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I still can’t believe I pulled this DIY off! When I first started planning this project, I actually priced out custom-made unstained oak cabinet doors, and the quote came back at over $1,500 for the six doors I needed. I even reached out to the company to see if they’d be open to a collaboration, doors in exchange for content, but the best they could offer was 50% off. Totally understandable, but even then the cost was still high.
For less than $800, I realized I could buy the oak myself, build the doors, and learn a new woodworking skill in the process. Saving money + leveling up my DIY game? Yes, please! I knew it would be A LOT of work, but totally worth it!
But there was a catch! I didn’t buy my wood from Home Depot like I normally do. A pilot friend suggested checking out a lumber yard about an hour away from my house, and since it was right by the airport I fly out of for my flight attendant job, I decided to stop by after one of my trips just to ask about pricing.
The prices were insanely lower than Home Depot, like shockingly low! So I placed an order on the spot and came back with Tyler to pick it all up. I had no idea what to expect, but let me tell you… they handed us 12-foot-long oak boards to fit into my 5-foot truck bed.
Thank goodness Tyler was with me, because I would’ve had no clue what to do with lumber over twice the length of my truck bed! 😅 It was definitely an adventure, but totally worth it for the savings!
We definitely weren’t prepared for boards that long, so we had to make a quick detour to the closest Home Depot, all while hoping we wouldn’t get pulled over on the way, to grab one of those bright-colored safety flags. If you’ve never hauled oversized lumber before, a flag is required for anything sticking out more than 4ft past the truck bed (at least in Texas), and these boards were way past it. Luckily we made it!
This is how Tyler had everything tied down in the back, and honestly, we couldn’t have done it without our retractable ratchet straps. These things are amazing! They’re quick to use, super secure, and make hauling oversized lumber so much less stressful. They also don’t get tangled when they aren’t in use if you’re like me and just toss them in the back of your truck without winding them up.
Once we finally got the wood home, I got straight to work. A few of my doors needed to be wider than the 12-inch boards the lumber yard had available, so I cut down the pieces to size and glued them together to create wider panels.
I used Gorilla Wood Glue for the joints and then clamped everything tightly, adding weights on top to keep the boards perfectly flat while they dried. This step is so important if you want seamless, sturdy panels that look like a single solid piece once they’re sanded and finished. (This is what you use dumbbells for right? Asking for a friend).
This is how much 12in wood I have left… so yes, I might have bought a little too much oak. 😅 But honestly, I’ve been using oak for so many projects lately that I know it’ll come in handy. Consider it an investment in future DIYs!
My plan was to build my own router table so I wouldn’t have to buy one. In my head, it sounded simple enough, I already had the router, so why not just create a custom setup to get the job done? I grabbed a piece of ¾-inch sanded plywood I had on hand and figured it would be perfect for this little DIY side project. I started by drilling a hole in the middle with a hole saw big enough for the router bit to come through.
Then I removed the clear base plate (also called the sub-base plate) from my router. It’s the part that normally acts as the guiding platform when you’re routing on top of a surface. I swapped it out for a larger base plate so it would have more support and sit securely on the table, then attached the router to the underside of the plywood.
Tyler gave everything a quick inspection before I flipped the whole setup over to see how it would work.
He helped me get the router bit installed correctly, and we decided to give it a test run… but it didn’t go as planned. Because the plywood was so thick, the bit couldn’t sit far enough down into the router, and the moment we turned it on, it spun out like a dreidel! Funny, but definitely not the result we were hoping for!
So we tried drilling the hole larger, but the hole saw needed a center point to bite into, and since we were widening an already-existing hole, it just kept slipping around and wouldn’t grab the plywood.
Our next idea was to put the router bit back in place and use the router itself to slowly sink the bit down into the plywood, carving out just enough material so the bit could sit a little deeper.
