Shake, shake, shaker your cabinets
I started to convert my old flat panel kitchen oak cabinets into shaker cabinets with handmade ceramic and glass knobs. This is a project and I am definitely having fun!
I made the knobs from clay and one royal blue glass bead. The glass melts in the kiln when the pieces are being glaze fired. I LOVE them! They took a while to make, but I am happy!
Then, I found inspiration on YouTube on how to update my cabinet doors. There are several websites out there. I took 1/4" MDF and ripped it down into 4' x 2 1/4" strips and a few 4'x 1 1/4" strips with my table saw. I measured and cut vertical strips for each door and draw. I used wood glue and C clamps to hold the pieces in place while I used my 18G finish nailer with 5/8" nails to attach each piece to the door. I them measured and cut the horizontal strips of MDF and glued, clamped and nailed them in place.
I them used wood filler to cover the nail holes and butt joints between the MDF strips. After the filler dried, I lightly sanded the MDF and cleaned up the dust with a tack cloth.
I then primed (2 coats) and painted (2 coats) each panel by hand. I didn't feel like buying or renting a spray painter. I like doing it by hand.
I made a template to help me place the knobs on each door in the same spot. I drilled a small hole for the knob and used a #6 1 1/2" wood screw to attach my ceramic knobs. (How do you make knobs from clay that are threaded for wood screws? This is a pottery lesson for another day).
I needed new hinges. I did not want to spend a lot of money on the new conceal quiet, self-close hinges. So, I compromised with a more modern 3/8"offset overlay hinge. I marked the back of the door and drilled pilot holes for the hinge screws. I screwed the hinges to the door and then held the door in place while I screwed the new hinges to the cabinets. This is very tricky and discovered that some of the hinges do not fit perfectly. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to do this, but in the meantime, I just really wanted to get a couple of doors done. I really wanted to see what this new design was going to feel like. I LIKE IT!!! This project will go on for a while, but I'm having fun!!! AND, I'm able to redo all the cabinet doors, new hinges and knobs for about $150 - $175! FUN!!!