How To Build Kitchen Drawer Dividers | This Old House: Live

Creating custom kitchen drawer dividers is an excellent way to maximize storage space and keep your utensils organized. This DIY project allows you to tailor the dividers to your specific needs and drawer dimensions. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of building your own kitchen drawer dividers, from measuring and planning to the final assembly. Above, Nathan Gilbert from This Old House demonstrates the step-by-step process, offering valuable insights along the way.

Planning Your Drawer Dividers

Before diving into the construction process, it’s essential to plan your drawer dividers carefully. This step ensures that your final product fits perfectly and meets your organizational needs.

Measuring Your Drawer

Accurate measurements of the inside of your drawer are crucial for custom dividers. Every drawer can vary slightly in size, so precise measurements are necessary for a perfect fit. Use a measuring tape to record the length, width, and depth of your drawer.

Designing the Layout

With your measurements in hand, transfer them to paper and begin planning your divider layout. Think about the items you’ll store and how you’d like them organized. For example, Gilbert focuses on utensil storage, creating dividers that are about 12 inches long and leaving space in the back for items like plastic wrap and aluminum foil.

Choosing Your Materials

Poplar is a great option for this project as it is easy to work with, sands well, and takes paint nicely. However, oak or pine can also be good choices depending on your preferences. Here are the tools and materials you’ll need.

• Brad nails and nailer
• Clamps
• Half-inch poplar boards (or other wood types)
• Measuring tape
• Miter saw
• Orbital sander (optional)
• Paint or finish
• Paper and pencil for planning
• Router with a 45-degree chamfer bit
• Sandpaper (180-grit)
• Table saw
• Wood glue

Pro tip: Ensure the wood you select is slightly shorter than the depth of the drawer to allow easy placement and removal.

Cutting and Preparing the Wood for Drawer Dividers

With a plan in place, you can start cutting the boards to the right sizes and preparing them for eventual assembly.

Step 1: Cutting the Boards

Using a miter saw, cut your boards to the required lengths based on your layout plan. To ensure accuracy, cut a small piece off the end of each board to create a square edge before making the final cuts.

Step 2: Sanding the Pieces

After cutting, sand all the boards smooth with 180-grit sandpaper. Place a shipping blanket beneath the boards during sanding to protect them and keep them from moving around.

Step 3: Marking for Joinery

Once the boards are cut and sanded, mark them for joinery. You will need to create dados (grooves) and rabbets (notches) to ensure secure connections between pieces. Carefully measure and mark the locations for these joints according to your planned layout.

Step 4: Cutting Dados and Rabbets

Using a table saw, cut the dados and rabbets into the boards. A 1/2-inch stack dado blade simplifies this process, but if you don’t have one, you can make multiple passes with a regular blade to achieve the same result. Precision is key, so take your time to ensure clean and accurate cuts.

Pro tip: To achieve symmetry, work from a center line outward when cutting your joints. For utensil dividers, aim for four equal spaces by starting with a center dado and moving outward.

Kitchen Drawer Divider Assembly and Finishing

With all pieces cut and prepared, it’s time to assemble and add the finishing touches to your drawer dividers.

Technique Detail: When assembling, keep track of which side of each panel is rough and which is smooth. Orient the smooth face toward the inside of the drawer for a better feel and appearance when reaching in for utensils. As noted during a This Old House Live build, “I’m taking care to put this bottom panel with a nice smooth face towards the inside of the drawer.”

Step 5: Gluing and Clamping

Apply wood glue to the dados and rabbets, then assemble the divider structure. Use clamps to hold everything in place while the glue dries. Clean up any excess glue with a damp rag to ensure a clean finish.

Step 6: Adding Reinforcement

For extra stability, you can add a single brad nail at each joint once the glue has dried. This step provides additional strength to your dividers without compromising their appearance.

Pro Tip: Don’t underestimate the role of glue in this project. As explained during a This Old House Live demonstration: “The glue is the main ingredient in the whole thing. ‘Cause that’s what’s gonna hold everything solidly and tightly together.” The brad nails are really just there to hold the pieces in position while the glue sets — so apply a generous, even bead to every mating surface.

Step 7: Easing the Edges

To make the dividers user-friendly, use a router with a 45-degree chamfer bit to ease the inside edges. This step prevents sharp corners that could catch your hand while reaching for utensils.

Step 8: Fitting the Dividers

Carefully place your custom dividers into the drawer to test the fit. They should fit snugly but not so tightly that they are difficult to remove if necessary. 

Technique Detail: For a professional-looking finish, address any joinery seams or nail holes by making a filler from wood glue and sawdust. As demonstrated in a This Old House project, mix the two “until the mixture is about the consistency of peanut butter,” then press it into gaps and let it dry before your final sanding. This creates a filler that closely matches the color of your wood.

Step 9: Painting or Finishing

Remove the dividers from the drawer and sand them one final time before applying your chosen finish. Painting the dividers to match the interior of your drawer can create a seamless, built-in look.

More Fun with Drawer Dividers

If you enjoyed completing this project, there are multiple options for customization and applications outside of the kitchen.

• Create similar dividers for office or bathroom drawers.
• Design adjustable dividers that can be repositioned as your storage needs change.
• Add decorative touches like stenciling or using colorful paints to make your dividers aesthetically pleasing.
• Turn the project on its side and create a hanging spice rack with compartments customized to fit your spice and seasoning jars.

Pro Tip: Before investing in custom-built dividers, try the no-cost method featured in This Old House Magazine: repurpose items you already have on hand — ice cube trays, baking pans, even tin cans or take-out containers — arranged Tetris-style so they fit snugly in the drawer. Give them a couple of coats of spray paint to unify the look, and you’ve got an instant organizer to test what compartment sizes work best before committing to a permanent build.

Magnetic Dividers: For a more flexible approach, consider using magnetic tape on your divider pieces. As demonstrated on Ask This Old House, magnetic strips allow you to reposition dividers without any permanent fasteners — simply cut the magnetic tape along with your divider stock on the miter saw, and the dividers stay put in the drawer but can be completely rearranged whenever your storage needs change.