Building your own kitchen cabinets might seem intimidating at first, but once you understand the process, it becomes one of the most rewarding DIY woodworking projects you can tackle. Not only can you save a significant amount of money compared to buying pre-made cabinets, but you also gain complete control over the cabinet size, materials, layout, and finish. In this cabinet building tutorial, you’ll learn how to build a durable frameless kitchen base cabinet featuring double Shaker-style doors and two functional drawers using common woodworking tools and cabinet-grade plywood.

One of the biggest advantages of building your own cabinets is customization. Whether you’re remodeling a kitchen, upgrading a workshop, building garage storage, or creating a custom laundry room setup, these DIY cabinet plans can easily be adjusted to fit your space and storage needs. The frameless cabinet design provides a clean modern look while maximizing interior storage space, and the Shaker-style doors give the cabinet a timeless appearance that works well in both traditional and modern homes.

What You’ll Learn in This Cabinet Building Tutorial

In this woodworking project tutorial, you’ll learn how to:

• Cut and assemble a frameless cabinet box
• Build and install drawer boxes with drawer slides
• Construct Shaker-style cabinet doors and drawer fronts
• Install concealed hinges and cabinet hardware
• Build a strong and durable DIY cabinet using pocket hole joinery
• Finish and customize the cabinet to match your space

This project is beginner-friendly for woodworkers who have basic experience using tools such as a table saw, drill, pocket hole jig, and router. More experienced woodworkers can also use these woodworking plans as a foundation for creating fully customized kitchen cabinet systems.

Download the Printable PDF Woodworking Plans

If you’d like a more organized version of this project, be sure to download the printable PDF woodworking plans. The plans include detailed measurements, cut lists, diagrams, and step-by-step instructions that make the cabinet construction process easier to follow in the workshop.

Having printable woodworking project plans nearby can help reduce mistakes, improve efficiency, and simplify the entire cabinet-building process from start to finish.

Before You Start Building

Before starting this DIY cabinet project, take time to review the material list, tools, and cut dimensions carefully. Accurate measurements and proper assembly are essential for building cabinet doors, drawers, and frames that fit correctly and operate smoothly.

Now let’s get started with the step-by-step tutorial on how to build a frameless kitchen base cabinet with double doors and drawers.

Related Cabinet Plans

If you’re building a full set of cabinets, these other plans may help:

• Frameless Garage Base Cabinet with Drawers and Double Doors, Slab Style
• Frameless Base Cabinet with Drawers, Slab Style

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Time to Complete	Total Cost	Skill Level
8 Hours	$160 per section (36″ wide)	Beginner to Intermediate

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Download Printable Plans in PDF

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Note: Lumber dimensions are listed as nominal size.  See lumber sizes for actual dimensions vs nominal.

Disclosure: Some of the links on this page as well as links in “tools for this project” and “material list” sections are affiliate links.

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Dimensions

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Base Cabinet Diagram

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Note: When building kitchen cabinets, it’s important to be precise when measuring and cutting each piece. Using the proper woodworking tools will help ensure the cabinet components are cut accurately and assembled correctly for a professional-looking result.

The basic tools needed for this DIY cabinet-building project include a tape measure, drill, table saw or Kreg Accu-Cut circular saw, miter saw, Kreg Jig, nail gun, random orbital sander, clamps, Kreg Concealed Hinge Jig, and a dovetail saw. Having the right tools will improve both the quality of your work and the efficiency of the cabinet construction process.

When choosing plywood for kitchen cabinets, there are several important features to consider. One of the most important factors is the plywood grade. A-grade cabinet plywood is generally more durable, reliable, and visually appealing than lower-grade plywood options. It’s also recommended to use rotary-cut plywood, which provides more consistent strength and typically contains fewer knots and imperfections.

For cabinet construction, 3/4-inch cabinet-grade plywood is commonly considered the best choice. Thinner plywood may flex or warp over time, while thicker material can add unnecessary weight and cost without providing much additional benefit.

For the best appearance and durability, consider using plywood with a birch veneer face on both sides. Birch plywood offers excellent structural stability and provides a smooth surface that works especially well for painted or finished cabinets.

Step 1: Cut the Cabinet Side Panels and Toe-Kick Notches

Start by cutting the largest cabinet parts from the plywood sheet according to the cut list layout. The layout and grain orientation are designed to help reduce material waste and improve efficiency during cabinet construction.

Using 3/4″ cabinet-grade plywood, cut two side panels to 23 3/4″ x 34 1/2″ using either a table saw or a circular saw with a Kreg Accu-Cut guide system.

Next, cut a 4 1/4″ x 2 3/4″ toe-kick notch from the bottom front corner of both side panels, as shown in the illustration. This toe-kick cutout creates recessed space at the bottom of the cabinet for comfortable standing access once the cabinet assembly is complete.

If you’re building multiple DIY kitchen base cabinets, it’s worth making a simple toe-kick template. A template allows you to quickly trace identical cutouts on every panel, saving time and improving consistency throughout the project.

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Step 2: Cut the Bottom and Shelf Panels and Drill Pocket Holes

Using the same 3/4″ plywood, cut the following cabinet pieces:

• One bottom panel: 34 1/2″ x 23 3/4″
• One shelf panel: 34 1/2″ x 9″

Next, set your Kreg Jig for 3/4″ material thickness. Drill four pocket holes along the front edge of the side panels, as shown in the picture.

When drilling pocket holes, spacing is important. Placing the holes closer together creates a stronger joint, but adding too many unnecessary holes only slows down the cabinet-building process without providing much additional strength. Aim for even spacing that provides solid support while keeping the assembly clean and efficient.

Then drill pocket holes in both the shelf panel and the bottom panel, as shown in the illustration. These pocket holes should face downward during cabinet assembly so they remain hidden after installation.

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Step 3: Cut the Back and Base Support Pieces

Cut the remaining cabinet components from 3/4″ plywood:

• One back panel: 34 1/2″ x 29 1/2″
• Two base support pieces: 34 1/2″ x 4 1/4″

After cutting the pieces to size, drill the pocket holes as shown in the picture. These parts will help strengthen the cabinet frame and provide additional support during the cabinet assembly process.

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Step 4: Assemble the Cabinet Base Frame

When assembling cabinet parts with pocket holes, you can use either pocket hole screws alone or combine them with wood glue. Adding wood glue creates a stronger joint and helps prevent the connection from loosening over time. However, once the glue dries, the parts cannot be disassembled without causing damage, so plan accordingly before assembly.

Since the cabinet box will eventually be secured to the wall and won’t experience much movement, wood glue is generally unnecessary for the main cabinet frame. It is more beneficial for components such as the cabinet doors and drawers where added durability is important.

Begin the cabinet assembly by laying the left side panel flat on a work surface. Attach the front base support piece and the back base support piece using 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws.

When driving pocket hole screws, always clamp the boards securely before fastening them together. Proper clamping prevents the plywood pieces from shifting or becoming misaligned during assembly. Even slight movement can affect the overall appearance and squareness of the cabinet.

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Step 5: Install the Cabinet Bottom Panel

Next, attach the bottom panel to the left cabinet side panel and the back base support piece using 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws.

Make sure the edges are flush and square before tightening the screws. Keeping the cabinet components aligned during this step is important for proper cabinet construction and will make the remaining assembly process much easier.

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Step 6: Attach the Cabinet Back Panel

Take the back panel and attach it to the cabinet frame using the pre-drilled pocket holes. Make sure the pocket holes are facing toward the back of the cabinet so they remain hidden after installation.