Easy Frame-and-Panel Cabinet Doors

This is a technique for building your own frame-and-panel doors to any size, rather than a fixed-dimension project — the whole method comes down to one repeatable formula: cut the panel and rails 5" less than your desired finished door dimensions, and cut the stiles to the full finished dimension. Once you know that relationship, you can build a door for almost any cabinet opening using the same steps.

Getting the plywood panel cut perfectly square and straight matters more than any other single step — a fixed saw (miter saw or table saw) is strongly preferred, and if you're using a circular saw, run it against a straight edge or rip guide rather than freehand. Drill 1/2" pocket holes around all four sides of the panel, spaced roughly every 8", with at least two holes per side.

Attach the rails to the top and bottom of the panel first, through the panel's pocket holes, keeping the back and all outside edges flush — then drill 3/4" pocket holes on the ends of the rails for the stiles. The stiles go on last, using two different screw lengths for the two different pocket hole depths (1" screws for the panel's 1/2" holes, 1-1/4" for the rail-end 3/4" holes) — mixing these up is an easy mistake worth double-checking before driving screws. Fill the pocket holes with plugs or wood filler once assembled.

The worked example below is sized for a 24" x 30" door — a representative size showing the formula in action — but the actual dimensions scale to whatever opening you're building for.