How To Build This DIY Pantry Cabinet

Hey, I’m excited to share my latest project with you —a DIY pantry cabinet! This was a much-needed addition to our dining room since we had no pantry and our kitchen cabinets and countertops were overflowing with stuff. The eat-in dining area turned out to be the perfect spot for this extra storage solution. Let me walk you through the details of my DIY journey and how I brought my own pantry cabinet to life.

Planning and Materials

First things first, I had to plan out the new cabinet. I wanted it to have three shelves, three drawers, and stand 34″ x 78 ½” to maximize storage space. For the materials, I headed to Lowe’s and got two ½” 4×8’ sheets of whiteboard plywood. Thanks to them for cutting down the plywood to the frame (top, bottom, and side panels) and shelves’ sizes for me, which saved a lot of time and hassle.

Here’s a list of the main materials I used:

• 2 ½” 4×8’ whiteboard plywood sheets
• 1 ½” x ¼” pieces of wood for the door fronts
• ¾” x ¼” pieces of wood for the door backs
• Brad nails (1 1/2”) and Ryobi nail gun
• Saw of your choice (miter, jig, table or circular saw)
• Natural tone beadboard style plywood for the back
• No-drill cabinet magnetic catch
• Traditional narrow hinges
• Sandpaper (220 grit) and random orbital sander
• Gorilla Wood Glue
• Clamps
• Tomcat by Valspar (exterior black paint, satin finish)
• Woodland Stone by Valspar (interior paint, flat finish, 60% paint 40% water)
• Aged Oak and Simply White gel stains (60% Aged Oak, 40% Simply White)
• Polycrylic satin finish
• Clear Plexiglass
• Edge banding
• Gold pulls

Building the Frame and Shelves

With my materials ready, I started by building the cabinet frame and shelves. Using 1 1/2” brad nails with my Ryobi cordless 18-gauge brad nail gun. This tool made the job so much easier and quicker. I also made sure to use clamps or had help to hold the boards in place while nailing them together. This step is crucial to ensure everything is aligned properly.

For the bottom shelf I used a ½” strip with gorilla wood glue to make it appear thicker since it was the base for the shelves and the starting point for the drawers.

For the back of the cabinet, I chose a natural tone beadboard style plywood attached to the frame using wood glue and brad nails.

Building the Drawers

The drawers were more challenging, but doable. I cut the drawer pieces with my miter saw and jigsaw, starting on the frame and bottom of the drawer, and once that was done, I went ahead and attached the drawer front. They were assembled using the same wood glue and brad nails.

To give the drawers a polished look, I applied edge banding to cover the rough edges. This step really made a difference in the overall finish of the cabinet. I finished the drawers with 14” side mount drawer slides.

Click here to see phase 1 of this project!

Adding the Doors

The cabinet doors were an interesting part of the project. I used 1 ½” x ¼” pieces of wood for the fronts and ¾” x ¼” pieces of wood for the backs attached with wood glue. (Though 1” x ¼” for the back piece might’ve worked better giving more room for the pulls and hinges). I placed plexiglass in the middle of the door frame and secured it with silicone. 

For the hinges, I went with traditional narrow hinges that are easy to place in the frame and stay hidden when the doors are closed. They work perfectly and keep the doors functioning smoothly.

To hold the pantry doors closed, I used no-drill cabinet magnetic catches from Amazon. These are incredibly strong and very easy to install—they just stick on without the need for drilling.

Sanding and Painting

I added edge banding to the drawers, shelves, and doors to cover any rough edges and give a smooth, professional look. I then sanded all the surfaces using my Craftsman random orbital sander with 220 grit sandpaper. 

For the outside of the cabinet, I used Tomcat by Valspar in a satin finish. The interior was painted with Woodland Stone by Valspar in a flat finish, using a mix of 60% paint and 40% water. I chose this technique because I still wanted a wood look, but needed to blend the two wood tones before staining.

Staining and Finishing

The inside of the cabinet was stained using a mix of Minwax gel in Aged Oak (60%) and Simply White (40%). This combination created a beautiful, aged look that complements the exterior black paint. Once the stain was dry, I sealed it with a polycrylic satin finish to protect the wood and give it a subtle sheen.

Click here to see phase 2 of this project!

Final Touches

The last thing was adding gold pulls, which I bought from Amazon. These add a bit of glam and sophisticated look to the cabinet.

And Here’s The Finished Look…

A DIY pantry cabinet that not only adds much-needed additional storage space, but also looks amazing in our dining room. This DIY project was a bit challenging but so rewarding. Seeing the finished product and knowing I built it myself is such a great feeling. My inspiration cabinets were priced between $1,600 to $3,500, but I created the same look for just $350 and best part it only took 10 days!

I hope this inspires you to tackle your own DIY projects. Be sure to check us out on IG and stay connected for our latest projects like this DIY light fixture. Happy building!