WHAT IT TAKES
TIME: 1 day
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate
If you have a short cabinet flanked by two taller cabinets, you can add this combination shelf/wine glass rack/plate rack.
Cut the shelf to length, then add mounting strips on each end. Cut four 9-in. sections of wine glass molding from a 3-ft. length, then glue and nail them to the bottom of the pine shelf. Wine glass molding is available from woodworking stores and online. Cut curved brackets from each end of a 1x6 board that matches your cabinets and cut the center 1 in. wide to serve as shelf edging (Photo 1). Finally, install the unit by driving screws through the mounting strips and into the cabinets on each side.
To display your plates and keep them accessible and chip-free, build and install this plate rack (Photo 2).
To create the two plate rack “ladders,” measure the cabinet, then build each ladder so the finished height equals the height of the inside of the cabinet. The finished width should be equal to the width of the face frame opening. Drill 3/8-in. holes, 3/8 in. deep in 3/4-in. x 3/4-in. square dowels and space them every 1-1/2 in. Cut the dowels to length, add a drop of glue in each hole, insert the dowels, then use elastic cords or clamps to hold things together until the glue dries.
A drill press comes in handy, but you can also get good results using a cordless drill, a steady hand and a 3/8-in. drill bit with masking tape wrapped around it as a depth guide for the holes in the rails.