How I Built our Cubby Organizer

I want to share with you how I made our Cubby Organizer!

I designed and built this from an inspiration from Pottery Barn.  They have a Hotel Cubby style organizer they offer.  I wanted mine to have a different look than theirs.  I wanted mine to have more of a front on each cubby so this is what I came up with!

Materials:

2-  8 foot 1x4 pine boards  

1- 12 foot 1x4 pine board  (with 2- 8 foot and 1- 12 foot 1x4's, you 

           should have enough pine board material to make all of the

           cuts for your cubbies.)

1- sheet smooth finish thin plywood 1/4in. thickness (Purchased               from Lowe's)

wood glue

25- label holders (mine are 2 1/4 in wide by 3/4 in tall)

50- extra small screws mine were 2x1/4

1 1/4 in Brad Nails

Brad Nailer

Miter Saw

Circular Saw

Palm Sander

White Paint

Stain of your choice

Drill & 1/16 drill bit

*****Special Note*****  I'm going to give you the cut list, BUT Before you cut the 1x4 pine boards, Make sure you Paint, sand, and stain your boards first!  This will save you so MUCH Time! With the small size of each cubby, it will be difficult to paint sand and stain each one after they are cut and assembled, so remember to paint, sand and stain first!!!  

The above Directions I give to paint first then sand it off then stain over it is for a Barn wood look like the way mine looks.  You can paint it really anyway you want.  If you don't want a barn wood look, you can just paint your boards the color of your choice and then begin cutting and assembling your cubbies. :)

Cut List:  ***Note, it does not matter which of the 8 foot or 12 foot boards you make your cuts from, they all need to be cut up.

From 1x4's make the following cuts: 

20- Blocks cut at 4 1/2 inches long each (Divider boards)

6- Boards cut at 23 1/4 inches long each (Row boards)

2-Boards cut at 27 1/4 inches long each (Side end boards)

From the Plywood: 

1 Board cut 24 5/8 in wide by 27 1/4 inches tall (Back Board) *** This board can be painted after it is cut.

3-4 strips cut 1 1/2 in wide.   Paint, sand, and stain these strips while they are still long strips, before you cut them into the fronts of each cubby.  This will save you time again!

Ok.  You have your wood purchased.  As I mentioned above, Paint the 12 foot long boards white first! The blocks in the picture are just for show, do not cut them yet!

Next sand each of the 12 foot long boards down as much as you want them to be sanded..  I sanded mine quite a bit.

Stain your 12 foot boards however dark you want them to be.  I used Minwax Black Walnut

Now you can cut out of the 12 foot pine boards,  your blocks, row boards and side boards.  Use the cut list above.

Now you can start assembling.  Before I nailed mine, I laid out the boards to see how it was going to come together.

Time to start assembling your first row.
Take a board 23 1/4 in long.  Take 4 blocks cut 4 1/2 in long.

Measure over from the left 4 inches.  Set a block on the row board.

 Draw lines on each side of the block.  Lay a bead of glue down in between the lines.

Turn the row board on its side and nail the block to it.  This has to be exact and flush so your cubbies turn out lined up with each other.

For the second block... measure over from the closest side of the first block you just nailed.  Measure over 4 inches.  Mark on each side, glue and turn it on its side to nail that block on.

For the third Block, repeat the same steps.  Measure over, mark, glue, turn on side and nail.

Again for the fourth block, repeat the same steps.

At this point you will have a finished row.  do not put any blocks on the ends, your side boards will provide that.

Now you need to make 4 more of these rows until all 20 blocks are nailed onto 5 separate rows total.  

Once your 5 rows are made, you need to start nailing them to each other.  This part also has to be very exact so the cubbies are not thrown off.

Take a row with the 4 blocks on it. Place glue ontop of each of the exposed blocks.

Take another finished row with 4 blocks on it.  Place it on top of the blocks with the row board touching each of the blocks below. Make sure they are exactly lined up.  Now you have to anchor this top row to the bottom row of blocks.  This is where you will need to toe nail them from the front at an angle in towards the back to anchor each board. Swing the project around to the back and toe nail the back of the row just like you did the front. To anchor it more securely.

Repeat this again for each row of boards with blocks on them. Always remember to toe nail them at the back too.

Repeat this until all 5 rows are toe nailed on.  Once all of your 5 rows are anchored.  Now you can glue and nail your last row board on the top.  Once that top board is nailed to the blocks below.  You can put the side boards on.  Make sure your rows are flush with the sides. (Some of your cubbies may be off, some of mine were, I had to swing some rows around and adjust them.) Once everything is lined up, glue and nail your side boards on at the corners and at the end of each row.

Here it is with all rows and sides on...

If you haven't cut your back board and front strips, you can cut them now.  

Once the back board and strips are cut, paint, sand and stain them.

Nail your Back board on. Make certain to nail it to the blocks and rows and that you do not puncture through to the front.

With your front strips, measure and mark each strip at the front of each cubby.  You have to custom cut each of these front pieces, because the sizes of the cubbies are all just a little bit different measurements.

Once your front board is cut, take a label holder and center it on the front board.  On mine, I used a 1/16 drill bit.  I centered my label holders on each of the front boards.  My label holders are 3/8 of an inch down from the top and roughly 3/4 of an inch in from each side.

Here are the labels  and screws I used.

The Labels I got from JoAnn fabrics online.  They come 5 to a package.  They are made by K& Company. The screws I found at Lowes.  The label holders I bought did not provide screws.

Once the label holder is on, glue it in its proper cubby with wood glue. Wipe off excess glue.  I did not nail mine because the wood is so thin.

Job completed!!!

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I have just finished another similar set of cubbies that I used for my daughter's Birthday Party!  If you would like to see these cubbies, you can do so here or by clicking on the picture below:

We have loved our cubbies!  I loved designing and building this!  I had a vision of what I wanted so I sketched it out in my idea notebook one night when I couldn't sleep. (Do you love all the pencil scribbles compliments of my little toddler?) :)

If you do build one of these yourself, I hope you enjoy yours as much as we have ours.  I plan to use mine for different holidays crafts and decor.  Currently it is serving as our Advent Calendar countdown to Christmas! If you would like to read more about our Advent Calendar, you can here or by clicking on the picture below.

If you would like to read more about how I made the peppermint that is the marker for our advent calendar, you can do so here, or by clicking on the photo below.

If you would like to see other things I have built, you can see that here or by clicking on the photo below!

Thanks for reading!
With Much Love & Gratitude,