14 Easy DIY Liquor Cabinet Ideas with Plans

Last updated on October 18, 2023

Here are 14 different ways to turn an old cabinet into a liquor cabinet for your home. Read on!

Building a liquor cabinet can be a great project for anyone who enjoys woodworking or DIY projects in general. There are a few things to keep in mind before starting, such as gathering all of the necessary materials and taking your time with the project.

These tutorials can provide helpful step-by-step instructions on how to build a liquor cabinet, so that you can end up with a beautiful and functional piece of furniture.

What you need to know before starting this project:

You can repurpose a piece of furniture as the base for a liquor cabinet to make it a cheaper project.
Use pallet wood for cheap materials.
You can turn any bookcase into a bar cabinet as the easy version of the project.

How to Build a Liquor Cabinet

Tutorial: wikihow.life

Expected cost: $70-$100 per cabinet

Supplies:

A liquor cabinet
A variety of liquor bottles
A bottle opener
A corkscrew
A shot glass
A cocktail shaker
A strainer
A jigger
A muddler
A bar spoon
A citrus juicer
A cutting board
A paring knife
A cocktail shaker
A strainer
A jigger
A muddler
A bar spoon

This project is designed to help you learn how to make your own liquor cabinet. It is not difficult to complete, but it does require some planning and preparation.

Tutorial: hallmarkchannel.com

Expected cost: $70-$100 per cabinet

Supplies:

Steamer trunk
Wine racks
Shelves
Feet or wheels

This project is a bit more difficult than some of the others, but it is still doable for most people. It involves using a steamer trunk, gutting it out, and then adding in wine racks and shelves.

You will also need to add feet or wheels to the base.

Tutorial: buzznicked.com

Supplies:

Paint
Paintbrush
Sandpaper
Screwdriver
Drill
Aaw
Measuring tape
Level
Stud finder
Hammer
Nails
TV lift kit

This project is a bit more difficult than some of the others we’ve featured, but it’s still doable for most people. It will take some time and effort to gut the cabinet and paint it, but the end result is definitely worth it.

The TV lift is the most complicated part, but if you watch the video tutorial, it’s not too difficult to install.

interestingengineering.com diy liquor cabinet

Tutorial: interestingengineering.com

Expected cost: $70-$100 per cabinet

Supplies:

Wood
Lichtenberg wood burning machine
High voltage power supply
Electrical insulating material
Safety gear

This project is all about creating a cabinet with Lichtenberg figures. These figures come as the result of electrical discharges through electrically insulating materials.

The process is not easy or safe, and it requires a lot of careful planning and execution. But the end result is a truly unique and stunning piece of furniture that will be sure to draw attention.

Tutorial: powderbabesblog.com

Expected cost: $70-$100 per cabinet

Supplies:

1/2 inch plywood
1×2 lumber
Construction adhesive
Cordless drill
1 inch hole saw
Paint or stain
Polyurethane

This project is a DIY liquor cabinet that is perfect for anyone who loves to entertain or just wants a place to store their liquor collection. It is a relatively easy project that only requires a few supplies and can be completed in under an hour.

How to Build a Bar Cabinet

Tutorial: jenwoodhouse.com

Expected cost: $70-$100 per cabinet

Supplies:

A piece of wood
A saw
A drill
A screwdriver
A hammer
Nails
Paint

This project is a bit more difficult than some of the others on Ana’s list, but it is still doable for most people. It will take some time to design and build the piece, but it will be worth it in the end.

Tutorial: rogueengineer.com

Expected cost: $70-$100

Supplies:

1×12 lumber
1×4 lumber
Sheet metal
Paint
Wine glasses
Tumblers
6 wine bottles
Bottle openers
Accessories

This bar cabinet is a great addition to any wine lover’s home. The decorative sheet metal inserts in the door add a great contrast to the distressed chunky wood top.

Inside this cabinet you’ll be able to house all your wine glasses, tumblers, 6 wine bottles, and a drawer to hold your bottle openers and accessories. The lower open shelf can store a variety of other things and can you believe this was built for under $150.

Tutorial: ana-white.com

Expected cost: $70-$100 per cabinet

Supplies:

Tape measure
Plywood
1×4 lumber
Circular saw
Jigsaw
Drill
Countersink bit
Paint or stain
Cabinet hardware
Bar glasses

This is a moderate difficulty project that will take several hours to complete. You will need to have some basic woodworking skills and knowledge of how to use power tools.

