Do you dislike the design of modern wardrobes and are custom-made furniture expensive? Why not build the right option for your own home to make it special?
And where to start and what you need for this, we will tell you in our article. Let's talk about how to make a wardrobe with your own hands, what models are available and what material to choose for its manufacture. Consider the main stages of creating a project, including a drawing and selection of accessories. Here are step-by-step instructions for assembling a wooden cabinet for shoes, hats, scarves and other little things. We will provide the presented material with visual photos and videos.
The content of the article:
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The subtleties of cabinet design
- Cabinet dimensions and functions
- Choosing the right model
- Cabinet material
- Selection of fittings and creation of a drawing
- Shoe Cabinet Assembly Instructions
- Conclusions and useful video on the topic
The subtleties of cabinet design
Before proceeding directly to the creation of the cabinet, it is important to determine for yourself what purpose it will serve, what functions it will perform and what kind of appearance it should have. This stage is called
designing and plays a key role in the manufacturing process.Cabinet dimensions and functions
Cabinet design helps define the function and appearance of the furniture. It greatly facilitates the process of selecting the required materials. A well-designed wardrobe will serve you with maximum benefit for many years.
The first step is to decide in which room the closet will be located. This can be a hallway, bedroom or living room. Materials and components depend on the room. In addition, it is necessary to determine its approximate location.
Now you can calculate the width, depth and height of the cabinet. At this stage, the number of shelves, rods, hooks and other important components is also calculated.
Then you have to choose a color and furniture design that suits the interior. And also determine what will be stored in this cabinet. If you clearly understand the contents of the cabinet, then you can accurately determine the desired width. This will help to save room space.
It is very important to distinguish between "dry" and "raw" things. Umbrellas and outerwear are referred to as "raw" items. It is recommended to store them at the edge of the shelves so that their dampness does not transfer to other things. All the rest are "dry" things.
Choosing the right model
Using the same materials, you can build various cabinet models that will differ in appearance and purpose:
- For books. These cabinets are open and closed. Closed ones protect books from external influences, while open ones fit beautifully into the interior. The shelves are often attached to the corners. In order for all magazines and books to fit on the shelves, there are standard cabinet parameters: the height should reach 2 meters, the width - 0.8 meters, and the depth - 0.4 meters.
- For shoes. Furniture for storing shoes also varies by type. It is possible to build a shoe cabinet as part of a wardrobe or as a separate chest of drawers. In the second case, gloves, keys and hats can be stored here. The shelves are traditionally wooden, but they can also be metal - they are attractive in appearance and perform several functions. To roughly determine the depth of your closet, measure a box from one of the largest pairs of shoes in your home.
- For clothes. This model requires more components - hooks, shelves, a hanger bar. In addition, the furniture for clothes is equipped with a mirror and a separate shelf for underwear. Such a cabinet is installed along the wall.
One of the options for making a wardrobe is a metal frame + plasterboard sheathing. First, a frame is built from metal or wooden profiles. It is securely fixed. After that, the frame is sheathed drywall. The last step is sanding, plastering and installing doors with shelves.
The cabinet model is selected depending on its location and purpose. Each model has its own specific internal and external features
By the type of construction, the cabinet is standing separately and built-in. Furniture that is located under the stairs or in a niche is gaining particular popularity. This design is quite compact and harmonious. In addition, it saves the space of the room, making it more spacious.
By the way the doors are opened, they are distinguished swing and closet. Small wardrobes are especially popular. There are many variations of such furniture. It is used to store dishes, clothes, personal items and any other items. The design of such furniture can consist of drawers, bedside tables and shelves.
Cabinet material
There are various materials that can be used to build a cabinet:
- plywood;
- shields and plates;
- cardboard;
- solid boards.
Plywood is a durable eco-friendly material. Its smooth surface does not need any additional processing. You can purchase solid, varnished and already processed plywood, which will greatly save time on cabinet assembly.
Shields and plates - this includes MDF, Chipboard and Chipboard. Often MDF is a fibreboard made from fine shavings. Such plates are fastened quite firmly. Moreover, they are resistant to any changes in humidity and temperature.
