D.I.Y. laundry basket dresser

D.I.Y. laundry basket dresser

Michelle, Team member
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Project Overview

The laundry is one area of the house that needs a lot of storage space. This easy-to-follow guide shows you how simple it is to make a laundry basket dresser that will keep your clothes and all your other laundry off the floor.
Continue to step-by-step instructions

Step by Step Instructions

1 Have the plywood pre-cut
2 Assemble the frame
3 Build the shelves
4 Install the bottom shelf
5 Attach the divider to the frame
6 Install the top shelf
7 Attach the castor wheels
8 Secure the top of the divider
9 Paint the dresser

  • Step 1. Have the plywood pre-cut

    Once you’ve worked out how big you want your laundry basket dresser to be, you can take your plans to a Bunnings store and get the plywood for your frame and shelves pre-cut

    For our laundry basket, we had our 2 pieces of 2250mm x 600mm x 30mm ply cut into:

    • 1325mm x 2
    • 800mm x 2

     

    We then had our 2 pieces of 2400mm x 1200mm x 17mm ply cut into:

    • 1325mm x 2
    • 353mm x 2
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    tools diy laundry basket dresser

  • Step 2. Assemble the frame

    Put the four pieces of plywood that make up your rectangular frame together. This includes the two 800mm x 30mm pieces and the two 1325mm x 30mm pieces. Make sure the edges are square. Put on your safety equipment. Use the cordless drill to drill three countersunk holes between the side of the frame and the top or bottom of the dresser. Use the 50mm screws to secure. Repeat this for the other three corners.

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    frame diy laundry basket dresser

  • Step 3. Build the shelves

    Measure the length of the piece of plywood that will run across the middle of your laundry basket dresser. In our case, this will be the two 1325mm x 17mm pieces. Mark the midpoint. Line-up the piece of plywood that will be the divider in your dresser. For our dividers, we used the 353mm pieces. Use the drill and screws to attach the divider to the other piece of plywood. Repeat this process to build the second shelf. Use the 50mm screws to screw from the bottom and use the 30mm screws to screw from the top down into the divider.

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    measure wood diy laundry basket dresser

  • Step 4. Install the bottom shelf

    Place the first shelf inside the laundry basket frame. Make sure it is square. Secure the shelf to the sides of the frame by countersinking and screwing them together. Repeat this for the other side of the frame.

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    install shelves diy laundry basket dresser

  • Step 5. Attach the divider to the frame

    To make the dresser more stable attach the central divider to the base of the dresser. Use the cordless drill and the 30mm screws to secure the divider to the base.

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    attach divider frame diy laundry basket dresser

  • Step 6. Install the top shelf

    Place the top shelf inside the frame, so that it’s on top of the bottom shelf. Secure the top shelf with the drill and screws to the underside of the bottom shelf. If you drill on the bottom shelf the screws won’t be visible.

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    install top shelf diy laundry basket dresser

  • Step 7. Attach the castor wheels

    Use the drill and screws to fix the four castor wheels to each corner on the underside of the laundry basket dresser. This will allow you to easily move your dresser around.

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    Attach caster wheels diy laundry basket dresser

  • Step 8. Secure the top of the divider

    To make the dresser more secure, turn it over so that it’s on its wheels. Use the drill and 30mm screws to attach the central divider to the top of the dresser.

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    screw to divider div laundry basket dresser

  • Step 9. Paint the dresser

    Use the colour of your choice, that matches your laundry décor, to paint the laundry basket dresser. Once it’s dry move it into place and insert the laundry baskets into the shelves.
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    diy laundry basket dresser

Tools and Materials

Tools

  • Drill
  • Drill bits
  • Countersink drill bit
  • Earmuffs
  • Knee pads
  • Measuring tape
  • Pencil
  • Safety glasses
  • Set square
  • Spirit level

Materials

  • 250mm x 600mm x 30mm plywood x 2
  • 1325mm x 470mm x 17mm plywood x 2
  • 30mm and 50mm chipboard
  • 65mm casters x 4
  • Paint
  • Screws

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