How to Build a Garage Storage Cabinet

Is your garage a cluttered mess? You can change all that with a storage cabinet. However, storage cabinets can be quite expensive. To save your money, you can build your own garage storage cabinet. The project is fairly simple and can be done even by beginners.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Screws or nails
• Gloves
• Protective eyewear
• Paint or stain
• Sander (optional)
• Hammer or drill
• Wood
• Sealant (optional)
• Doorknobs
• Dimensions of the cabinet
• Saw
• Hardware

1. Measure the items your wish to store in your garage storage cabinet.

2. Figure out the dimensions of your outdoor storage cabinet. Depth should be at least the depth of your storage items plus two inches, length should be at least the length of your storage items plus six inches, and width should be long enough to accommodate all of your items.

3. Decide if you want shelves. Each shelf will be the depth (minus the ply of the wood used for the back) by the width.

4. Figure out how much wood you will need. At the very least, you will need two pieces that are width by height, two pieces that are width by depth, two pieces that are depth by height, and extra wood to create legs, support, shelves and edging.

5. Purchase wood at a lumberyard.

6. Purchase other supplies like paint or stain, weatherproofing, hardware, door knobs and nails or screws.

7. Measure and cut each piece of wood so that you have a top, bottom, back and two sides.

8. Measure and cut shelves if desired.

9. Attach shelves to the back of your storage cabinet using screws or nails. If they need to be supported, attach the support as well.

10. Attach top, bottom, and sides to the back and shelves using screws or nails.

11. Cut a final piece the same size as the back for the door. You can either make this one large door or cut it in half to make two small doors.

12. Attach the doors using hardware

13. Attach knobs to the door or doors.

14. Use thin strips to create an edging at the top and bottom of your cabinet and attach hardware for the doors to latch.

15. Attach legs to the base of the storage cabinet.

16. Paint or stain the wood to match your personal preferences.

17. Consider weatherproofing your storage cabinet, since it will be in a garage and may be susceptible to dampness.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase pre-made plans if you don't want to design one on your own or it you want a more elegant design.
• You can put hooks or pegs in your garage storage cabinet or make shelves to better organize your items. Drawers are another option, but they are more difficult to create.
• Be careful when using power tools. Always wear protective items to keep your hands, eyes and ears safe.
• Make sure you support each shelf adequately if it will be holding heavy items.