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DIY Bread Box – How to Make Your Own Bread Box
This beautiful bread box is the perfect place to store your favorite loaves.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- 4.3–8.3 hours
- Cost
- $$
Cut list
| Part | Qty | T × W × L | Material | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side back | 2 | 3/4" × 5" × 11" | — | ☐ |
| Side front | 2 | 3/4" × 3" × 11" | — | ☐ |
| Back | 2 | 3/4" × 5" × 14" | — | ☐ |
| Bottom back | 1 | 3/4" × 5" × 14" | — | ☐ |
| Bottom front | 1 | 3/4" × 3" × 14" | — | ☐ |
| Top | 1 | 3/4" × 5" × 16" | — | ☐ |
| Door stiles | 2 | 3/4" × 1" × 6" | — | ☐ |
| Door rails | 2 | 3/4" × 1" × 10" | — | ☐ |
| Cutting board center | 1 | 3/4" × 2" × 14" | — | ☐ |
| Cutting board sides | 4 | 3/4" × 1" × 14" | — | ☐ |
Materials
| Item | Qty | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Board, 1x4 48" | 1 board | ☐ |
| Board, 1x6 96" | 1 board | ☐ |
| Board, 1x2 96" | 1 board | ☐ |
| Board, 1x3 24" | 1 board | ☐ |
| 1 1/4" pocket hole screws | 25 each | ☐ |
| Wood glue | 1 each | ☐ |
| 15" x 10" 0.22 thick plexiglass | 1 each | ☐ |
| Decorative hinges | 4 each | ☐ |
| 1/2" screws with bolts | 6 each | ☐ |
| Knob | 1 each | ☐ |
| Magnetic latch | 1 each | ☐ |
| Cutting board oil | 1 each | ☐ |
Overall cost: $$. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.
Tools
- Brad Nailer
- Circular Saw
- Drill / Driver
- Impact Driver
- Miter Saw
- Pocket Hole Jig
- Random Orbit Sander
- Router
- Thickness Planer
- Bar / Pipe Clamps — optional
- Combination Square — optional
- Tape Measure — optional
Instructions
1. Build sides
- Cut the front and back side boards.
- Drill pocket holes along the edge of the back side board.
- Cut the top of the front side board so it is a 45 degree angle. Using wood glue and pocket hole screws, attach the two boards together to create the sides. Make sure the pocket holes are on the inside and mirrored on the two sides.
2. Router sides
Router a groove on the inside of the assembled side pieces. Make the groove 1/4" deep and 3/4" thick. The top of the groove should start at the end of the angle on the front board. Stop the groove 3/4" away from the back. I forgot this until I assembled the box, but was able to fix it by cutting a scrap 3/4" x 3/4" x 1/4" and glowing it into the groove to fill it. Also, be careful of tear-out on the edge of the sides when you router. The angled edge is fragile if you router towards it, so I recommend starting on the front side and routing towards the back.
3. Assemble bottom and back
- Cut the bottom and back boards.
- Drill pocket holes set for 3/4" material to the edge of the bottom back board and one back board. Using wood glue and 1 1/4" pocket hole screws, attach the boards together.
4. Attach the bottom to side
Drill pocket holes in either side of the assembled bottom piece. Attach one of the sides pieces to the bottom with wood glue and pocket hole screws.
5. Attach back
- Drill pocket holes in the bottom and either side of the assembled back piece.
- Attach it to the bottom and side piece with wood glue and pocket hole screws.
- Then attach the other side piece.
6. Attach the top
Add wood glue to the top of the bread box and position the top piece on it so that it hangs over each edge 1/4" and is flush to the back. Secure with a few finishing nails.
7. Build the door
Cut the door pieces. Router 1/4" x 1/4" grooves into the inside of the rails. For the stiles, start and stop the groove 1 1/4" from the edge.
8. Assemble the door
- Drill pocket holes in either end of the door rail boards. Using wood glue and pocket hole screws, attach the rails to the top and bottom of one stile board.
- Slide the plexiglass into the groove.
- Then attach the other stile.
9. Cut the plexiglass
Using a circular saw with the edge guide, cut the plexiglass. Cut 1 piece for the door 11 3/8" x 4 1/8" and cut 1 piece for the top flap 15" x 5".
10. Build the cutting board shelf
- Cut the boards for the cutting board. To give it stripes, use 2 1x2 boards of a different species.
- Add glue to the sides of the boards and line them up.
- Clamp tightly and allow to dry. Run the cutting board through a planner to smooth the top and bottom. As assembled, the cutting board will be 8 1/2" deep.
- Trim the cutting board to 8 1/4" with a table saw or circular saw with edge guide.
11. Attach top plexiglass flap
- To attach the hinges to the plexiglass cover for the top of the bread box, mark where the holes need to be.
- Then drill them with a through. Using the 1/2" screws and press through the holes, then line up the hinge behind the plexiglass and secure with the bolts. The hinges need to be on the backside of the plexiglass to make it lay properly.
- Then line the flap up on the bread box and attach the hinges to the top.
12. Attach the door
- To attach the door, line up the hinges on the front of the door and secure.
- Then attach to the bottom of the bread box so there is a 1/8" space between the door and bread box bottom.
- Place the magnetic hinge on the side of the box below the cutting board shelf 3/4" in from the front of the box.
- Attach the magnet to the back of the door. Using the cabinet hardware jig, drill a hole in the center of the door and attach a knob.
13. Finish the bread box
- Finish the bread box as desired. I chose to make it out of hardwood so I could just seal it with cutting board oil. For the cutting board shelf, you definitely want to finish it with cutting board oil.
- Slide the cutting board into the groove and fill your new bread box with your favorite breads.