How to Make a Hidden Pegboard That Slides!

Every once in a while we come up with a novel idea, but this pegboard idea is more than that! Hidden behind cabinet doors, our sliding tool storage solves two very real issues: too much clutter and how to install pegboard where there’s a lack of wall space!

You see, I love the function of pegboard in my craft room for tools and such, but don’t like to see the visual clutter of the stuff that hangs there! Our sliding pegboard can hide away in my Pax cabinet to solve that issue. As a matter of fact, I can slide the pegboard out when I need it and tuck it away, behind cabinet doors, when I don’t.

Although I'm using this for tool storage in my craft room, this same idea will work in the kitchen to hang pots and pans - or anywhere else in the house you just want to store things you don't want to see!

Before we get into the Instructable, we’re excited to share that we’ve been nominated for an Amara blog award! Thank you to those that supported our nomination by voting. Please keep your fingers crossed for us that we get shortlisted.

• Pegboard (1/4")
• 22″ full extension soft close drawer glides
• Talon hook set
• Assorted pegboard hooks
• 1/4″ white Pegitz Pegboard Locks
• Screws
• Chicago screws
• Plywood for riser/bottom spacer (cut one @ 1 7/8″ high x 20″ long)
• Plywood for spacers (cut two @ 1/2″ deep x 1 7/8″ wide x 21 3/4″ long 1/4″ furring strips (cut two @ 1/4″ deep x 7/8″ wide x 21 3/4″ long)
• Circular saw or jig saw
• Primer Paint
• 320 grit sandpaper
• Mini paint roller
• Screwdriver and cordless screwdriver

In my old craft room I had several walls of pegboard tool storage. Unfortunately my craft room is much smaller now and I don’t have accessible wall space to hang pegboards.

So we did what any upcycler would do and came up with a compromise. We cut this pegboard down so we could mount it vertically onto slow close drawer slides. As you see above in the 2nd pic, the drawer glides are attached to the pegboard. Then, as we’ll explain further ahead, the pegboard is attached to spacers and finally the cabinet. No wall space needed like in my old craft room!

But before we hang the pegboard we have to cut it to size and paint it! We use a circular saw to cut it to fit the Pax cabinet. In order to fit above a glass shelf, we cut the pegboard 33″ high by 22″ wide.

Also cut a riser to lift the bottom of the pegboard when it’s installed so that the pegboard will clear the door hinges. Ours is 1-7/8″ high by 2-” long to fit our Pax cabinet configuration, but your’s may be different depending on the kind of cabinet you’re starting with and how it’s accessorized. You can read more here about the Ikea Pax Planner and how to install the Ikea Pax System.

Cut two 1/4″ thick furring strips to the width of the pegboard. Glue it to the top and bottom of the pegboard with wood glue. Being that the performance of the drawers slides depend in it, before clamping, ensure that the two furring strips are mounted perfectly parallel to each other before allowing them to dry.

The pegboard will need to clear the Pax unit hinges (sitting above the bottom one and below the upper one) so we cut a riser out of plywood for the pegboard to sit on. As mentioned, our riser is 1 7/8″ high.

However, as you can see above, the pegboard also needs spacer rails on the sides between the drawer slides and cabinet so the pegboard can slide out and clear the door. Cut two spacer rails 1 7/8″ deep and slightly narrower than the width of the pegboard. We’ll show you how to mount those together later.

Notice that we also cover the glass shelf with a scrap piece of carpet underlayment to cushion and protect the glass (in case anything falls during the installation and tool organization).

Use fine grit sand paper to scuff the front and back of the pegboard.

Remove all sanding dust.

Tip: we use an old sock, lightly dampened with water. That reduces the static electricity that can attract unwanted elements to your wet paint!

You can either spray or roll the paint. For this project, we’re using a roller for the primer.

First, pour primer into a paint tray. Then roll on a coat of primer and let it dry. However, all rollers are not created equal. Because the nap gives a smooth paint finish, our favourite roller is a Bennet mini roller. Of course, you can use a full sized roller too; we're just using what we have!

Once dry, we give the primer a scuff sand with fine grit sandpaper and remove the dust again. Then we paint the pegboard white using PPG BreakThrough. While working on another pegboard project, I recently learned how to paint using a spray gun. As a matter of fact, this DIY jewelry display which features pegboard, was my first paint sprayer project!

If you're looking for a fast and efficient way to paint your DIY project, this video explains above explains how it's done, giving professional tips from my husband.

The drawer glides we’re using are soft close full extension, 22″ in length and rated for 100 lbs. Because they need to be mounted separately, separate the drawer slides into the inner and outer parts first. To do that, press the yellow button you see in the first pic, and the inner member will slide right out.

In the 2nd pic you can see the separated pieces: inner member on the left and the outer member on the right. The inner member gets attached to the furring strip on the pegboard, while the outer member gets attached to the spacer.

In the 3rd pic, with the pegboard already hung, you can see how the inner member of the drawer slide is attached to the furring strip on the back with the screws provided.

You could actually mount the inner member directly to the pegboard using Chicago screws without the need of a furring strip, but that would require drilling new holes in both the pegboard and the metal drawer glide (which we’ll show you in an upcoming Instructable).

