KITCHEN CABINETS - How to make contemporary kitchen cabinets from mat board.

 

 

These are pictures of my corner cabinet doll house.  There are more pictures in the blog under "Pictures of Room Boxes"  in the left margin under THINGS TO DO, THINGS TO SEE.

I made my cabinets from wood, that's before I realized the wonderfulness of mat board.  Believe me if I had known about what could be done with mat board I would have made them from mat board.  Much less investment in tools and materials!  The most you would need to invest in is a mat board cutting system, with all the bells and whistles that's about $100.00.  BUT YOU CAN STILL DO THIS WITH JUST YOUR KRAFT KNIFE.  So don't NOT try this out!!

I am married to a cabinet maker.  From him I've learned how to build correctly, from wood, cabinets.  Mullions, stiles, rails, faces, all the terms I've learned from him.  Some things we will use, some things we'll do because we are using mat board, not wood.  I've blended things I've learned from him and things I've developed working with mat board.  In the end you'll have cabinets that will look designer professional.  No need to wish for that fabulous kitchen you saw in the mini-mags . . . .YOU CAN DO THIS.

After you read this you should be able to go to Lowes or Home Depot and buy one of those beautiful books full of designer kitchens and pick one out to make yourself, really.  That's what I've done, that's where the ideas come from.  Search the Inter-Net for standard sizes and convert to 1 inch scale, 1 inch equals 1 foot, 1/2 inch equals 6 inches and so on.  Counter tops are 2 foot wide, that's 2 inches, cabinet bases are 36 inches tall, including the counter top, that's 3 inches.  We are making the sink base, it would be 6 foot long in full-size, it's 6 inches in 1 inch scale.

I am going to begin with the posts at the side.  I've turned mine using my Dremel in the Work-Station, then sawed them half on my table saw.  I don't think many of you have these tools, some might and please go ahead and make some turned posts.  I've changed the posts so that they can be made from mat board.  I want to make them first because the counter top has to have a lip, stick out, beyond the posts so I need to know just how thick they will be.  I like measuring from the finished item, my husband would shake his head at me, "You should know this from measurements, the thickness of the material and figure back."  Yeah, I said I use some of his stuff!     

There are six parts published in this January blog.    I will publish how to finish the cabinets in February.