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Hello Friends,

I’m always on the look out for a good budget-friendly DIY. And this one certainly fits the bill. I have seen these desk size library or apothecary cabinets for $40 and up, but knew I could make a more economical version of it.

Follow along to see how!

Items used for Apothecary Cabinet DIY

  • 9 wooden cubes with drawers from Dollar Tree
  • 9 drawer pulls and screws
  • paint or stain of your choice and paint brush
  • wood glue
  • clamps
  • cordless drill

Instead of drawer pulls, these little drawers have cut-outs. For this project, I just turned the drawers around so the cut-out was in back. So it doesn’t matter that they do not match, because it will not show in the finished cabinet.

I began by painting each cube and drawer with watered-down Waverly antique wax. I painted both inside and out of each piece. You could use any color paint or stain for this. I was going for a rustic, Old World vibe, so the antique wax was perfect!

Using wood glue and clamps, I created three rows of three drawers each. While the glue was drying, I moved on to the next step.

The drawer pulls were purchased from Amazon.

I created a paper template to mark each drawer for the drawer pulls. At this point, I had to enlist the help of my hubby. He drilled pilot holes in the drawers and then attached the drawer pulls with a cordless drill. A jenga block was placed on the inside of the drawer behind the drawer pull for reinforcement. (I was not able to use the screw gun in the picture)

I then glued the three rows of cubes together with wood glue and clamps, then waited for it to dry.

Yay! Almost finished. The final step was to assemble it all together!

How cute is this little cabinet? It could be used for so many different purposes; a desktop organizer, craft supply organizer, jewelry storage, or just add a little greenery for a decor piece. The brass drawer pulls give it that rustic, Old World look I was going for. (And it was created for about half the price of what it would cost to buy one.)

Let me know what you think.

Where would you display this in your home?

Happy Crafting!

Pamela