Diy Pot And Pan Organizer: Space-Saving Solution

Keeping your pots and pans organised can be a daunting task, especially when you have limited space. Luckily, there are many DIY solutions to help you maximise your storage space. From hanging pots and pans on walls or rails to using pull-out drawers or roll-out shelves, there are plenty of options to choose from. If you're feeling creative, you can even convert an old dresser or build your own H-frame to store your cookware.

Do-It-Yourself Pot and Pan Organizer Characteristics

Wall-mounted pot racks

When installing a wall-mounted pot rack, it is important to ensure that it is secured to a stud or beam and not just drywall, especially if you plan on hanging heavy cookware. You can use a stud finder to locate the studs in your wall and mark the spots where you will drill. If you don't want the screw heads to be visible, you can use a countersink drill bit to drill into the rack first and then fill the holes with putty before painting over them.

When choosing a location for your wall-mounted pot rack, consider installing it near the range or stovetop to keep your cookware within easy reach while cooking. You can also customize the height of the rack to accommodate pans of varying sizes. Additionally, if you have a collection of copper or stainless steel cookware, displaying them on a pot rack can add a stylish and charming focal point to your kitchen.

Pull-out drawers

Planning and Measuring

Before you start building, you need to plan everything out. Measure the depth of your cabinet from the back to the inside of the face frame. This will determine the length of the frame. If you're using drawer slides, read the directions to find out how much clearance you need on either side of the drawer. You'll also need to take into account the width of any ledger boards you plan to attach to the side of your cabinet.

Building the Drawer

Once you've planned and measured, you can cut the pieces of plywood for your drawer. For a standard cabinet, a good drawer depth is 21" or 22". You'll also need to cut a piece of plywood to fit the bottom of your drawer.

Adding Pocket Holes and Assembling

After cutting your pieces, you can add pocket holes to the longer pieces, then assemble the box with some wood glue. You can use corner clamps to help hold things in place while you work. Once the box is assembled, add some glue around the perimeter and use a pin nailer to attach the bottom of the drawer.

Adding Drawer Slides and Test Fitting

With the drawer built, you can add the drawer slides and test the fit in your cabinet. If you have face-frame cabinets, you may need to add ledger boards to either side of the cabinet to push out the drawer slides. Make sure the ledger boards are level with each other and with the cabinet. Once the ledger boards are in place, you can install the drawer slides and test the fit of your drawer.

Adding Dividers

If your drawer fits and slides as you want it to, you can plan out how you want to organise your pots and pans. You can use painter's tape and bring your pots and pans out to play around with different configurations. Once you've decided on a layout, you can measure and cut plywood to create dividers for your drawer. You can attach the dividers using pocket holes, but avoid using wood glue so that you can easily remove and adjust them in the future.

Materials and Tools

• Quarter sheet of 3/4″ (or 1/2″) plywood
• 1/4″ plywood project board
• Circular saw
• Kreg Jig + pocket hole screws
• Drill
• Pin nailer
• Measuring tape
• Drawer slides
• Ledger boards

Cabinet door lid organisers

Simple Houseware Cabinet Door/Wall Mount Pot Lid Organiser Rack, 2 Pack

This product is a straightforward and adaptable solution for storing your pot lids. It comes with two racks, each capable of holding three lids, providing a combined capacity of six lids. The racks can be installed on cabinet doors or walls, either vertically or horizontally, to suit your needs. They are designed to hold lids with different types of handles, including rounded ones and ear knobs. Installation is simple, requiring only the included hardware screws – three for each rack – to securely mount them in place. The dimensions of each rack are 9.5" width x 4.5" depth x 11.5" height.

Evelots 6 Pot Lid Organiser

This is another option for a cabinet door or pantry wall-mounted pot lid organiser. It can hold up to six pot lids and is made of white metal wire. The product is easy to install and helps keep your kitchen organised and clutter-free.

Universal Pot Lid Organiser for Cabinet

This is a set of three inside cabinet door wall-mount pan top storage organiser racks. They are designed to fit various lid sizes, ranging from 6" to 13", and are made of black metal. This product is a great way to keep your pot lids organised and easily accessible.

If you're feeling more adventurous and want to create your own cabinet door lid organiser, there's a simple DIY option that involves using sticky hooks. All you need to do is hold your pan lids against the cabinet door and mark the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions with a pencil. You want to avoid placing the hooks too close to 3 and 9, as the lid may fall out, and not too close to 5 and 7, as it may not be stable. Once you have your marks, peel the tabs off the sticky hooks and attach them to the door, pointing towards the centre of where the pan will be. This method is a quick and easy way to organise your pan lids without spending money on store-bought organisers.

Stacking with dividers

Stacking pots and pans can be a pain, especially if you need to remove the whole stack just to reach the item you need. A DIY pan organiser can help you avoid this issue. Here's a step-by-step guide to building a sturdy pot and pan organiser with dividers that can be inserted into a cabinet:

Step 1: Determine Your Measurements

First, measure the cabinet you want to insert the organiser into. If you don't have full overlay cabinet doors, be sure to measure the distance between the hinges/door rather than the inside of the cabinet box. This way, you'll be able to slide the organiser in without removing the hinges. Also, decide how tall you want the organiser to be. If you have a shelf in the upper part of the cabinet that you want to access, make sure the organiser is short enough to allow for that.

Step 2: Cut Your Wood

Based on your measurements, cut your wood accordingly. You will need:

• (2) pieces at W – 1” x D for the top and bottom
• (2) pieces at H x D for the sides
• (10) pieces at H – ½” x H – 1 ⅛” for the dividers
• (2) pieces at 2.5 x W – 1 for the back supports
• (?) at 1 x D – ½” for the slots

To determine the number of slots, divide your total width by 1.25”.

Step 3: Attach Slots

Use glue and ⅝” nails to install the slots to the top and bottom pieces. The first piece should be placed ½” from the edge, with one end flush with the front and a ½” gap at the back. Use a 1” piece of wood as a spacer between slots, leaving a small gap between the spacer and the new slot. Once you've completed one board, line up the edge with the second board to guide your spacing.

Step 4: Assemble Box

Line up the sides with the bottom of the organiser and secure with glue and 1.25” nails. Then, attach the sides to the top, ensuring that the side with the ½” gap is on the same side as the bottom.

Step 5: Install Back Supports

Drill two pocket holes on either short end of the back support pieces using the ½” setting. Install the back supports between the two sides using glue and 1” Kreg screws. They should rest on the top of the slots and be flush with the back of the organiser.

Step 6: Protect with Polycrylic

Seal your dividers and organiser with 3 coats of Polycrylic. A semi-gloss finish is recommended for easier cleaning.

Step 7: Install the Dividers

Place the organiser in the cabinet and install the dividers wherever they make the most sense for your cookware.

And there you have it! A sturdy DIY pot and pan organiser with dividers that can be customised to fit your space.

Pegboards

You can buy pegboards in a range of colours, including metallic, black, white, blue, red, orange, yellow and green. They are easy to install and can be cut to size. You can also buy a variety of hooks and accessories to hang your items, including standard v-hooks and u-hooks, 6-ring tool holders, large double arm hooks, and magnets for small items like measuring spoons.

If you're looking for a stylish and efficient way to organise your pots and pans, a pegboard is a great choice.

Frequently asked questions