That worked for a second… and then the router made a weird sound and suddenly shut off. At first I had no idea what happened, but when we checked, it turned out the somewhat-expensive router bit I bought from Amazon had actually bent. Of course it did. 😅
So, we got online and ordered another bit set, yes, an entire set, because of course the one that bent was part of a three-piece kit and couldn’t be purchased on its own. So we had to buy the whole thing all over again.
Then we got in our truck and headed to Home Depot to buy a router table. Of course, even though the website said they had one in stock… they didn’t. So we ended up driving a few cities over to the next closest Home Depot, and finally found one. I ended up leaving with an actual Ryobi router table, and a new Ryobi router to go with it.
Since I’m not exactly a “read the directions first” kind of person, I let Tyler handle the tool setup. He’s really good at that part, and once everything is assembled and adjusted the right way, he just tells me how to use it. It’s a system that works for us! (or at least me!)
Then we did a test run on a scrap piece of wood just to make sure everything was working the way it should. Let me tell you, raised panel cabinet doors are NOT easy to build. There’s a lot of figuring out, adjusting, and re-adjusting involved, and we went through a lot of scrap wood in the process. It was definitely a learning curve!
That part was actually so hard to figure out that I got overwhelmed and decided to take a break from the doors altogether. Instead, I shifted gears and worked on the laundry room drawer. I took the measurements I needed to add the drawer front to the face frame and focused on something my brain could handle in the moment. Sometimes you just need a quick win before diving back into the complicated stuff!
Before I could attach the new section of the face frame, I needed to add spacers inside the cabinet. These spacers push the drawer slides out far enough so they clear the face frame. I just screwed them into place, making sure the screw heads were high enough up to not interfere with the drawers slides.
Once the spacers were in, I installed the drawer slides. And let me just say… these soft-close drawer slides are amazing! I’ve used a lot of different slides over the years, and these are by far the best ones I’ve come across.
To install them, I used a spacer block to set the exact height I wanted from the bottom of the cabinet. I placed the spacer under both the front and back of each slide, which gave the slides something solid to rest on while I screwed them into place. This little trick makes the process so much easier and ensures the slides are perfectly level from left to right.
That was the hard part! Trying to squeeze into that tiny cabinet to screw everything in, and make sure everything was level was definitely a challenge. But once the slides were in, it was time for the easy part: building the drawer.
I’ve been using the same simple drawer-building method for years now, and it’s never failed me. It’s strong, quick, and beginner-friendly, but you HAVE to use wood glue! That’s what holds everything together long-term.
For the drawer box, I used ½-inch sanded plywood I had left over from a previous project. I always start by cutting the drawer bottom to size. The way I measure is simple:
- Measure the width from inside edge to inside edge of the drawer slides.
- Then subtract 1 inch to account for the two drawer sides (each one is 1/2in thick in most cases), since the bottom panel sits inside the sides.
Next, I determine the length. I take the length of the drawer slides and add an inch for a little wiggle room. Just make sure the drawer isn’t longer than the inside depth of your cabinet. For example, if the cabinet is 24 inches deep, I use 22-inch drawer slides and build the drawer about 23 inches long.
Then I cut the front and back pieces to the exact width of the drawer bottom. Doing it this way keeps the plywood edges hidden later on. The side pieces sit over the front and back pieces, and then the drawer front covers the exposed plywood edge of the sides, giving you a clean, professional-looking drawer with no visible plywood layers. If you want the top plywood edges covered you can add edge banding. I didn’t do that with this one but I can always go back and do that later.
I attach the front and back pieces using wood glue and brad nails, and this combo is surprisingly strong. I’ve built drawers a few different ways over the years, and this method is hands-down the easiest. Is it as strong as cutting a groove (a dado) for the bottom panel to slide into? Maybe not quite, but it’s honestly not far off, and it’s WAY easier and faster. For most household drawers, this method holds up perfectly.
If I’m building a larger drawer, I’ll use ¾-inch plywood for the bottom instead of ½-inch just to give it more support. And if you’re planning to store anything heavy inside the drawer, I’d probably go with the more traditional dado method for extra strength and long-term durability.