Again, when you attach the inner members to the top and bottom of the pegboard, you must ensure that they are parallel to one another. Once those are attached, it’s time to mount the outer members of the drawer glide to the spacers.

The outer member of the drawer glide gets attached to the spacer you see above in the first pic (it’s not attached to the pegboard).

It’s aways a good idea to pre drill first. When you pre drill the holes to attach the outer member to the spacer, be sure to vacuum up ALL the resulting wood dust; it can attach to the grease and affect the functionality of the gliding mechanism.

Once both outer members are screwed onto the spacers, re-attach them to the inner members on the pegboard. Just line them up and slide them back on. You will now have the drawer slides back together in one piece.

Essentially, the drawer slides are sandwiched between the furring strip on the pegboard and the spacer – which then gets attached to the cabinet in the next step – with help from some double side tape.

Double side tape is indispensable in hanging pegboard that slides! We mount 3 strips in between the screw holes in the spacer. However, a film tape just won’t work, as we discovered. Note that the tape shown in the first pic above (and on the video) was not heavy duty enough for this application.

Any variations in the wood spacer requires a tape that’s thick with a bit of cushioning and extra adhesion. So we ended up switching it out by using the double-sided carpet tape you see in the 3rd and 4th pics above.

Once the proper tape is on the spacers, we rest the bottom of the pegboard onto the plywood riser that sits atop the glass shelf.

Making sure the back of the pegboard hits the back of the cabinet, we push the pegboard unit against the side of the cabinet until the double side tape makes contact and sticks.

Between the riser and the carpet tape, this pegboard is not going anywhere! While the pegboard is ‘stuck’ into its proper position, we can carefully slide it out to expose the screw holes.

Ensure that both the drill and the screws are set for the proper length: less than the thickness of the materials they’re going through.

Pre-drill right through the spacer rails into the cabinet. Then screw through the drawer glides and spacers right into the side of the cabinet using an electric or regular screwdriver. Once all the screws are in place, remove the plywood riser at the bottom and ensure the pegboard slides in and out effortlessly.

Vacuum up any debris, but keep the carpet underpad in place while you organize your tools (in the next step) to protect the shelf.

Now it’s time to load the pegboard up with tools! Pegboard hooks come in all shapes and sizes, for every tool imaginable. Most commonly, you can find light duty 1/8″ or 1/4″ peg board hooks, like the ones in this kit (1st pic).

However, the one challenge is getting the metal hooks to stay in the pegboard without falling out every time you remove a tool! We have a few great solutions in the next section!

There's nothing more annoying than lifting a tool from a hook only to hear it clang on the floor! It's especially unavoidable when you have magnetized screw drivers!

Watch the video at the beginning of the I'ble to see some of these methods demonstrated:

Pegitz

For traditional metal peg hooks, Pegitz are silicone bumpers that fit into pegboard holes. The pegboard hook then slides into the Pegitz and provides a slip-free lock to hold the peg. Pegitz are removable in case you want to move tools around on the pegboard. At the time of this writing, they come in a pack of 50 for around $18 (with tax) Canadian. They are a little pricey so if you are watching your pennies, there are other cheaper options below.

Electrical Tubing

Raid your electrical supplies for shrink wrap tubing. Use a piece that’s just slightly bigger than the peg prong. Slip the heat shrink tubing around each prong of the peg hook. Cut to size. Then wave a lighter around each piece until the tubing has shrunk to fit tightly around the prong. This takes mere seconds, as you'll see on the video.

This method works pretty well. To make it even sturdier, shrink wrap it twice as we’re showing above in the third pic. In all honesty, I do prefer the Pegitz because the hook does not move at all. However, there’s no denying that it’s more economical and also fun to play with fire (but be safe and do this over non combustable materials)!

Pegboard Locks

Pegboard locks are plastic clips that snap into the holes in the pegboard (4th and 5th pic).

Locks are great for locking single hook pegs into a hole, but they don’t work for two prong hooks.

Talon Hooks

Talon hooks are a plastic pegboard hook that functions similar to drywall plugs. The hooks have a screw that you can tighten into the pegboard hole that expands and locks it into place. Talon hooks are available in 7 styles and are an extremely sturdy option that will never fall out! They’re so strong, you can even use the G04’s, shown on the left, to mount a shelf (which I may just try with our next project)!

Zip Ties

Zip ties are a cheap and flexible option; you can use as many as you need to lock the hook into place. The only drawback is that you need access to the back of the pegboard – which isn’t a problem with a sliding pegboard!

Hot Melt Glue

If you don’t have any other options, add hot glue onto the prong(s) before placing it into the peg hole(s). But do this quickly before the glue has a chance to dry! The drawback with hot glue is that its not as easily removable as other methods and you may damage a beautiful paint job if you ever need to pull outa peg to relocate it.

Once you’re done arranging your tools on the pegboard, you can slide it back into the cabinet.

When you close the door, you’ll no longer see the visual clutter. Moreover, the pegboard organizes your most used tools – all within reach!

We love incorporating pegboard into our home decor in new and creative ways, like this Hudson’s Bay Point Blanket Inspired Upcycle. For more unique DIYs, get your DIY mojo on and check out these projects.

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