Chipboard is a chipboard that is obtained by gluing and pressing shavings and sawdust. Such slabs do not withstand exposure to water. However, you can get a fairly flat surface from them.
Particleboard is best used when assembling wardrobes or books. They have a lower price than MDF and Chipboard. The latter stands for laminated particle boards. They are popularly known as laminate. It comes in a variety of colors and is extremely resistant to any moisture.
Cardboard. Making furniture from this material has become a full-fledged direction of interior design. To the surprise of many, cardboard is almost in no way inferior to traditional materials. However, cardboard is no longer usable in high humidity environments. Parquet varnish gives the cardboard the necessary strength.
Solid boards. Wooden cabinets are historically considered to be durable. They always look great. The most commonly used are spruce and pine. The price of boards often depends on the type of wood, size and dryness.
Selection of fittings and creation of a drawing
An important component of any furniture is fittings - hinges, handles, sliding mechanisms, thrust bearings, mirrors, legs, hangers and shelves. Fittings fulfill the basic functions of furniture. For this reason, it must be made of high quality materials.
After completing the preparatory stage, you can safely start sketching drawing. The drawing should reflect the approximate model of the cabinet. A frame is first depicted on it. In addition, all cabinet parameters must be specified. Then all the components of the cabinet are drawn.
Draw a drawing carefully and competently, because it will serve as a kind of cheat sheet when building a cabinet. You need to accurately determine the number of hooks, shelves and rods. You can use a pencil, ruler and paper to get a clear drawing.
After the drawings have already been drawn, you need to start sawing the parts. This task is difficult to accomplish at home. It is convenient to entrust this business to professionals by providing a sketch with parameters. For example, many construction and furniture stores provide such a service for quite reasonable money. This solution will contribute to obtaining quality parts.
Next, it remains to buy fittings, taking into account the individual characteristics of the furniture.
Shoe Cabinet Assembly Instructions
The process of creating a cabinet yourself is quite complicated and requires practice. Therefore, first you need to try your hand and build something simpler. One of the simplest furniture options is a wooden shoe cabinet with four shelves.
Not only shoes can be stored in such a wooden cabinet. Top shelf for hats, scarves and more
For manufacturing, you will need metal corners, boards 15-20 mm thick, a marker, a tape measure, a screwdriver, screw gun, hacksaw, sander, pliers and hammer. The width and height of the boards depend solely on the size of the room and the expected number of shoes.
First, using a marker and tape measure, cut lines are drawn. It should be noted that the cabinet will have two side racks and four shelves. If you wish, you can increase or decrease the number of shelves.
Measure the cutting lines carefully so that all parts are harmoniously connected. The correct calculation of these parameters will contribute to the effective use of the assembled cabinet.
Next, you need to give the boards the desired size by sawing them.
Be careful when using a hacksaw and try to cut straight. Various irregularities can be corrected with a sander
Then you need to screw the corners to the shelves with self-tapping screws and start attaching them to the side posts. The rail is installed on the front of the wooden post.
The corners provide structural reliability and must be well secured. But it is also important not to overdo it when screwing in fasteners.
Finally, you can coat this cabinet with a layer of acrylic paint or varnish to give it a unique look. The color of the painting is chosen based on the interior design.
Did you enjoy making furniture for your home and want to collect something else that is original and useful? We recommend that you look at our instructions for making a bed and pallet furniture.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
A clear video instruction on how to make a plywood cabinet at home:
At first glance, it may seem that making frame furniture with your own hands is quite simple. However, despite the simple appearance and a small amount of wasted resources, the creation of such a cabinet requires careful calculation and careful execution.
Such a small shoe cabinet is the basis of many shoe racks. Therefore, having mastered the construction of this type of furniture, you can safely switch to more complex in structure - wardrobes for clothes, books.
Do you specialize in DIY furniture making? Share with our readers useful recommendations for assembling cabinets, give tips on how to avoid mistakes for beginners. The comment form is located below.
Also here you can ask questions you are interested in, share original photos of a cabinet made by yourself, take part in the discussion.