Once the front and back pieces are installed, I measure from the outside edge to outside edge of those two pieces to determine the exact length the side panels need to be. That ensures everything fits together perfectly with no gaps.
Also, I didn’t mention this earlier, but here’s how I determine the height of the drawer: I measure the total height of the cabinet’s drawer opening and subtract 1.5 inches. This gives me a ½-inch gap between the bottom of the drawer and the face frame, and a 1-inch gap at the top. Those clearances make sure the drawer slides smoothly without rubbing and sits perfectly centered inside the opening.
After everything is measured and cut, I attach the side pieces. I run a bead of wood glue along the edges and then shoot a few brad nails along the bottom of the drawer, spacing them about 5–6 inches apart. This keeps the bottom panel tight and secure. I also add one brad nail in each top corner where the side pieces meet the front and back. Those corner nails lock everything into place while the glue dries, giving the drawer its strength and stability.
You can add more brad nails if you want extra reinforcement, but just keep in mind that brad nails have a tendency to curve as they shoot in, which can cause them to poke through the drawer bottom if you’re not careful. The safest method is to position your brad nailer so that the gun runs up and down while the drawer bottom runs left to right. This way, if a nail does curve, it will curve sideways instead of straight through the plywood (the opposite way of how I’m doing it in the pictures below). It’s a simple trick that helps keep your drawer bottom clean and damage-free. Also, keep your hands far away from where you are shooting your brad nail in at.
Then it’s time to install the drawer slides onto the drawer. I start by measuring from the bottom of the face frame (the drawer opening) up to the center of the drawer slide that’s already installed inside the cabinet. Then I subtract 1/2 inch to create that ½-inch gap we talked about earlier between the bottom of the drawer and the bottom of the face frame.
So for example, if the measurement from the lower part of the drawer opening to the center of the slide is 2 inches, subtracting 1/2 inch gives you 1.5 inch. That number becomes your drawer-side measurement.
Next, I measure 1.5 inch up from the bottom of the drawer on both the left and right sides and make a mark. Then I use a straightedge to connect those marks, creating a perfect guideline for where the drawer slide needs to line up. In the photo below, you can see the guideline I drew, it runs right through the center of the mounting holes on the drawer slide. That’s exactly where the screws will go to keep the slide perfectly aligned. You’ll also notice that the front of the drawer slide lines up flush with the front of the drawer, which ensures the drawer sits correctly once it’s installed.
Once that was done, all that’s left is to slide the drawer right into place!
Once that drawer was done, I finally sat down and watched a YouTube video that explained how to use the router bits I bought. After going through a few more practice pieces, everything started to click. I understood how the doors fit together and how each cut needed to be made.
It’s pretty complicated, I’m not going to lie! But the YouTube video was SUPER helpful and made the whole process so much easier to grasp. Here’s now I cut the practice pieces and how they will fit together!
As you can see in the photos, I was so excited that I finally got this to work because it was honestly one of the most complicated projects I’ve tackled. I kept putting it off for a few weeks because I was totally overwhelmed, but once everything clicked, it felt amazing to finally see it come together!
Then the middle panel gets routed as well so it can slide perfectly into the grooves of the stile and rail. Once it’s cut correctly, it fits together just like this:
I actually had to grab a fourth router bit I already had to remove a little material from the back of the center panel. My wood was thicker than what cabinet doors typically use, I think, I’m not totally sure, but this extra pass made a huge difference. It allowed the middle panel to sit flush so it didn’t stick out past the stiles and rails on the front.
Then I had a few more center panels to glue together now that I knew this method would actually work, definitely better than settling for a flat panel on the inside. I really didn’t want to waste this beautiful oak if I couldn’t get the raised-panel look to work, so finally figuring it out felt like such a win.
I used my wood glue in my GlüBot and made sure the glue was evenly coated along the entire edge of both boards. Getting a consistent layer is important because it creates a strong, reliable hold once everything is clamped together.
