How To Build A Drawer

DIY Ikea Pax Wardrobe System Hack! Learn how to build a drawer with glass shelves that’s easy and affordable. Super easy DIY Ikea drawer hack that can be done with products from your local hardware store. I so wanted an Ikea Pax Wardrobe system in my bedroom but the price tag was scary. Hahaha. After seeing so many beautiful Pax systems on Instagram I was determined to build a similar system inside my bedroom. Click here to watch my DIY on How to build a drawer video on Youtube.

How to Build A Drawer

My wardrobe closet had the bones and a nice structure but it was clearly not Instagram pretty. It looked like it was painted white a hundred years ago and the paint eventually turned yellow from the lack of sunlight. The closet definitely has space for a drawer and new glass shelves. You have no idea how happy I was to created something that looked so professional. So let me show you how I revamped my wardrobe closet and how to build a drawer!
FTC STATEMENT ▹ The products in this article were NOT sponsored, they were all purchased by me. I am a participant of affiliate websites and also in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. At no cost to you it helps to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and linked affiliate sites.

First, I removed everything from the closet. I later sorted through the items I wanted to keep and the other items I sold on Poshmark. If you are on Poshmark be sure to add me! Click here to see my Poshmark Page or download the app and add me. I also have a video called Shop My Closet featuring clothes I’m selling on Poshmark, click here to see the video.

I also removed the horizontal pole that would hold the clothes. The wood structure that held the pole in place was sooo hard to remove it damaged the wall a little so I used crown molding to cover the damage. The side pieces of wood I left in place at this point, because I didn’t want to take them off and damage the sides. They were held in place with glue making them difficult to remove, so I opted to leave themes that the glass shelves could be placed directly on top of them.

Tools Needed To Build A Drawer

While visiting Lowes hardware store and I picked up a few items and other items I grabbed off Amazon. I measured my closet prior to going to Lowes so that I could buy birch wood for my drawer. They sell them in sheets for $12. They will also cut them to size for you, which is why you should measure your space before going to the hardware store. Home Depot will cut your wood for you too. This is my version of how to build a drawer so just note, I’m not a professional, but this works for me. My drawer sliders were purchased at Lowes but here is a link for drawer sliders on Amazon.

I ordered my Mitre saw as well as my E6000 glue and my blue tape from Amazon. After having the four sides of the drawer cut I took everything home and proceeded to glue all the pieces together. The blue tape worked perfectly to hold the glued pieces of wood together, while allowing them to dry overnight. Large heavy objects like my candy dishes held them in place overnight, just to be sure they did not slip out of place. I removed the blue tape the next day.

With my easy to use mitre saw I cut the side wood pieces for the drawer.

How To Install Drawer Sliders

This step is super easy but when its your first time it may seem complexed. I found little to no information online when trying to figure out how to build a drawer with sliders.

The sliders come in a pack with four pieces, plus the screws. Two of the metal pieces go on each side of the drawer and the other two pieces go inside the wall or cabinet you are building.

This is the part where I got lost. There were no clear instructions anywhere not even inside the packaging. The metal has imprints that label which part goes in the wall and are marked CR and CL. CR stands for cabinet right  and the other one is cabinet left. That is the piece you need to attach to your cabinet or in my case my closet wall.

My wall had deep spaces which required me to build out my wall using 1 inch pieces of wood.  I used the mitre saw to cut them to size. Your space must be flush even and aligned from the front, to the back of the cabinet or the sliders won’t work.

Attach the bracket as close to the front as possible using the screws that come inside the package. Be sure to screw them into the wall as tight as possible so they don’t stick out. If you omit this step your drawer will not slide in smoothly. I wish someone had said this when I was searching for information on how to build a drawer. Make sure the wheels are on the bottom. You can use any of the holes to add your screws.

Lastly, attach the remaining brackets to your drawer leaving 1 to 1 1/2 inch of space in the back. You need the space for the drawer to be able to close. Use the screws that came with the package and screw them in tightly so they don’t bump into the wall brackets causing the drawer not to close.

Add Glass Shelves To Your Wall Or Cabinet

It was kind of cool visiting my local glass store to get tempered glass cut for my closet because my measurements were too large for Lowes. I also cut the wood frames for my shelves that mimicked a picture frame using my mitre saw. After gluing all four corners together and duplicated it again on the bottom for more support, I let this dry overnight. Just be sue not to forget to use the blue tape. Next, I placed the wood pieces onto the wood already on the wall and set the glass on the top of it. Can’t believe I taught myself how to build a drawer!!!

I painted the Molding and the frames for the glass shelves with Behr semi gloss ultra pure white paint. The walls and the drawers I used a flat ultra put white paint by Behr.

I decorated my shelves with fun accessories and added my belongings back and it now looks like an Instagram dream! I totally shocked myself! It came together nicely! If you’d like to see how I decorated my wardrobe as well as the rest of the closets,  click here to watch my video and here’s the link to read the Closet Tour blog.

If you decide to use any of my tips on how to build a drawer or any other DIY’s, feel free to tag me on social media #AlmondSummers I’d love to see how it worked out for you! I do hope you enjoyed my blog, leave me a comment below and share your closet makeover with me and others.