How to Build Amazing DIY Shaker Cabinet Doors with MDF, Minimal Tools & on a Budget!
Tired of open shelving? Me too. Yes, it’s beautiful, but it requires too much dusting and not enough real storage.
This post will show you how to build beautiful DIY shaker cabinet doors right over those open shelves without a whole workshop of tools AND while sticking to your budget. Follow along!
Our bedroom has these awesome built in bookshelves that span the entire wall. We love them.
They’ve also been a total eyesore because our bedroom is really a cat room. True story. Our cat cannot go outside, so he has his own space in our bedroom, where his toys and scratching posts are. Everywhere. Including these beautiful shelves.
I have been on a mission to beautify this shared space and coexist with kitty in an environment that we both can enjoy. This project is an important step in getting to that point.
Check out how we created a kitty jungle gym here and a how we hide his litter box in a storage bench.
While our situation may be unique and open shelving can be beautiful, I hate all the dusting that comes with it and need a place to hide the clutter!
Anyone with me?
The plan was to put some doors on our built-ins. I only looked for about three minutes but do you guys know how expensive cabinet doors are?? WOW!
This would be another DIY, thank you very much!
So often when I look up “how to DIY (fill in the blank)” I end up linking to sites with projects that require SO. MANY. TOOLS.
Let’s be real here. Typically after someone buys a home, they usually don’t have a whole bunch of money lying around to either:
- Pay someone else to refinish their home (which leads to all the DIYs in the first place), or
- Purchase a whole bunch of expensive tools.
While I’m working slowly on building up my tool box (we FINALLY got a miter saw!! Woohoo!), we really just have the basics.
And it can be discouraging when you want to create something yourself but don’t have all the fancy jigs, sanders and nailers you see in other tutorials.
So if you are in the same boat as me and looking to add some new doors for more storage, or maybe change out your existing cabinet doors but don’t have all those fancy tools, follow along because I’ve got you on this DIY.
This plan will give you a beautiful and classic shaker cabinet door without requiring an entire workshop of tools to get it done.
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What you’ll need:
- MDF (½” for cabinet, ¼” for molding)
- Hinges (see notes)
- 35 mm Fostner bit (for concealed hinges)
- Drill and driver, hammer and nails OR brad nailer
- Wood glue
- Paint and primer
- Hardware
- Drywall compound or wood filler
- Way to cut MDF (see notes)
Notes on supplies
- Hinges come in many different styles and shapes. I wanted concealed hinges so you wouldn’t see then in the end. I used these hinges from Amazon, which come in overlay, inlay and half overlay. I needed 6 full overlay and four inlay hinges for my situation but this will be different depending on your cabinets.
I recommend researching and watching Youtube videos on this as I certainly am not an expert, but I will share what I’ve learned as we go along here.
- MDF comes (typically) in 2’x4’ sheets. I needed five 1/2″ sheets and two 1/4″ sheets. You will need to measure your space to determine how much you will need.
- To cut the MDF, I used my trusted circular saw and my NEW miter saw, which I absolutley love! But you do all cuts with just the circular saw.
The ideal tool would be a table saw as you have to cut your molding strips to size (mine were 2¾”) from a 2’x4’ MDF. If you have one, it will save you a lot of time.
If you don’t, you’re not alone.
PLAN
Measure your cabinet.
As always, the first step is to measure your space and write it down so you don’t forget (been there!)
The 1/2″ MDF is for the actual cabinet, and the 1/4″ is for the shaker trim that will lay on top of the 1/2″. So the 1/2″ should cover the entirety of the cabinet space.
Our bookshelves were 4 foot wide by 22” tall. I knew I wanted to leave two of the 5 sections open to put in some baskets and try to amp up the aesthetic a bit.
It was pretty lucky that the MDF comes in just the right size for our situation. One 1/2″ sheet covers a 2ft x 4ft area (one full cabinet set for us) for $13. We needed three of these.
Decide on hinges.
There’s several different types of hinges. The concealed hinges are beautiful but they are more expensive and as someone who has never worked with hinges before, there is a learning curve.
They are definitely less complicated than they seem though, and they’re pretty forgiving. If you do go with the concealed hinges, you have to figure out what type you need based on your cabinet layout.
You’ll most likely need either full overlay, half over lay or inset. These terms are based off where the door will lay in relation to the side of the cabinet.
It is very important that you take this into consideration when measuring for your doors!