Then I went in with my large wood clamps and added a couple of dumbbells on top to keep everything flat while it dried. It’s not fancy, but it works perfectly to keep the boards tight and prevent any bowing during the glue-up.
Once the glue was finally dry, I grabbed my orbital sander and smoothed everything down. And let me tell you… this part took FOREVER. Oak is no joke to sand, but getting that perfectly smooth surface is totally worth the arm workout. I started with 80-grit sandpaper to knock everything down and level out the seams, then moved to 120-grit to smooth it out even more, and finished with 220-grit for that super-smooth, ready-to-finish surface.
Then it was time to run everything through the router. I started with the ends of the rails, using a longer scrap board behind each piece to push it through. This keeps the router from grabbing onto the short, unstable end and sending it flying. Using a larger scrap as a backer makes the cut cleaner and keeps things much safer.
Tyler came outside and immediately wondered why there was so much sawdust everywhere. Turns out…I didn’t actually have the shop vac on like I thought I did! I had it plugged into the router table so it would automatically turn on when the router table did, but I forgot to hit the power button on the actual shop vac. So it was basically just sitting there pretending to help while sawdust went everywhere. 😅
But once I got that figured out, I went ahead and routed the long sides of the rails and the stiles. With the shop vac actually running this time, everything went much smoother and way less messy.
Once I ran the first stile through the router, I did a quick test fit to make sure everything lined up perfectly and sat flush. This step is so important because even being off by a tiny bit can throw off the whole door, so I always double-check the fit before moving on. I did end up having to adjust it just a little bit.
Then it was time to route all the larger center panels, and there were a lot of them! Each one needed the edges cut just right so they’d fit perfectly into the stiles and rails. That meant passing them along the front of the panels to get that curved raised-panel look, and then switching out the router bit to remove some material from the back so everything would sit flush once assembled.
But the router bit didn’t sit low enough in the router table for the cut I needed, so I made a simple spacer out of brown board for the oak panels to run across. This lifted the wood just enough to get the perfect depth.
Since these center panels are much wider than the stiles and rails, I used a push block to help guide them through the router. The grippy surface makes it so much easier to control the wood, and it keeps my hands safely away from the bit. The last thing I want is for my hand to slip while the router is running, absolutely not worth the risk.
For the extra-long pieces, Tyler helped by holding the far end while I pushed the panel through. It made the whole process so much smoother and safer.
At one point, while I was routing the back of one of the center panels to remove a little extra material, the router bit actually broke and flew right toward my face. It scared me half to death, but thankfully I was wearing my safety glasses! Definitely a reminder that safety gear is not optional. Tyler stepped in and got everything fixed and back up and running for me.
Speaking of safety, anytime you’re changing out a router bit or working close to the bit like this, make sure the router isn’t just turned off, it needs to be unplugged. It’s such a simple step, but it makes a huge difference in keeping your fingers safe while you’re adjusting or swapping out bits.
I did have to hand-sand the routed edges once they were all finished, especially the end grain. The router can leave those areas a little rough, so a quick touch-up makes a big difference. Here’s what it looks like before and after sanding. I used 120-grit very lightly to smooth everything out, then followed with 220-grit for a clean, finished edge.
There was a lot of routing and an unbelievable amount of sawdust involved, but I finally got all the pieces done! And here’s what they look like once they’re put together, I’m honestly so proud of myself. Seeing it all come together after such a complicated process feels amazing!
And here’s a funny little video Tyler and I did together, it was a trend going around, and we couldn’t resist joining in. It was the perfect little break in between all the routing and staining!
It’s finally time to stain! You might be wondering why I’m staining all the pieces before assembling the doors. The reason is simple: the center panel needs to be able to expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity, which means I won’t be gluing it to the stiles and rails. If I waited to stain everything until after assembly, the panel could eventually shrink, and that would expose raw, unstained edges inside the grooves.
Staining everything separately not only prevents that problem, but it also makes the whole process so much easier. No tight corners, no tricky grooves, just smooth surfaces that take stain beautifully.
