lid storage solution for pots and pans. Using quarter-inch strips of poplar from Home Depot, Brad creates a simple rack with spacers to hold the lids. He uses a miter box and saw to make the cuts and attaches the rack to the cabinet door with screws. The result is a tidy and functional solution for storing lids that always seem to be a pain to organize.
Overview of Projects and Tools
In the video, Brad Rodriguez demonstrates three DIY kitchen organization projects using a basic tool set and less than $10 worth of lumber for each project. The first project involves creating pot lid racks using quarter-inch strips of poplar and a miter box and saw. The second project involves creating a custom silverware drawer organizer using half-inch thick poplar and joinery techniques. The third project involves creating a magnetic knife holder using a piece of wood and magnets.
The tools used in these projects include a miter box and saw, a drill with a countersink bit, clamps, sanding blocks, and wood glue. Brad also recommends using water-based polyurethane to finish the projects. These tools are versatile and can be used for a variety of projects around the house or in woodworking projects. Brad provides links to these or similar items in the video description.
Overall, these DIY kitchen organization projects are a great way to tame and organize a cluttered kitchen using basic tools and affordable materials.
Project 1: Cabinet Door Lid Storage
Measuring Cabinet and Door
In this project, the goal is to create a storage solution for pot lids that often create clutter in kitchen cabinets. The first step is to measure the width of the cabinet opening and the distance between the sides of the doors. This will help determine the size of the lid racks that need to be made.
Materials and Cutting Strips
The lid racks are made from quarter-inch strips of poplar that can be purchased from a local home improvement store. Each strip is an inch and a half wide and three feet long. Three of these strips cost under $5. The strips are cut using a miter box and saw, which can be purchased for around $14. A stop block can be used to speed up the cutting process.
Sanding and Assembling Racks
After cutting the strips, the next step is to sand and assemble the racks. The main part of the rack is made half an inch shorter than the cabinet opening to leave a quarter inch on both sides for clearance as the door closes. The racks are assembled using a combination of yellow wood glue and CA glue. The CA glue provides a quick hold while the yellow glue gives it strength when it dries. The racks are then sanded to smooth out any rough edges.
Drilling and Mounting
To mount the racks, a countersink bit is used to make a pilot hole with a drill bit and then the cutters at the base of it make a recessed countersink hole. This allows the screws to sit flush or below the surface when installed. The racks are mounted to the cabinet door with screws. One and a quarter inch screws are used, but it’s important to ensure that the screw won’t blow through the front of the door.
Applying Finish and Final Assembly
To finish up the project, a couple of coats of water-based polyurethane are applied, sanding between coats with a higher grit sandpaper. The racks are then attached to the cabinet door with screws. The top rack holds small lids and is moved up just enough where the smallest lid wouldn’t catch on the upper rail. The other cabinet door uses one rail in the center to hold the largest lid.
Project 2: Custom Silverware Drawer Organizer
Planning and Layout
In this project, the goal is to create a custom silverware drawer organizer using basic tools and materials. The first step is to remove the existing plastic divider from the silverware drawer and plan out the new layout. The creator used crafting tape to mark out where the dividers should be based on where they want the silverware to go. They then used 1/2 inch thick poplar wood to create the dividers.
Cutting and Assembling Dividers
The creator used three 2.5 inch wide, 3-foot long poplar boards to create the dividers. They began by cutting the openings for the forks and spoons, which consist of a top piece and two dividers of the same length. The creator cut the similar pieces together to speed up the process. They then joined the pieces together using screws and a countersink bit. To prevent the divider from twisting during assembly, they partially drove in the first screw before putting in the second one and tightening the first one.
Joinery and Securing Pieces
The next step was to create the longer utensil bay, which is a basic T-shape. The creator used a 2×4 clamp to hold the board steady while drilling and securing the pieces together. They also used countersink bits to create holes for screws that would be visible when in use, and then plugged those holes with flat bottom plugs.
Finishing Touches and Installation
The final step was to create a back piece that spans the drawer and separates the large opening in the back. The creator secured this piece with screws in the same way as before. They also created a long back piece that cuts off the back three inches of the drawer to prevent items from getting lost. To finish the project, the creator applied a couple of coats of water-based polyurethane, sanding between coats with a higher grit sandpaper. The custom silverware drawer organizer was then installed into the drawer.
Project 3: Large Lid Door Rail
In this project, Brad Rodriguez from Fix This Build That shows how to create a door storage solution for pot lids. The lid racks are made from quarter-inch strips of poplar that cost under $5. The crucial measurements to get are the width of the cabinet opening and the distance between the sides of the doors. The racks are extremely simple to make with one long piece that runs the width of the door and a series of spacers to make room for the lids.
To start the project, Brad cuts six one-inch spacers for the first rack and sets up a stop block using a cam clamp and a little scrap of wood to speed up the process. He then glues the three spacers together using a combination of yellow wood glue and CA glue, which gives a good quick hold. After gluing the pieces together, he smooths the whole spacer glue up flat on all sides with a sanding block.
Next, he attaches the spacer to the long piece using the same method and clamps it down for a few minutes for good measure. He repeats the same process with two more racks and makes sure all the edges are smooth before moving on.
To drill the mounting holes, Brad uses a countersink bit that makes a pilot hole with a drill bit and then the cutters at the base of it make a recessed countersink hole. This lets the screw sit flush or below the surface when installed. To finish up the project, he applies a couple of coats of water-based polyurethane and sands between coats with a higher grit sandpaper.
The racks are mounted to the cabinet door with screws, and Brad uses one and a quarter inch screws. He positions the top rack to hold small lids and moves it up just enough where the smallest lid wouldn’t catch on the upper rail. On the other cabinet door, he just uses one rail in the center to hold the largest lid.
[Video] 3 Most Common Mistakes
When Setting Up Shop
A woodworking friend of mine shared this video by Ralph Chapman with me that helped him set up his workshop.
The video explains the benefits of Ralph Chapman’s guide about setting up an affordable workshop and avoiding the most common mistakes offers to anyone interested in woodworking.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, Brad Rodriguez from Fix This Build That has demonstrated three easy DIY kitchen organization projects that can be completed with a basic tool set and for $10 or less worth of lumber. These projects are perfect for organizing and taming your kitchen.
For the first project, Brad created a lid rack for storing pot lids. The crucial measurements to get are the width of the cabinet opening and the distance between the sides of the doors. The lid racks are made from quarter-inch strips of poplar and are extremely simple to make with one long piece that runs the width of the door and a series of spacers to make room for the lids.
For the second project, Brad created a silverware drawer organizer. He used 1/2 inch thick poplar for this project and used three of the two and a half inch wide, three-foot long boards, which cost just over $11. Brad used a top piece and two dividers that are the same length to create openings for forks and spoons. He also created a longer utensil bay, which is a basic tee shape.
The final piece of the organizer was to separate the large opening in the back. Brad measured for that opening and cut a piece to fit, securing it with screws the same way as before. He also made a long back piece that spans the drawer and cuts off the back three inches or so to prevent things from getting lost.
If you’re interested in more DIY projects or have any questions, feel free to leave a comment down below and don’t forget to subscribe to Brad’s channel for more content.