An inch difference is a big space for a cabinet, so be sure to be precise here! Measure like 15 times and cut once 😆.
Even if you’re not going with the concealed hinges, you must allow room for the hinge to sit on the cabinet, so plan first before you cut!
BUILD
Cut your MDF to size.
Based on your measurements, cut your 1/2” MDF to size for your doors (after making sure your measurements are correct!).
I made several trips up and down the stairs to ensure that the measurements were right. Nothing in this old house is level, so I had to adjust some of the measurements as I went along.
As much of a pain it was to keep checking, I’m glad I did as I would have had to otherwise spend more time and money on getting replacement materials.
Cut out each ½” cabinet door. I used my circular saw for this. It cut surprisingly well and very clean. Like buttah.
We needed five cabinet doors that were 24 ¼ by 22 ¼-22 ½ (depending on where it was in the room).
If you’re also using a circular saw, there may be slight differences in the final cut door if it’s not 100% precise. This is ok, just continue to check it against your frame and adjust as necessary.
You can also build up the cabinets with spackle or sand some down as needed after the ¼” shaker is attached to compensate for errors.
There are no experts here!
Cut the 1/4″ MDF.
Now you’re going to take your ¼” MDF and cut it in strips to the desired width of your shaker trim.
We decided to go with 2 ¾” wide strips to match our existing trim on the radiator cover. If you don’t have something like this to match up to, a good size for a shaker cabinet is about 3”.
I worked down the MDF in 2 ¾” sections. This was a little time consuming as I had to clamp everything for each individual cut.
A table saw would be perfect here, but again- I don’t have one. If you do have one, this is the way to go for sure.
After cutting the strips, you then have to cut the sections to size.
To do this, measure each individual cabinet door and cut the strips to size. (I used my miter saw for this but a circular saw would work just fine).
For a shaker cabinet, you want to cut the full length of both vertical sides first and then the top and bottom sections will be cut to fit in between the vertical side pieces.
Attach the molding.
Lay the molding on the door to ensure it is the right fit (make adjustments as needed) and then use wood glue to stick it down.
Clamp your molding to ensure the boards have a tight fit and secure with nails.
These Dewalt clamps are hands down, the best I’ve ever used. They’re gentle on surfaces but strong and are easy to put on and take off.
That being said, I used my old C-clamp’s for this project and they work just fine too. Put scrap wood between the metal clamp and the cabinet so you don’t end up with a ring in your MDF.
A brad nailer is ideal here if you have one (I do not). Finishing nails and a hammer work just as well, but be careful where you’re hammering as you don’t want to miss and bang up your cabinet (or your fingers!)
Fill nail holes and any gaps.
If you go the hammer route, use a nail set to sink the nails into the cabinet.
Use some wood filler to cover up the nail holes and any gaps between the moldings, as well as any other imperfections in your cabinet that need a little TLC.
Allow to dry completely.
Sand.
Wear a mask and sand down your cabinets to create a nice smooth surface. If you have a sander, go for it.
Again, I do not. So I just used some sand paper I had on hand.
Always finish with a fine grit for a smooth surface and wipe down the cabinets so they’re clear of any dust or debris.
Prime and paint.
It’s important that you take the extra step to prime the MDF on both sides as it is bare wood and will soak up all your paint if it’s not primed.
Allow the primer to dry completely.
Then to the fun part of painting them any color your heart desires!
Check out this amazing rich color. It’s called limousine leather by BEHR. I absolutely love it.
Tip: always get samples. I was sure in the store that I was going to choose the color Off Broadway, but when I painted the sample on in our room it actually looked more brown. I would have been so disappointed.
Paint cabinet.
If you are changing the color of your cabinet, this is a good time to paint it before the doors are attached and while you have the paint out for the doors.
This wasn’t an easy job as it required a lot of bending and leaning BUT it was so worth it!!
Check out the difference:
Don’t be afraid to get creative here too! Adding wall paper to the back of the cabinets would really elevate the look.
As we were planning on redoing the entire bedroom, I decided to spend our budget elsewhere, but it would really make a statement, and we may do this down the line!
We also had a radiator cover that we painted the same black to match AND spray painted over the existing grate to match the hardware.
I liked the old color but it was rusted and the update is so pretty.
Attach hinges.
Depending on what type of hinges you use, they’ll have to be attached in different ways.
For our concealed hinges, you need to drill holes into the back side of each door for the hinges to sit into with a 35mm forstner bit (like this one), which attaches to your driver.
