Even if you cannot get the materials for free, knowing how to build your own kitchen cabinets can save you a ton of money with a kitchen renovation over buying from a big box store. It takes a little know-how and some time over purchasing prefabricated units but if you’re buying ones that you have to piece together anyway, there isn’t too much of a time difference.
The video below will teach you how to make your own 21 inch cabinet carcasses, but this basic design can be tweaked to fit into any size that you might need for your own kitchen makeover. It is the reason that I chose to include this video for this post, as it can help out many more people than a different style of cabinet might be able to help with.
The carcass in the video is of a design that lends itself to almost any look that you might want. You can put different styles of face plates and doors on it and the look would change drastically. If you wanted a darker look, changing the type of wood for the build will make a drastic difference, but will likely also drive up the price. However, staining the cabinets could be a cheaper alternative to this problem and would likely be the way to go for any frugal DIYer thinking about doing this build.
This project is a great alternative to the others discussed on this site, as the cost of materials per cabinet is still fairly low (each carcass only takes a half of a piece of 3/4″ plywood or particle board, and a few short 1×2’s plus screws and glue) when compared to purchasing other new unfinished kitchen cabinets. Plus you get the satisfaction of knowing that you made it yourself, and made a big difference in your home with a little money and a fair amount of elbow grease!
