When you have a small kitchen, storage space is at a premium. While my LA apartment kitchen is a lot bigger than my NYC studio, I wanted to free up some prime top drawer space occupied by my knives. My solution was to design and make a DIY wood knife rack that’s a hybrid between a knife block and magnetic knife strip. And the best part? I built it in just 30 minutes for under $10 without any power tools!
Materials you’ll need:
– a piece of wood: mine was 11″ x 8″ and I used pine board I had left over from another project.
– Lattice moulding: 1 1/4″ x 3 ft ($1.50)
– Birch veneer edging pre-glued iron (affiliate link) on ($6.50) or 1/4″x 3/4″ screen molding for $2.
– Glue Dots advanced strength double-sided adhesive sheets or wood glue and clamps
– Glue Dots Hybribond repositionable mounting tape or 3M commend strips
Step 1: Cut the veneer edging into strips the height of your piece of wood (8″ in my case) and iron onto the front of your piece of wood, at the edge. Repeat with 3 more strips of edging, ironing them one on top of the other. Repeat the process for the other end. This is optional, but I also added edging on the sides of the piece of wood for a cleaner look.
Step 2: Determine the spacing for your knives and iron on the dividers the same way as in step 1.
Step 3: Glue the lattice pieces across the top of the veneer edging dividers, with one at the top and bottom and one in the middle. To make this project mess-free and go faster, I used Advanced Strength Double-Sided sheets from Glue Dots instead of wood glue and clamps for this step. I cut the lattice with a miter box and saw (affliate link) but you can also have this done at the hardware store.
I love the look of the wood so I left my knife rack as is but you could stain it or paint it. Then all that’s left is to hang it on your kitchen wall or on the inside of a cabinet door. I rested mine on the counter and used a sheet of the repositionable adhesive from Glue Dots to hold it up against the tile. This was such a simple project to do and I love that I now have easy access to my knives and that I’ve freed up some of that precious drawer space in my kitchen!
If you want to give Glue Dots® a try, don’t forget to enter my Glue Dots® giveaway just for EYS fans! Connect with us on social media through the widget below to enter the giveaway (this giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only. No purchase necessary. Must be 18 years to enter). One lucky winner will be selected and notified on Monday, June 30th. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new winner will be selected. Don’t forget to check your junk email after we announce the winner! Good Luck!
Thanks! I was looking for something like this, not bulking at all, just narrow and easy to make.
So happy to hear that! Glad you like it!
Like it,like it, like it!
really modern and economical to make.
Thank You! Glad you like it!
Finally! The solution for our work knives! Skinnier knives don’t stick as well to a magnetic strip, and I don’t care for the tips hanging out.
I can do this. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome!
Love your blog – we have a common style!
Thank you!
I also live in an apartment and the Glue Dot seem like a great way to temporarily adhere lightweight items to the walls.
I agree! It’s a great product for renters!
Cute, love it!
Thanks Victoria!
Thanks to you I made one for our pizza shop! It’s 3 ft. long and is so much safer to use than the magnetic strip. Couple coats of varnish made it easy to clean.
That’s great to hear! Would love to see a pic!
This is great! I keep my knives in a drawer, but if I have to switch and my hands are dirty with food, this would be so much easier.