It’s really a simple process.
Just measure in from the side of your cabinet that will be attached to the hinge about ½ inch (or enough so that your hinge can move freely when attached), in a place that will not line up with any shelves inside the cabinet.
Then when you have the right spot, drill away until your holes are deep enough that your hinge will sit flush inside.
Be careful not to go through the other side of the cabinet!!!
Be aware of how deep you’re drilling. When you’re getting close to the desired depth, drill just a little bit at a time to find the sweet spot (deep enough for the hinge, not so deep you go through).
I also had my pet vacuum handy to suck up all the dust.
Don’t forget your safety goggles and mask for this process! You’ll want it as the MDF creates a lot of dust.
Then screw down the hinge to the cabinet door.
Now that you have your hole drilled, place your hinges inside the holes, make sure they’re straight and then screw them in using your driver and then drill with the included screws.
Attach the cabinet door to the cabinet.
This can be a tricky process which you’ll need a buddy for.
One person should hold the door in the cabinet where it should be attached, making sure it’s even and lined up properly.
Then the other person should work the drill and driver to make a pilot hole and then screw the hinge into the cabinet.
Tip: just put in one screw initially on the top and bottom hinge. This way, if you have to readjust, you don’t have a bunch of holes and nowhere left to screw into. (This one’s from experience!)
Align cabinet.
Once you have your first screws in place, you can align the cabinet using the two screws on the concealed hinge.
These will move the cabinet in and out and horizontal at the hinge, so if it looks crooked you may not have to move the entire hinge, just adjust with your drill until it’s aligned properly.
It’s easier than it may seem.
When you get the cabinet aligned properly and level, put in the rest of the screws with your drill and driver to secure the cabinet in the right place.
Attach handles.
There’s a couple of ways you can attach your handles. You could just measure and eyeball, which is fine if you just have one door.
Actually screwing the handle in is easy, as you simply make a pilot hole with your driver then screw into your hardware from the back of the cabinet.
It’s the alignment that can be challenging, especially for pulls as you have to make two holes. It is important that they are properly aligned if you have more than one cabinet or it will look sloppy.
Having a template makes this process a whole lot easier.
You could create a template from scrap wood so that each cabinet will have the holes in the same place, or you can purchase a template tool that will mark the right place for you.
This is what I ended up doing as I didn’t want to mess up this process and make a bunch of holes in the wrong place. It’s just a few bucks and made the process a whole lot easier.
I found our gorgeous hardware online at home depot. It’s a clean looking handle, with that touch of vintage style that you know I LOVE. And it wasn’t crazy expensive.
A good rule of thumb (if you’re going with pulls) is to find something 1/3rd of the length it will lay on. So with our cabinet height being 22”, I tried to find something in the ball park of 7”.
These are about 6” and they worked out perfectly.
STYLE
Now for the fun part!
We added a few baskets, books, plants and a few personal items to the shelves. There’s some rearranging to do but it certainly works for now!
We’ll see how long the books last as we have a cat that likes to knock things off the shelves in the middle of the night. Anyone else?
Little guy’s toys are in the single side cabinet which is open at the corner, so he can go in whenever he wants to grab what he likes. The open space worked out quite well for this purpose.
We will also be adding a cushion to the top of the bookcase so that he can sleep over the radiator as he likes. (And he really likes!)
Update to come when that’s complete. Stay tuned!
RECAP
The MDF cabinets work wonderfully and the whole project was so much less expensive than it would have been if I ordered these doors.
The process was simple:
- cut MDF to size
- attach trim to cabinets
- sand, prime and paint
- paint the cabinet (optional)
- attach the hinges
- hang the cabinets
- put on the hardware
- decorate!
They look so beautiful AND they are totally functional, hiding all of the cat clutter while still providing access to the toys in the open corner.
He loves it and so do I.
You DO NOT need a whole workshop full of tools to complete this (or any!) DIY. Sure, it may look more professional or take a few less steps when you have the right tools, but when the budget is the barrier, there is always a way around it.
I love to show you guys how to do just that.
Stay tuned as there are many more pet-friendly bedroom updates to come, including those painted floors!
Questions? We’re here!
Leave a comment below and let us know your barrier to DIY projects.
Time? Money? Tools? Lets overcome them together!
Also, tell us about your pets AND all the pet-friendly design challenges you’ve solved!
Check out our other DIY projects:
DIY kitty jungle gym // IKEA hack
The easy way to hide your cat’s litter box
