DIY Cabinet Shelf: Scrap Wood Shelf to Organize a Kitchen Cabinet

This post will show you how I made a DIY cabinet shelf using scrap wood. It’s the perfect project to use up leftover wood from previous projects and organize a cluttered kitchen cabinet.

DIY Cabinet Shelf From Scrap Wood

Another scrap wood project up today. I recently made a space-saving sofa end table using scrap from our Murphy bed build. Well I went digging in the scrap pile again and ended up with a nifty little shelf for our kitchen cabinet.

Our cabinets are big and roomy, but their depth makes them difficult to organize at times. Things just get pushed to the back and pile up on one another, often leading us to forget what we even have in there. Here’s a peek <hides in shame>

I decided to make a shelf to hopefully alleviate this problem. It’s similar to the raised plate shelf I made a few years ago but with a few modifications. (By the way! We’re still using that shelf. Sometimes the easiest projects are the most useful.)

Here’s what I used for my DIY cabinet shelf:

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Scrap 3/4″ plywood
Scrap 1×2 pine
Veneer edge banding
Iron and scissors
Black satin spray paint
Wood glue
Miter saw (we have this one)
Orbital sander

And here’s how I did it.

Always take the proper precautions and safety measures before working with any tools. Wear safety equipment and work with a professional when necessary. Read my full terms of use for more. Happy building and stay safe!

Step 1: First I cut the shelf piece down to size. I just kept is its existing width and cut the length down to about a 1/2″ less than the interior width of the cabinet. Then I cut 4 pieces of 1×2″ pine at 5 1/4″ each. (I wanted to shelf to be 6″ tall.)

Step 2: I sanded all of the pieces with my orbital sander. The main shelf piece was in great shape, so I didn’t put any sort of finish on it. But I did give each of the legs a quick coat of black spray paint in a satin finish. I love the look of unfinished/natural wood with black (see Tootie’s dollhouse shelf I made!)

Step 3: While the legs dried, I ironed on the veneer edging. It’s amazing how much veneer edging can transform rough plywood edging. It’s one of my new favorite do-dads to have around the garage.

I only ironed the veneer edging on the front of the shelf since all other sides would be hidden—no use in wasting it.

apply veneer tape to raw edge of plywood

Scrap Wood Shelf to Organize the Cabinet

Now assemble the cabinet shelf in place…

Step 4: Once the legs were dry, I brought all my pieces up to the cabinet and assembled in place. I dabbed wood glue on the tops of each leg and stuck them on the bottom of the shelf piece. I couldn’t assemble and then put in because it was a snug enough fit that the 5 1/4″ legs would prevent it from fitting. (Our cabinets have a bit of a trim.)

**The pictures below are obviously not assembling in place. I just wanted to give you an idea of how I’d assemble in the cabinet 🙂

I assembled the shelf upside down in the cabinet, just adhering the legs with wood glue and letting them dry. Then I flipped it and got to organizing.

What do you think? I love how it lets us clearly see what we have. It only fits smaller items, but I think it makes the cabinet feel less cluttered. We have a few more things we want to do in our cabinets—like spice organization in the cabinet below—but this is a good start!