I’m also staining the ends of the rails for the same reason. Those ends sit inside the grooves of the stiles, and if the wood ever shifts or shrinks even a little, you don’t want any raw, unstained wood peeking through. Pre-staining makes sure every visible edge looks clean and finished.
Once I had everything stained, I couldn’t wait another second, I had to put one door together right away just to see how it would all turn out! The anticipation was killing me, and I was so excited to finally see all the pieces come together.
I’m using wood glue only on the ends of the stiles and on the inside ends of the rails where those two pieces will join together. This is the only place you want glue. You do not want to add any glue where the center panel touches, because that panel needs to float freely so it can expand and contract over time without cracking the door.
Once everything was fitted into place, I made sure all the joints were perfectly aligned. Then I clamped the entire door together so nothing would shift while the glue dried. Clamping is such an important step, it keeps everything tight and square until the glue fully sets.
You can see in the photo below that I placed a small piece of wood between one of the clamps and the door. That seam wasn’t sitting completely flush, so I used the scrap wood to help press it perfectly into place while it dried, basically forcing the joint to line up exactly the way it should. Little tricks like this make a big difference in getting a clean, professional-looking door.
I’ve shared smaller clamp sets before, but it’s also really nice to have some larger, more heavy-duty clamps like these. They give you the extra pressure and reach you need for bigger projects like cabinet doors.
We went out to brunch the next day (hence the dress!), and the moment we got back I had to take the clamps off and see how the door looked. I couldn’t wait any longer, I needed to know if all that work paid off! Then I went ahead and got the rest put together.
Tyler was cracking up because the two larger doors are practically as big as I am! Seeing them next to me really put into perspective just how massive these doors are.
You might have noticed earlier that I didn’t stain the outside edges of the doors. That was intentional, I planned to route a decorative edge around the outside of each door. So yes… I had even more routing to do! But it was SO worth it!
You can really see the difference in the photo below, one edge left plain and the other routed with the decorative profile. It adds such a nice, finished touch to the doors!
But of course… I ran into another problem. The router bit must have been loose or something, because it slowly crept upward and made the decorative edge way too tall. You can see what I mean in the photos below. The right piece was supposed to be a drawer front so I just made a new one pretty simply. I’m glad it wasn’t the actual door that was that messed up.
Thankfully, I caught it before I finished all the doors, and luckily, once everything was installed, you can’t really tell at all. And of course, Tyler came to the rescue and figured out why my router table had loosened up in the first place.
Tyler got everything figured out and tightened up, so I was able to finish routing the rest of the doors without any issues. Then it was time to stain the freshly routed edges and drill the hardware holes for the cabinet hinges to sit inside. And of course, I went with soft-close hinges, once you use them, there’s no going back!
I used my Kreg Jig to drill the hinge cup holes, and a little mini leaf blower to clear away the big wood shavings as I went. It makes the whole process so much cleaner and easier, especially when you’re drilling multiple doors in a row.
Then you just screw in the hinges, making sure they’re perfectly straight so the doors open and close smoothly. It’s a simple step, but taking your time here makes a huge difference in how the doors hang.
Then came the most exciting part, installing the first door!!! After all that cutting, routing, sanding, staining, clamping and waiting, finally seeing one go up was the best feeling!
And then it was time for a drawer test to make sure the Tineco drawer could slide all the way out without hitting the door or getting blocked. I wanted to be absolutely sure everything cleared perfectly before calling it done!
But we still had the rest of the doors to drill hinge holes into. So while I stained all the freshly routed edges, Tyler drilled the hinge holes and installed the hardware. We made a pretty good assembly line out of it!
Then it was time for more teamwork! Tyler helped me hang the rest of the doors because they were way too high for me to reach, I’m really short, so having an extra set of taller hands definitely came in handy! Plus oak is a pretty heavy wood because it’s so dense.
Here’s a little sneak peek! As you can tell, I was super excited that this part was finally done. Seeing the doors actually hanging made all the hard work feel so worth it!
Next up, a few more small details and the REVEAL!!!
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