Furniture

16 Drawer Dresser

The perfect tall storage cabinet with 16 slim drawers for all sorts of things: papers, office supplies, linens, make up, socks or undergarments, hair supplies, and on and on.

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Difficulty: Advanced
Time: 6.8–13.3 hours
Cost: $$$

About this build

The perfect tall storage cabinet with 16 slim drawers for all sorts of things: papers, office supplies, linens, make up, socks or undergarments, hair supplies, and on and on. Perfect for the bedroom, office, dining room, hallway, really any room.

Tools

Essential

Brad Nailer
Circular Saw
Drill / Driver
Miter Saw
Pocket Hole Jig
Random Orbit Sander

Optional / nice to have

Bar / Pipe Clamps
Combination Square
Tape Measure

Materials

Item	Qty
Plywood, 3/4" Thick Full Sheet	1 board
Plywood, 1/4" Thick Full Sheet	2 board
Board, 1x2 96"	24 board
Board, 1x4 72"	1 board
Board, 1x3 96"	4 board
1 1/4" pocket hole screws	50 each
1 1/4" wood screws	12 each
2" finish nails	100 each
1 1/4" finish nails	100 each
3/4" finish nails	100 each

Overall cost: $$$. Lumber prices vary by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure we would only be pretending to know.

Cut list

Part	Qty	T × W × L
Sides	2	3/4" × 17" × 52"
Top & base	2	3/4" × 17" × 21"
Top	1	3/4" × 18" × 24"
Drawer dividers	15	3/4" × 1 1/2" × 21"
Drawer supports	30	3/4" × 1 1/2" × 2"
Drawer sides	32	3/4" × 1 1/2" × 17"
Drawer front & back	32	3/4" × 1 1/2" × 4"
Base molding front	1	3/4" × 3 1/2" × 24"
Base molding sides	2	3/4" × 3 1/2" × 17"
Drawer fronts	16	3/4" × 2 1/2" × 2"
Drawer bottom	16	1/4" × 17" × 20"
Backing	1	1/4" × 22" × 52"

What to buy

Buy 22 boards at 8 ft.

3/4" × 18"

1 board

3/4" × 17"

2 boards

52"21"21"
52"

3/4" × 3 1/2"

1 board

24"17"17"

3/4" × 2 1/2"

1 board

2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"

3/4" × 1 1/2"

12 boards

21"21"21"21"4"4"2"
21"21"21"21"4"4"2"
21"21"21"21"4"4"2"
21"21"21"17"4"4"4"2"
17"17"17"17"17"4"4"
17"17"17"17"17"4"4"
17"17"17"17"17"4"4"
17"17"17"17"17"4"4"
17"17"17"17"17"4"4"
17"17"17"17"17"4"4"
17"4"4"4"4"4"4"4"4"4"4"4"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"
2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"2"

1/4" × 22"

1 board

1/4" × 17"

4 boards

20"20"20"20"
20"20"20"20"
20"20"20"20"
20"20"20"20"

Assumes 8 ft stock, a 1/8" saw kerf, and buying each part at its own width. Change the board size or kerf on the full board plan →

Start building →

Instructions

1Dimensions
16 drawer dresser measures 53"h x 24"w x 18"d. These measurements allow you to make the carcass from one sheet of plywood.
2Step 1
Attach top and bottom to sides using wood glue and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws.
3Step 2
Attach top to top of carcass using wood glue and 1 1/4" countersunk screws.
4Step 3
Create drawer dividers by attaching to sides of carcass using wood glue and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws. Start at the top and work down.
5Step 3 continued
Use a scrap wood spacer between drawer dividers to ensure accurate and even spacing.
6Step 4
Attach drawer side supports to side of carcass using wood glue and 2" finish nails.
7Step 4 continued
Again use a scrap wood spacer for even and accurate spacing between supports.
8Step 5
Attach base molding using wood glue and 1 1/4" finish nails.
9Step 6
Make drawer box by attaching sides using wood glue and 1 1/4" finish nails.
10Step 7
Attach drawer bottom to box using wood glue and 3/4" finish nails
11Step 8
Insert drawers into shelves. There should be an 1/8" clearance on each side.
12Step 8 continued
Attach drawer faces to drawers using wood glue and 1 1/4" finish nails. Try to place nails where they will be hidden by hardware. Use clamps to hold face in place and push against drawer body from back while nailing in place.
13Step 9
Attach backing using wood glue and 3/4" finish nails.