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This is standard drawer-bank casework: a plywood box divided into openings, running on bottom-mount slides, faced with 1x8 drawer fronts. The open shelf underneath is the one departure from a typical dresser, and it's what keeps the piece from reading as a heavy block — baskets, boots, or folded throws can sit in plain view instead of behind a door.
Accuracy in the divider layout matters more here than in almost any other kind of casework, because a drawer bank makes every misalignment visible at once: five drawer faces in a row will show a 1/8" error that a single door would hide completely. Dry-fit the dividers and check every opening is identical before you commit to permanent fasteners, and expect to reach for a countersink bit once the openings get tight — a full-size drill won't fit in there later.
2x2 rails carry real weight once the drawers are loaded, so don't substitute thinner stock there even though it's tempting to use up scraps.
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| 3/4" plywood, 4x8 sheetSides, top, bottom, and shelf. | 1 each |
| 1/4" plywood, 4x8 sheetBack panel and drawer bottoms. | 1 each |
| Pine, 1x2, 8 ft | 5 each |
| Pine, 2x2, 8 ftLegs and rails — go with straight, high-grade stock here, it carries real load. | 6 each |
| Pine, 1x6, 8 ftDrawer box sides. | 4 each |
| Pine, 1x8, 10 ftDrawer faces. | 1 each |
| Drawer knobs or handles | 5 each |
| 16" bottom-mount drawer slides, pair | 5 pair |
| Pocket hole screws, assorted | 1 box |
| Brad nails, 1-1/4" | 1 box |
| Wood glue | 6 oz |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sides3/4" plywood | 2 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 18 3/4" |
| Side trimPine 1x2 | 8 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 15 3/4" |
| LegsPine 2x2 | 4 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 31 3/4" |
| Bottom rails, shortPine 2x2 | 2 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 15 3/4" |
| Bottom rails, longPine 2x2 | 6 | 1 1/2" × 1 1/2" × 55 1/2" |
| Front/back trimPine 1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 55 1/2" |
| Divider trimPine 1x2 | 6 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 7 1/2" |
| Top3/4" plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 57" |
| Top trim, sidesPine 1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 15 3/4" |
| Top trim, front/backPine 1x2 | 2 | 3/4" × 1 1/2" × 60" |
| Bottom shelf3/4" plywood | 1 | 3/4" × 15 3/4" × 55 1/2" |
| Back panel1/4" plywood | 1 | 1/4" × 18 3/4" × 58 1/2" |
| Small drawer box sides/fronts/backsPine 1x6 | 12 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 16" |
| Small drawer box sidesPine 1x6 | 6 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 15 1/2" |
| Small drawer bottoms1/4" plywood | 3 | 1/4" × 16" × 17" |
| Small drawer facesPine 1x8 | 3 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 17 3/4" |
| Large drawer box sides/fronts/backsPine 1x6 | 8 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 16" |
| Large drawer box sidesPine 1x6 | 4 | 3/4" × 5 1/2" × 24 7/8" |
| Large drawer bottoms1/4" plywood | 2 | 1/4" × 16" × 26 3/8" |
| Large drawer facesPine 1x8 | 2 | 3/4" × 7 1/4" × 27 1/8" |
Buy 24 boards at 8 ft.
6 boards
Drill 3/4" pocket holes along the side and top edges on the insides of the two plywood sides. Attach the 1x2 trim to the front and top edges with 1-1/4" nails and glue before you go any further — it's much easier to do flat than after the carcass is assembled.
Attach the legs to the sides through the predrilled pocket holes. Then attach the bottom with pocket holes and 2-1/2" pocket hole screws.
Add the front and back rails to establish the dresser's shape. If you're adding the drawer dividers, consider installing them now too — it gets tight to fit a drill in once the case closes up further.
You may need a countersink bit to drive screws in the tighter spots. Accuracy is what makes or breaks a five-drawer bank — every opening needs to be identical, or the drawer faces won't line up in a row later.
Attach trim to the outside edges of the top panel with 3/4" pocket holes and 1-1/4" pocket hole screws, then attach the completed top to the dresser.
Drill 3/4" pocket holes on all four edges of the bottom shelf and attach it to the frame with 1-1/4" pocket hole screws.
Build each drawer box 1" narrower than its opening's overall width — that's the clearance standard bottom-mount slides need, and the number to double-check against your actual openings before you cut.
Attach the drawer slides to the case and to the boxes, then hang the drawers. Attach the drawer faces last, with an even gap on all sides — spacers held against the case help keep the gap consistent while you nail and glue.
Attach the back panel last, once you're confident the drawers are sliding correctly — leaving it off until now means you can still reach in and adjust anything that isn't running smoothly.
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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 →