Kitchen Essential

In any kitchen, but especially a small kitchen, where space is at a premium, it is important to make use of all available space for storage.

These DIY projects will enable you to keep kitchen essentials within easy reach. While they are simple to make, they look smart and help keep your kitchen neat.

All these projects are suitable for novice carpenters.

Saucepan lid drawer

Materials

6 mm plywood PVA adhesive nails

Time

2 hours

Saucepan lids are awkward to store but if you make this practical rack to fit a deep drawer, you will always be able to find the right lid to fit every saucepan when you need it.

Step by step

1 Cut spacers to a height of 15 mm less than the depth of the drawer (measuring from the inside).

2 Cut spacers to length.

3 Glue and nail these spacers to the inside of your drawer sides allowing 7 mm between them (make sure the nails do not protrude through the drawer sides).

4 Cut dividers to width and length and slip into place.

Bookshelves

Materials

Suggested timber sizes:

Ends and shelves 200 x 25 mm

Rail 50 x 25 mm (these are nominal sizes; planed sizes are slightly smaller) screws 50 mm x 8 gauge

Tools

Mitre box or similar; saw; screwdriver or power driver sanding block and paper

Time

3 hours

The size of these shelves will vary depending upon the space available and the number of books you want to display.

Step by step

1 Cut shelves and rail to the same length.

2 Cut ends to size and drill holes for screws.

3 Screw and glue the unit together. Drill for the screws and countersink the holes with a countersinking bit in your drill.

4 Sand and paint or lacquer in your choice of colour.

Plate rack

Materials

Legs 27 lengths of 25 x 25 mm DAR (PAR) softwood at 350 mm long

Rails 4 lengths of 25 x 25 mm DAR (PAR) softwood, approx 500 mm long

Screws 54 of 32 mm x 8 gauge, countersunk

Bolt 4 x 520 mm, brass, chrome or galvanized steel threaded full length with 2 nuts and washers to suitwaterproof adhesive lacquer or paint

Tools

Tape measure；drill；saw；screwdriver；sanding block；countersinking bit

Time

31/2 hours

This simple folding plate rack is elegant and convenient as well as relatively easy to make. The material is all stock size so it is readily available at your timber yard

Step by step

1. Cut 27 legs from 25 x 25 mm DAR (PAR) softwood to 350 mm long.
2. Drill a 4 mm diameter hole for the bolt 125 mm from one end of each leg. A vertical drill stand is best but it can be done carefully by hand with an electric drill.
3. Insert the bolt into the holes and fit the nuts and washers but do not tighten.
4. Insert cardboard spacers (approximately 1 mm thick) between legs and finger-tighten the bolt.
5. Lay the assembly flat on a bench and screw and glue the top rail on at 100 mm below the top of the legs. Make sure you only screw to alternate legs.
6. Repeat step 5 for bottom rail, 97 mm from bottom.
7. Turn the assembly over and repeat steps 5 and 6 but ensure that you are screwing the rails to the opposite legs (i.e. legs without screws on the other side).
8. Cut rails to length where they overhang and sand flush.
9. Remove cardboard spacers and sand and paint in your choice of colour.

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