Inside Cabinet Door Kitchen Wrap Organizer Holder Using Wire Shelving
by donnacat in Workshop > Organizing
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Inside Cabinet Door Kitchen Wrap Organizer Holder Using Wire Shelving
It was time to get organized. I couldn't find a thing in my kitchen wrap cupboard, it was a jumble of wax paper, freezer wrap and plastic bags, etc... I knew the only way to properly organize them was to store those puppies upright like soldiers ready to wrap and roll. This is an easy project, and you will end up with a custom holder that's exactly the size you want.
If you had to purchase all the items it would probably cost less than $20, but you would have enough material to make several of these.
Supplies
Wire shelving (length dependent on the width of the cabinet door) I happened to have a piece left over from a closet project. You can find this at hardware stores and big box home centers. The one I used was 12" deep and has a 1 1/2" lip. The lip is important because that is what the rolls of wrap will rest on. Without the lip you would have to put a piece of wood at the bottom.
1x4 wood (approximately 3' total) any type of wood. I had some scraps that were perfect.
4 Screws
Drill, drill bits, countersink
Screwdriver
Hammer
Measuring tape or ruler
Jig saw with a fine woodcutting blade for making curves and a metal blade for cutting the wire shelving.
Or, you could use hand saws: coping saw for the wood and hack saw for the metal. It would take longer, but it could be done.
Measure and Design
Measure the inside dimension of your cabinet door and decide how wide, tall and deep you want to make your holder. Be sure to consider that you will need some clearance to close the door without the holder banging into the inside shelf. (I had to remove a shelf and trim it, which was no problem).
Measure the depth of the largest item you want to store on the rack, as well as the longest. My plastic wrap box was the deepest at 3". I found that a scrap of 1x4 cedar that I happened to have was the perfect size to fit that box, leaving another 1/2" or so for installing the wire shelving.
I decided that a height of 17" was perfect to fit both the cabinet door, and the wire shelving material.
17" was also perfect for the inside width of the cabinet my door, leaving approximately an inch on either side clear so the door will close properly.
I cut the wire shelving 17" long with a jigsaw using a metal blade, cutting in the center between rows, leaving prongs of about 3/8" long.
I cut the wood side pieces with a jigsaw using a fine tooth wood blade. I cut curves on both ends for aesthetic reasons, and also to give a place to screw the wood to the inside of the cabinet door. You will see that later. Cut one curve, then transfer that by tracing with a pencil to the other piece.
Quickly hand sand the pieces smooth to remove splinters. Only you will see it so it doesn't have to be perfect!
Putting It Together
The assembly is a pretty simple process. Line up the wire shelving on the wood side piece exactly where you want it, being aware of what the top, bottom and back is. Take your hammer and tap the wire shelving lightly from the top so that the shelving makes a dimple in the wood. Do this for both sides.
Measure the wire shelving prongs with a drill gauge, or take your drill bits and line them up to find the right bit size. Be sure to pick a drill bit that's the same size as the prong or maybe a hair smaller. You don't want to make your holes too big. You want a nice tight fit. This wire shelving is 1/4".
Drill the holes exactly where the dimples are, about halfway through the wood, being careful not to drill all the way through. You can put a piece of masking tape on the drill bit 3/8" from the end as a guide.
Place the wire shelving prongs in your drilled holes. Tap the top with your hammer. The prongs of the shelving will embed into the wood nice and tight.
Do this for the other side too. Be sure to use a wood scrap to protect the wood piece from your hammer.
You could put a dab of adhesive in the holes first. I didn't do this, and I didn't think of it till later, but it might be a good idea if you have the right type of glue. Liquid nails perhaps?
Attaching It to the Cabinet Door
This is the tricky part. First, measure the thickness of your cabinet door. Then go through your screw collection to find the proper length screws. You want a length that will not go all the way through the door, but long enough to bite into the door. Drywall screws will work, as well as anything you can find in your screw collection (you must have a jar of oddball screws somewhere, right?).
Carefully drill a pilot hole and a countersink in the wood for the screws. This is tricky, because drilling and screwing into the endgrain can (and will) cause splitting. So do it carefully. Drill pilot holes on top and bottom of wood side pieces for a total of 4 holes.
Line up your finished piece on the door and drill a pilot hole in the door too, being careful not to go all the way through to the other side of the door.
Carefully, install your screws by hand using a screwdriver (not a drill). The screw could cause the wood to split. If it starts to split, unscrew and make a slightly larger pilot hole. While you are screwing it in with one hand, put your other hand on the other side - the front of the door - so you can feel if the screw starts to break through to the other side.
If using the screws is an epic fail, use small L shaped corner brackets to attach it.
Finished!
Make sure your door closes properly and it doesn't hit or bind on anything in the cabinet. You may have to trim a shelf down.
Fill your rack with kitchen wrap and enjoy!
If you have materials left over, consider using the same technique to store other kitchen items, such as rags, plastic bags, cleaning supplies, or whatever else is messing up your cabinets!