Kitchen cabinets aren't that hard to build, and although they are time consuming, you can save a substantial amount of money if you do it yourself. We're not going to provide an in-depth guide to building cabinets here, but we will go through the basic things you need to consider if you're going to tackle a DIY project.

Are You Up to It?

Don't tackle a project like this unless you are competent in the workshop. While you'll surely save money if you get it right, a botched project could leave you with the wrong look or bad functionality. In the worst case, you may need to employ a professional to fix up the mess that you've created - costing you more than if you'd just employed a cabinet maker to begin with. So be honest with yourself and think carefully about what you're capable of.

Cabinet Materials

To build your cabinets, you'll need to get of a number of basic components. Tools that you may need for the job include: table saw, router, orbital sander, jig saw and doweling joint. Materials that you need for job will vary according to the type of cabinets that you want to construct. However, a  basic set of materials might comprise of plywood for the carcass and doors, dowels, hinges, knobs, timber for the cabinet facing, glue, finishing nails, flathead wood screws and sandpaper.

Avoiding Mistakes

Make sure that you follow basic safety procedures when you're in the workshop. Don't work when you're tired, keep a first-aid kit handy and make sure your tools are sharp and in good working order.

You should have a detailed plan of how the cabinet construction will take place. Make sure that you carefully measure and double check everything. You should use a dowel jig to make sure the holes for the dowels are aligned.

There are various steps you need to take after this including:

- Ripping and crosscutting the plywood.

- Assembling the carcass unit.

- Assembling the face frame, which will involve cutting timber to size, determining the location of dowel holes, gluing everything together and clamping the frame until it sets in place.

-Putting the face frame on the carcass, which will again involve clamps and gluing. You'll need to be really careful at this stage to make sure that the face frame is perfectly aligned with the carcass. The face frame will also need to be nailed to the carcass.

- Attaching drawers and doors, which again requires careful and accurate work to ensure a proper fit.

- Finishing the unit.