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D.I.Y. cube storage unit

A completed cube storage unit on castor wheels, carrying a helmet, soccer ball, shoes, books, skateboard, boxing gloves, basketball, football and more

Overview

You can never have enough storage around the home, especially in your bedroom. This easy-to-build cube storage unit looks great and can be designed to suit your space. We'll show you how to build it and all the tools and materials you'll need.

Tools and materials

Tools

Materials

Steps

1Cut the plywood to size

After choosing the size of the cube storage unit you're going to build, have your plywood pre-cut at your local Bunnings*. For the frame of the unit, we cut both 600mm x 2250mm sheets in half lengthways to make four pieces that measure 300mm x 2250mm. Then we cut two of these at 1330mm for the sides and two at 1200mm for the top and bottom.

For the shelves and the dividers, cut the 2400mm x 1200mm x 17mm ply into 300mm pieces along the 2400mm length to give you eight pieces. Cut four of these at 1200mm and cut seven at 400mm.

*Not available at all Bunnings stores.

The tools and materials for this job, including power drills, power sander, lengths of timber, screws, a square rule, a paint stripper, putty, protective gear and more

2Make the frame for the unit

Take the two 1330mm pieces of ply and lay them down on their edge. Sit the two 1200mm piece of ply in between them to complete the frame. Make sure it's all squared up, and then pre-drill and countersink holes to connect it together. Join it together using the 50mm screws.

A frame for a cube storage unit being assembled by a Bunnings team member

3Lay out the first shelf and dividers

Now the frame is together, it's time to set out the first shelf. Working from the bottom of the unit up, place one of the 1200mm shelves in the frame. Space three of the dividers evenly along the bottom of the frame. Measure and mark where you want the dividers to go on both the shelf and the frame. 

A tape measure used to measure across the face of a cube storage unit

4Fix the first shelf and dividers to the frame

Use a set square to make sure the dividers are straight and square. Then use the drill and 30mm screws to fix the dividers to the base of the frame. Drill the 50mm screws through the sides of the unit to secure the shelf to the frame. 

A hole being drilled for screws to secure a shelf

5Build the second shelf

A good tip is to build the second shelf outside the unit. This will allow you to hide the screws. With another piece of 1200mm x 300 ply, measure and mark where you want to position the dividers. In the one we made, we only used one divider. Making sure it's square, use the 30mm screws to fix the divider to the shelf. 
Dividers being screwed onto a cube storage unit shelf

6Fix the second shelf

Place the second shelf and divider inside the frame on top of the first shelf. This creates a double thickness shelf. Use the 30mm screws to secure the second shelf to the first. Drill the 50mm screws through the sides of the unit to secure the shelf to the frame.

A shelf divider being screwed into place with a power drill

7Build the third shelf

Take the last piece of 1200mm x 300mm ply and your last three 400mm dividers. Space them evenly along the 1200mm piece of ply, and then screw them into place using the 30mm screws. 

Dividers being screwed onto a cube storage unit shelf

8Attach the third shelf

Lower the shelf into the frame to create another double thickness shelf. Use the 30mm screws to secure the shelf to the frame. Drill the 50mm screws through the sides of the unit to secure the shelf to the frame.

Dividers being screwed onto a cube storage unit shelf

9Attach the casters

Fix the four casters to the base of the unit using 30mm screws.

Castor wheels being attached to the bottom of a cube storage unit

10Sand and paint the storage unit

Use 120 grit sandpaper to sand back the storage unit. Now it's time to paint or stain the storage unit which will give it a great finish. You can be as creative as you like and paint all of it or just a few of the cubes. 

An assembled cube storage unit being painted blue with a paintbrush

11Move it into place

Once the paint is dry, you can move the storage unit into place.
A completed cube storage unit on castor wheels, carrying a helmet, soccer ball, shoes, books, skateboard, boxing gloves, basketball, football and more

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Health & Safety

Please make sure you use all equipment appropriately and safely when following the advice in these D.I.Y. videos. You need to be familiar with how to use equipment safely and follow the instructions that came with the equipment. If you are unsure, you may feel it is safest to consult an expert, such as the manufacturer or an expert Bunnings Team Member.

Grave health hazards are linked to asbestos, which may be in homes built up to 1990. Health hazards may result from exposure to lead-based paints in older materials and copper chromium arsenic (CCA) treated timber. For information on the dangers of asbestos, lead-based paint and CCA treated timber and tips for dealing with these materials contact your local council's Environmental Health Officer. You can also use a simple test kit from Bunnings to indicate the presence of lead-based paint.