Let’s build a laundry drawer!
DIY laundry drawer plans
$9.99
The materials I used to build the laundry drawer
Step 1: Cut the pieces for the stairs
It takes 7 parts to form the body. So not much. If you would like a set of laundry drawer plans with dimensions, I have that available, and it also comes with a CNC cutting file if you have a CNC. I personally painted my cabinets so I just used whatever 3/4″ sheet material I had scraps of which was MDF in this case.
I start by placing the side pieces on their backs and attaching what will be the bottom. When attaching things together it will be the same process throughout, I used DAPs welding wood glue and then pre-drilled and ran in the screw
Step 2: Prepare the foot kick board and attach the sides of the laundry drawer
This edge here is going to be where the toe kick panel goes in, which is this panel here. I use it as a spacer to make sure the bottom is attached to the box. After using it to align the board on the inside, I also used it as a spacer to guide me where to pre-drill and run in the screw. Double check its success; I did, so I keep attaching. I used this trick again when I needed to run into the center hole. As long as the board is flush to the front, it will indicate where to start the 3/4″ material for pre-drilling.
After attaching the first side, I tied the second side in the same manner. But since the toe kick now can’t be put in to check for square, I just used tape. I measured the top, then made sure the bottom matched before installing the screws to secure it.
Step 3: Attach the toe kick plate
Next is to attach the toe kick, which should line up perfectly with both the side, front, and back pieces. Same with the back panel that will form the back of the platform once this cabinet is placed correctly. Okay, so that’s the bottom done, so let’s flip this over now, but still leave it on the back, and start working on the top panels. This panel here will join the sides on the back edge while also giving me a place to mount it to the wall later when installing it in the space.
When joining something flush like this, I like to move my workpiece to the edge of my workbench if possible. This way my drill has room to move straight up instead of at an angle where I can blast the screw.
Step 4: Attach the last panel
The final piece to attach here is a panel similar to the last piece but this piece joins the front edge of the sides. Since I can’t use my workbench to put it on, what I like to do is use the clamp to act as a third hand. These compression clips are great for securing in the general area while I get one side at a time perfectly positioned and attached. This plate will give me something to attach to the countertop later when it is installed.
Step 5: Add the back to the laundry drawer
Okay, so with that attachment, now let me rotate this, tilt it up, and so we have a cabinet. Oh, I forgot the back. Wait, that’s a quick addition. Let’s put this thing back down, but this time put it on its face. I made the back out of 1/4 inch mdf because it doesn’t need to be very thick. The 1/4 inch material will do a great job of holding it square and keeping it from racking.
You’ll see that my back is divided into two pieces. This is because I use scraps and don’t care about the back which will be on the inside and will never be seen, it has a look. If it bothers you, you can always make it out of one solid piece
Okay, now this is a complete body. So, for now, let’s move this to the top to make room for me to get the parts needed to build the inner drawer that will hold the baskets.
Step 6: Secure the fit and attach the sides
All of these parts are also included in the plans and parts list but I choose what will be the bottom part first. I personally always like to make sure it fits inside the body before attaching things just because I’ve been known to grab the wrong part before but once I was sure it would fit, I attached the two wing-like sides. These items are cut so that the bottom of them slides right in.
This bottom will be locked once the front and back are attached, but I went ahead and threw in some screws. I went to the back and attached the designed specialty to the back. These holes and the pre-drilled through holes are necessary for the under mount drawer slides I will be using.
If you use my exact dimensions, not only will you be able to use baskets that fit this laundry drawer, but you can also use the specific drawer slides. However, be aware that if you want to change the dimensions, you will likely have to get different drawer slides and change the design of that back. Another option is to change the dimensions to whatever you want, but then use the side-mounted drawer slides and don’t worry about the slides underneath for installation. Lots of options.
Step 7: Complete front assembly
Going to the front of this assembly, attach the large front panel. This may seem big and boring now, but you will understand why this metric is needed. For now, let me go ahead and place it inside the body to make sure everything looks good……and it does. It’s that simple, now everything here is final details.
Step 8: Make the Laundry Drawer Slide!
I can attach the under mount drawer slides to the underside of the cabinet. It looks like this here. Then go inside the cabinet and secure the rails with screws. To connect the two, I can hold the interior to the body, place it on the rails, and then push it in until the two components click together. It’s very satisfying. Then since I’m making my look like two doors and a top drawer, I crawled in and attached these pieces to the outside by nailing them from the inside while Jacob held them at the correct distances.
Conclusion: The final product
It’s kind of hard to get a good angle for this cabinet because the space is really tight but without the countertop in place you can see how it works. Two baskets fit perfectly in the drawer so you can pull it out and throw in your clothes, then hide them away again by pushing them in. Soft closing of course.
Even with the countertop, I have plenty of space to get baskets in and out or simply throw clothes in and put them back together. I love how it looks like three ingredients. The unit on the left is a drawer at the top and two doors at the bottom.
I have a four-part video series in which I cover how to properly paint MDF, how to build custom cabinets, how to upgrade store-bought cabinets, and even how to build a countertop out of scrap 2x4s! So, if you want to see how I built the entire room you’re looking at, check out the links in the description. If you can imagine it, you can build it and I hope I’ve been an inspiration or guide to help you get started. See you in my next project.
