Jelly Cupboard

Join the sides, bottom, and top with pocket screws and glue — mark the top's overhangs and set them evenly before driving anything. Check square by diagonals; a cupboard case that starts out a parallelogram delivers that parallelogram to the doors later, with interest.

Fit the three 1x10 shelves flush with the case's back edge. The ~2" gap this leaves at the front is not sloppiness — it's where the doors' backing panels swing in when they close, plus finger room for jar retrieval.

Space the shelves for actual jars: pints want about 6" clear, quarts about 8".

Square the case one more time, then nail the 1/4" back on with 1-1/4" finish nails and glue into every fixed board — sides, top, bottom, and all three shelves. Nailed to everything, the back is the case's shear panel; nailed to just the edges, it's a rattle.

Pocket-screw the face frame flat (stiles, top rail, bottom rail), then glue and nail it to the case front. Want the classic look? Draw a gentle taper at each end of the bottom rail and cut it with a jigsaw before attaching — instant feet, and the piece stops looking like a box.

Measure each door opening off the real face frame — board widths vary mill to mill, so the plan's numbers are estimates and your tape is the truth. Build each door frame 1/8" smaller than the opening on all sides, then nail and glue the 1/4" backing panel on (beadboard face out, if using).

Hang with hinges, mount the knobs, and set the magnetic clasps so the doors close with a satisfying period-correct thunk.

Sand, then paint or stain — milk-paint colors (barn red, deep green) are the traditional move, distressed edges optional and forgivable.

Strap the cupboard to a wall stud before loading it: tall, shallow, and forty pounds of preserves behind two doors is the exact geometry tip-over warnings were written about. Then fill it with jam you made or store jam you'll claim you made.