How To Build A Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf

Are you tired of having to crawl on your hands and knees to access the toiletries under the bathroom sink? The struggle is real, especially for the items way at the back.



After one too many times this ole gal finally did something about it and built a DIY bathroom vanity sliding shelf. I don't know what took me so long because it isn't a difficult build and I'll show you how.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

How To Build An Under-Sink Pull Out Shelf

Now everything is organized and accessible with just one pull and even my Friar Friar Pants On Fire OPI nail polish has a home. But this under-sink sliding shelf idea isn't just for the bathroom, it would be perfect in the kitchen, pantry, and laundry room too.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Pictured below was my feeble attempt at keeping the vanity organized before.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries  under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Using a dollar store paper towel holder for storing extra TP is very handy and so is using PVC pipe for holding the blow dryer and flat iron too.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

But the stackable plastic drawers for organizing toiletries were not functional at all. For one, it was a pain having to open drawers to see what was inside. Second, there wasn't enough clearance under the plumbing pipes to stack them.



But what was most annoying was that because they weren't as deep as the vanity, they slid around when you opened the drawer.



The motivation for building the bathroom slide-out shelf was the theme for the Power Tool Challenge this month being home improvement.



If you haven't heard of the Power Tool Challenge, we are a group of tool-savvy female DIY bloggers who come together each month to empower our female readers to step out of their comfort zone and build simple projects using power tools.



Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to build the under-sink pull-out shelf, almost all of the DIY projects shared here at Interior Frugalista have step-by-step tutorials so why not get your budget DIY on and subscribe. You can also follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.



Here's What You'll Need To Make It

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.



Supply List

White Melamine Particle Board
2" x 2" Lumber
Side Mount Drawer Slides
White Melamine Pre-glued Veneer Edging
1 1/4-inch Particle Board Screws
1-inch Wood Screws


Tool List

Table Saw
Mitre Saw
Power Drill
1/4-inch Counter Sink Drill Bit
1/16-inch Pilot Hole Drill Bit
Robertson Drill Bit
Corner Clamps
Retractable Knife
Heat Gun



Instructions For Building A Pull-Out Shelf

Step 1 - Cutting The Shelf Boards

The first task is cutting the white melamine particle board for the base and sides of the sliding shelf. The measurements below are based on a 36-inch size bathroom vanity with an inside width of 22 1/2 inches.



Measurements:

Base: 20 1/4" x 19 1/4"
Sides: 6 pieces measuring 4/12" x 24"



Pictured below is the shelf base cut with a table saw but you could cut it with a circular saw with a guide rail too. Otherwise, your local home improvement store may cut the sheet of melamine to size for you.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

It's up to you how you want to configure the cubbies and how many dividers you would prefer. The instructions below are based on two vertical dividers and three cubbies.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Step 2 - Cutting The Rails

You can use a miter saw to trim the front and back pieces to 17 3/4-inches long. Trim two more pieces 20-inches long for the side rails. Keep the offcuts because we'll be using them later to make cubby dividers.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Step 3 - Side Rail Pilot Holes

Use a corner clamp to hold the base and one side piece together and flip them upside down. Drill pilot holes for the screws with a 1/16-inch pilot drill bit along the bottom of the base (pictured below).



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Step 4 - Countersink Screws

Countersink the pilot holes you just made with a countersink drill bit. You don't want to skip this step because it will prevent the screws from catching on the base of the vanity and slider hardware.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Step 5 - Side Rail Installation

With #8 1 1/4-inch particle board screws and a Robertson drill bit, attach the sides to the base followed by the front and back pieces.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Step 6 - Cubby Measurements

  • Measure the width of the inside of the box.
  • Trim another of the 24-inch melamine pieces to that measurement (mine is 17 3/4-inches).
  • Divide the board into three and draw a line (my middle cubby is narrower than the other two).
  • Repeat Steps 3-5 above on each pencil line mark (pictured below).


Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Step 7 - Cubby Divider Installation

Remember those off-cuts I mentioned earlier, use the two pieces that measure 4-inches. Line them up on the marks you made in the previous step and screw them in place. We'll address the two screws sticking up (pictured below) in the next step.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Step 8 - Middle Divider Installation

  • Going back to the previous picture, mark the center point of the middle cubby.
  • Repeat Steps 3-5 on the mark you drew and drill the screws in partially (as pictured above).
  • Cut the last piece of 20-inch melamine to 14-inches as this will become the middle divider.
  • Line up the middle divider with your screws and attach the board.
  • Insert the divider inside the drawer (pictured below).
  • Attach the insert on the outer side of the shelf with a screw on the top and bottom.
  • Remember to follow Steps 3-5 first before screwing it all together.


Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Step 9 - How To Cover Raw Edges

Time to hide the ugly particle board along the edges with white melamine pre-glued veneer edging.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

With a sharp retractable knife, cut strips of the edging to fit each piece. With a heat gun (or iron), adhere the strips to the particleboard. Let the strip cool a little and with your finger feel where there may not have been a good bond and repeat the process.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Step 10 - Drawer Slider Mechanism Installation

  • Remember we are using side mount drawer slides. 
  • The sliding mechanism will be mounted on the bottom of each side of the drawer (as pictured below).
  • Make sure to place the hardware towards the back of the drawer rather than the front.
  • With 1-inch wood screws attach them to the drawer (as pictured below).


Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Step 11 - Sliding Shelf Hardware Installation

  • Cut a piece of 2" x 2" lumber to fit both sides of the vanity. These become the spacers for the stationary part of the drawer slides to be mounted onto. They allow the drawer to clear the door hinges (pictured below).
  • Attach the stationary part of the drawer slide hardware onto the spacer taking extra care that they are mounted perfectly level on each side.


Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Slide the drawer onto the stationary slider and you're ready to start organizing!



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Here it is again with the drawer extended. I can't tell you how handy this sliding shelf has been in our bathroom. I love it so much I'll be adding pull-out shelves to our kitchen pantry now too.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

While I was at it, I also made dividers for the side drawers on the vanity, securing them with screws on the back of the drawer. An alternative would be attaching them with pocket holes.



Handy DIY Bathroom Vanity Sliding Shelf, a smart bathroom organization idea with easy access to toiletries under the bathroom sink with tutorial.

Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today. I hope you were inspired by the handmade sliding shelf. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!



If you enjoyed this DIY under-sink storage idea, I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and pinned it to your Organization Ideas or Home Improvement Project Ideas board on Pinterest.




How to build handy under-sink sliding drawers for easily accessible bathroom, laundry, and kitchen storage organization with an easy to follow step-by-step tutorial. #slidingshelfdiy #undersinkstorage #undersinkdrawer #undersinkorganization

Please join me to see what the rest of our talented team made for our home improvement challenge by clicking on the links below.


Power Tool Challenge Team Home Improvement Projects

DIY Shutters | Create And Babble
DIY Fireplace Mantel Shelf | Her Tool Belt
Industrial Paper Towel Holder | Virginia Sweet Pea
Blanket Ladder | Refresh Restyle
Cedar Hose Planter | Kim Six Fix
DIY Vanity Sliding Drawer | Interior Frugalista
How To Patch A Hole In Drywall | Designs By Studio C
Wall Mount Staghorn Fern | A Piece Of Rainbow
DIY Painted Stairs Makeover | Thrift Diving
DIY Modern Rustic Mirror | H2OBungalow



I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.



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Comments

  1. Brilliant DIY project! Nice clear instructions. Question: How do you attach the PVC hair blower holder to the cabinet door?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. First drill a small pilot hole on the back of the PVC pipe. With a short handled screwdriver screw it onto the back of the door. It'll be tight getting the screwdriver through the opening of the PVC pipe, hence the need for a short handled screwdriver. I hope this helps!

      Delete
  2. Very cool and useful! Thanks for the great tutorial and idea!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Hiby, I'm glad you like this idea and found the tutorial helpful!

      Delete
  3. This is a timely post for me - I plan on building a slide out under our kitchen sink! Thanks for the tutorial!! Pinned!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's awesome Cindy, so glad you found my tutorial then. Happy organizing! If you have any questions don't hesitate to email me (contact me tab).

      Delete
  4. This is great! I hope I "get permission" to do this in my bathroom! Pinned.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cherryl, you will not regret it, it is so handy. One of the best DIY decisions we made for under ALL of our sinks!

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  5. This is such a great DIY! Who doesn't need one of these?!? I am featuring this post on Friday at Embracing Home and Family! Thank you for sharing with us!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We love our sliding shelves under ALL of our sinks because they're so handy. I'm thrilled to hear you'll be featuring it. Thank you so much, Jenn! xo

      Delete
  6. Great tutorial! I want to do this! You should see the mess I have under my cupboards 😂. Going to check out the other ladies. Happy New Year my friend. 💙💙💙

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Denise, you won't regret building one of these for under your cupboards. It is the handiest DIY we've done in our bathrooms, laundry room, kitchen, and pantry. Happy organizing!

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  7. Hi Marie,
    This is pretty genius. I love that you can see everything too and you are so right you do not have to dig under the cabinet to find things. This is great. Happy New Year. Let's hope for all of us this will be a better year. xoxo Kris

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you like this idea, Kris. It's the best DIY we've done for under all the sinks in our home plus a tall pantry unit. I just wish we hadn't waited so long to do this! Keeping my fingers crossed for a much better 2021! xo

      Delete
  8. This post came just in time Marie! My cabinet under our kitchen sink needs serious help! Thank you! Pinned 😊

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome Cindy! Happy to hear you may have found a solution for under your kitchen sink.

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  9. Thanks for sharing with us - I'm featuring you next week when the next To Grandma's house we go link party starts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm thrilled to hear this Tarahlynn, thanks for the feature! xo

      Delete

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