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This is a real face-framed cabinet, which means every joint is reinforced by the frame itself rather than relying on the box joints alone — get the box built square from the start and the drawers will slide the way they're supposed to. The drawer faces are sized off your actual 1x8 boards rather than a fixed number: measure your boards' real width, add 1/4" for drawer-side allowance, and cut the cubby openings to that number. Lumber runs a little different width from batch to batch, and building to your own material instead of a spec sheet is what makes drawers that fit.
The drawers themselves are cut-to-fit, not cut-to-spec — build each one slightly oversized, then trim it down to its own cubby opening (about 1/8" clearance per side for a first attempt, tighter if you're confident in your cuts), because no two openings in a hand-built cabinet are perfectly identical. This is also a charging station: one drawer gets a hole drilled through the back panel to route a cable through. Because this is a tall, top-heavy cabinet, it must be secured to a wall stud, not left freestanding — that's not optional trim, it's what keeps it from tipping.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 1x12 board, 8 ft | 3 each |
| 1x12 board, 10 ft | 1 each |
| 1x8 board, 2 ft | 1 each |
| 1x6 board, 8 ft | 1 each |
| 1/4" plywood, full sheet | 1 each |
| 1x2 board, 8 ft | 3 each |
| Cabinet knobs | 3 each |
| Pocket-hole screws, 1-1/4" | 30 each |
| Finish nails, 1-1/4" | 80 each |
| Wood glue | 6 oz |
| Coat hooks | 3 each |
| Wall anchors or lag screws (to secure to a stud) | 2 each |
| Candle waxRubbed on drawer bottoms after finishing for a smooth slide. | 1 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.
| Part | Qty | T × W × L |
|---|---|---|
| Sides1x12 | 2 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 75 1/4" |
| Main divider1x12Splits the cabinet into the locker side and the drawer cubby side. | 1 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 75 1/4" |
| Top and bottom1x12 | 4 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 25 1/2" |
| Cubby dividers1x12Measure your 1x8 boards' actual width and cut these to that width plus 1/4" for drawer allowance. | 4 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 7 1/2" |
| Fixed shelf1x12 | 1 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 36 1/4" |
| Bottom shelf1x12 | 1 | 3/4" × 11 1/4" × 27" |
| Back panel1/4" plywood | 1 | 1/4" × 27" × 76" |
| Frame side stiles1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 73 3/4" |
| Frame top and bottom rails1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 27" |
| Frame center rail1x2 | 1 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 24" |
| Drawer sides1x6Cut to fit — treat this as a starting size and trim each drawer to its own opening. | 6 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 10 1/2" |
| Drawer fronts and backs1x6Cut to fit. | 3 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 5 3/4" |
| Drawer faces1x8Height matches your actual 1x8 board width — cut to fit each opening. | 3 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 7 1/4" |
| Drawer bottoms1/4" plywood | 3 | 1/4" × 10 1/2" × 7 1/4" |
Buy 12 boards at 8 ft.
5 boards
If you get this box built square and right, your drawers will slide great — take your time, mark all your joints, and check for square at least twice. Measure the actual width of your 1x8 boards to get your drawer face heights, add 1/4" to that number, and cut your cubby dividers to that width for well-fitting drawers.
If you don't have a pocket-hole jig, add the main divider (next step) before assembling the box — you won't be able to fit a drill in there afterward.
Attach the main locker divider with 1-1/4" pocket-hole screws and glue, or with countersunk screws or nails and glue.
Add the sides, top, and bottom shelf using the pocket-hole jig or just screws or nails and glue — the whole box is face framed, so every joint is reinforced.
Attach the back panel to all the fixed shelves with glue and 1-1/4" finish nails.
Attach the face frame stiles and rails to the front of the cabinet, keeping every joint flush and square.
Add the top and bottom trim to the cabinet.
Add the crown trim to finish the top of the cabinet.
The trick with these drawers is building each one to fit its own opening. For a first attempt, leave about 1/8" clearance on each side; if you're confident in your cuts, 1/16" gives a tighter fit. Tack the plywood bottom onto each drawer box. For the charging drawer, drill a hole through the back panel to route a cable through.
Each drawer opening may be slightly different, so build and fit each drawer to its own cubby rather than to a single measurement. Rub candle wax on the drawer bottoms after finishing for the smoothest slide.
Slide each drawer box into its cubby. Cut the drawer faces to fit and position them over the drawer boxes, then nail on and add the knobs.
Add the coat hooks. This cabinet is tall and top-heavy — secure it to a wall stud behind it with wall anchors or lag screws to prevent tipping before it's used.
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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 →