DIY Slat Wood Storage Cabinet

I’ve been wanting to build a new record cabinet since we moved into our apartment, but haven’t had the chance. Luckily, the first ever storage cabinet I ever built is still standing strong. But, it’s finally time for me to make a design I’ve had in my head come to life for our space. So, I created this slat wood storage cabinet and I am so excited about how it turned out! Here’s how I made it happen!

How To Make A Slat Wood Storage Cabinet

This project is sponsored by DAP Products and includes affiliate links. For my full disclosure policy, visit my policies page.

Want to see this build in action? Check it out on YouTube (& make sure to subscribe)!

Interested in the printable plans for this project? Click here!

Download Plans Here! 

Although my mom would beg to differ, 70s style slat wood is totally back and better than ever. And while I never loved staring at the paneling my grandparents had on the walls of their old house, I do love the ways in which slat wood is becoming more modernized. 

I’ve been wanting to incorporate slat wood into a build for a while now, and this felt like the perfect timing! Even cooler, my friends at DAP Products recently revamped their Weldwood Contact Cement (which was used back in the day to install paneling to walls), so I decided to use it for my own “paneling” project!

Ready to see how I made this build happen? Let’s do this!

What I Used:

Tools
Miter Saw
Table Saw/Circular Saw
Drill/Driver
Router (Optional)
Dowling Jig
Countersink Bit
Pocket Hole Jig
Nail Gun
Sander & Sandpaper
Concealed Hinge Jig
Iron
Carpenter’s Square
Tape Measure
Wood Clamps

Materials
(1) ¾” Sheet Plywood
(1) 4 x 4 Sheet 1/4″ Plywood
(1) 2 x 2 x 8′ Board
1 1/8″ Trim Moulding
DAP Weldwood Contact Cement Spray Adhesive
DAP Weldwood Original Wood Glue
DAP Premium Wood Filler
Dark Walnut Wood Stain
Iron On Edge Banding
Wood Stain
Flat Black Spray Paint
Black Spray Primer
Shelf Pins
2 1/2″ Pocket Hole Screws
1 ½” Wood Screws
(4) Frameless Inset Hinges
Polyurethane

Cut List:

For the full, detailed cut list, check out my plans!

The Steps:

1. I started by cutting  ¾” plywood pieces into the cabinet sides, top, and bottom. 

2. Next, I used edge banding to cover the exposed plywood edges (I skipped over the sides that will be joined together).

3. Next, I used dowel joinery, clamps, and DAP wood glue to assemble my cabinet box. I also made sure to check for square 1,001 times.

4. I then cut two doors from the ¾” plywood. I always find that cutting the doors after assembling the cabinet carcass makes for perfectly measured doors.

5. For the doors, I used DAP wood filler to smooth out the exposed edges (these edges will be painted, so I didn’t need edge banding).

6. While the doors dried, I cut the pieces for the cabinet base using 2 x 2 boards (I trimmed these boards down to 1 x 1½” before making my pieces).

7. I assembled the base using pocket hole screws and DAP wood glue.

8. At this point I then sanded and painted the base and the doors in a flat black spray.

9. As the doors and base dried, I sanded and stained the cabinet.

10. Next, I cut wood slats for the door decorations and stained them the same color as the cabinet.

11. To create the slatwood look, I evenly spaced the slats on the cabinet doors and attached them using DAP’s Weldwood Contact Cement spray adhesive. This allowed me to connect the slats to the door without using nails! 

I sprayed the contact cement on the doors and on the slats (I used painter’s tape on the doors to prevent overspray), allowed them to sit for 5-10 minutes, and then pressed them together.

12. As the doors dried, I used an adjustable shelf pin jig to create shelving holes for the shelf.

13. Next, I attached the doors to the cabinet using a concealed hinge jig and spacers (you can see this in action in the YouTube video).

14. I then cut, stained, and attached the back panel to the cabinet with brad nails (I cut a groove in the back of the cabinet with my router to inset the panel).

15. I then added the shelf.

16. Last step was to add a center board to use as the handle – I did this with DAP wood glue and brad nails!

I am so, so proud of this build!

I honestly don’t know why I waited so long to make this build come to life – cabinets are really just boxes with doors! 

I hope this project inspires you to tackle a cabinet build of your own soon! If it does, make sure to Pin It for later!

Until next time friends… happy DIY’ing!