The finished product will be a beautiful bar cabinet that you can be proud of.

How to Build a Wine Cabinet

Tutorial: instructables.com

Expected cost: $100-$200

Supplies:

Oak plywood
Solid oak boards
MDF
Router
Flush trim bit
Round over bit

This project is a bit challenging but definitely doable for someone with some woodworking experience. It requires a fair amount of material, including a sheet of oak plywood, solid oak boards for the trim and accents, and MDF for the template.

You will also need a router with a flush trim bit and a round over bit. The project is comprised of three main pieces – the wine module, the storage cabinet, and the base.

The wine module and cabinet can be constructed from a single sheet of oak plywood, with additional solid oak needed for the top, doors, case trim, etc. The dimensions given in this instructable can be followed exactly or easily modified to meet your personal needs or preferences.

Building the cabinet is fairly straightforward – cut the pieces to size, rout dados for the top, bottom and shelf using a jig (as explained in my other instructable), glue everything together making sure it’s square, then add filler pieces at the top and bottom for extra support. The face frame is then glued on to finish things off.

The most challenging part of this project is creating the curved top and cabinet accents. This involves cutting out curves on all three pieces using a template (made from MDF).

Tutorial: mrhandyman.com

Expected cost: $70-$100 per cabinet

Supplies:

Wooden boards
Nails or screws
Hammer or screwdriver
Paint or stain (optional)

This project entails building a wine rack or liquor cabinet out of various materials. It is not difficult to complete, but it may take some time depending on the material you choose to use.

Vintage-Inspired Liquor Cabinets

Tutorial: abeautifulmess.com

Supplies:

Lumber
Plywood
Paint
Stain
Sealer
Screws
Nails
Hinges
Latch
Knob or handle
Drill
Saw

This project is a wall-mounted liquor cabinet that masquerades as a vintage sign. It is made out of lumber and other materials, and requires some tools to put together.

The project is not too difficult to complete, but may require some help from someone else to hold the pieces in place while you work.

Tutorial: sirmixabot.com

Supplies:

A base piece of furniture (coffee table, medicine cabinet, etc.)
Shelving and organization supplies
Hidden motion sensor LEDs or EL wire

This project is a DIY liquor cabinet that can be used to store and organize your cocktail making supplies and accessories. It can be made from scratch, or you can use a kit as a foundation.

The budget, available space, and availability of materials will all be important factors to consider when deciding which type of liquor cabinet is best suited for your needs. Once those are settled, you can begin thinking about the design and overall purpose of your cabinet divided into two major categories: concealed or flashy.

The concealed type of liquor cabinet is hidden from view and can be made from repurposing an existing piece of furniture, such as a coffee table or medicine cabinet. This option is typically more budget-friendly since you are starting with a base piece that already has some shelving and organization in place.

For added design appeal, you can add hidden motion sensor LEDs or EL wire to your compartments for a greater “reveal” of your hidden treasure. The flashy type of liquor cabinet is one that is designed to be shown off and will likely require starting from scratch or using a kit as a foundation.

How to Make a Liquor Cabinet from IKEA Bookcase

bourgieshoes.wordpress.com diy liquor cabinet

Tutorial: bourgieshoes.wordpress.com

Expected cost: $70-$100 per cabinet

Supplies:

Ikea bookcase
Wine rack
Glass holder
Paint
Sealant

This project is a bit old, but it entails taking an used ikea bookcase and turning it into a makeshift liquor cabinet. The project requires sanding down the laminate, buying a wine rack and glass holder, screwing it up under the top shelf, painting and sealing the bookcase.

It is not a difficult project, but it does require some time and effort.

DIY Pallet Wood Liquor Cabinet

homeconstructionimprovement.com diy liquor cabinet

Tutorial: homeconstructionimprovement.com

Supplies:

1 pallet
1 piece of plywood
1 piece of 2×4 lumber
1 can of wood stain
1 can of polyurethane
1 box of wood screws
1 drill
1 saw

This project is a great way to add some character to your home while recycling something that would otherwise be thrown away. It is a very easy project to complete, and only requires basic woodworking skills.

The most difficult part of the project may be finding a suitable pallet to use, but they are generally easy to find for free at lumber yards, grocery stores, and other locations that receive bulk goods.