My kitchen is fairly large but it lacks storage and counter space. I’ve always wanted a kitchen island (something like this one), but the prices blow my mind. Luckily, I found this great blog. This gal builds everything with 2 x 4’s. To make this DIY kitchen island I used this plan. After I built it, I realized I wanted a second shelf and three faux drawers. I used some extra 2 x 4’s from my scrap pile.
For this project I purchased
5 2x4s @10’
2 2x4s @8’
3 knobs (50 cents each)
Total: $30.60
Plus you’ll need three extra pieces for the second shelf.
Dimensions: 39″ wide x 33″ tall x 20 1/2″ deep
I already had screws, wood glue, Minwax stain, and paint. I also used my 10% off coupon at Lowe’s.
Since I don’t have a Kreg jig, I created my own pocket holes with my drill. Here is a great tutorial.
I bought this drill at an estate sale for $1.50. The old fashioned kind you plug in.
I added faux drawers since I don’t know how to make real ones (yet).
I love the chunky wood and rustic look of this DIY kitchen island.
The perfect kitchen island for my kitchen. I could even add these casters.
I linked back to www.remodelaholic.com
***Post contains affiliate links.***
melodys100
June 17, 2014This is definitely the best and most useful thing you’ve ever made!
sabines
June 17, 2014Thank you, Melody.
Rene
April 2, 2015OMG, Sabine! What breed o’ doggie is Billie, because he’s exactly what I’ve been looking for? Some kind of terrier, I know, but WHAT kind? And your island is amazing. LOL. 😉
sabines
April 2, 2015Hi Rene. Billy is a Havanese/Maltese breed. They are known to be very smart.He is super friendly, energetic, loving, playful and only weighs 6 pounds. Thanks for stopping by, Rene.
C
July 13, 2016Super cool project! What are the overall demensions?
sabines
July 14, 2016Hi there. There is a link in my post that leads to the dimensions.Thanks for reading!
Nunya bizness
May 10, 2017You should really change the title,the wood was 30$ not everyone has screws stain and wood glue laying around, or power tools. Your misleading for attention.
sabines
May 11, 2017Sorry you feel this way.The cost of the island was $30, so the title is appropriate. Adding stain and screws would be around $10.
Christine
October 26, 2017Maybe not everyone has screws, glue and power tools in there home but MOST people do and if you don’t have any of those items to start with you likely aren’t going to take on the project anyways. Why are people so quick to criticize? Did you pay something to read the blog or is it like nearly every other blog out there: Free and a matter of opinion and personal experience
sabines
October 28, 2017Thank you, Christine. Your comment is a breath of fresh air. All I want to do is share my experience. Like you said, it’s free and readers can do with it whatever they want. Thank you for stopping by and have a great weekend.
JOANNA
July 31, 2018They r jealous because they aren’t crafty or just no common sense..just saying.
Shanice
June 17, 2014Great island! I would love it if you joined and contribute your awesome posts at my link party at City of Creative Dreams, starts on Fridays 😀 Hope to see you there at City of Creative Dreams Link Party.
sabines
June 17, 2014Thanks Shanice for the kind words and the invite. I will be there on Friday. Love your blog!
juliaklimek
June 18, 2014That came out great and looks better than most for sale at the shops! Very, very cool! Please check out our party, Merry Monday, and link up (or come for next week’s party)! We’d love to show off your work! Julia @Happy House and Home
Erlene
June 18, 2014Nice job! You would never know that it only cost you $30. Would love if you shared this on Merry Monday Linky Party.
sabines
June 18, 2014Thank you so much, Erlene. I will definitely visit on Monday. Love what you did with the Ikea stool.
Emily, our house now a home
June 20, 2014this is beautiful, I wish I had enough room for an island in my kitchen. I love the stain you chose for the wood. Gorgeous!
Erlene
June 29, 2014Thanks so much for linking up to Merry Monday and sharing your talents with us.
sabines
July 1, 2014Thank you for having me!
Laura Lane of Harvest Lane Cottage
July 5, 2014YOu’re so creative! Your dog looks much like one I once had.
Blessings,
Laura
sabines
July 5, 2014Thank you so much, Laura. Appreciate your comment.
Karen
July 5, 2014What a cute island and blog…Keep it up
sabines
July 5, 2014Thank you Karen for the sweet words.
Michelle
July 14, 2014Lovely Island. And super cute helper. Thanks for sharing!
sabines
July 14, 2014Thanks Michelle. Appreciate your comment.
Aimee - ItsOverflowing
July 16, 2014I love this!!! Featuring you tomorrow! XO, Aimee
sabines
July 16, 2014Thank you, Aimee. I am so excited about the feature.
Tammy
July 20, 2014This is great! Very Nice and you did such a great job!
sabines
July 21, 2014Thanks, Tammy. And thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.
Amanda {Burlap & Babies}
July 21, 2014Love your kitchen island! You make it look so simple to make. Thanks for sharing at our Motivational Monday party! Be sure to stop by again this week to link up another post.
sabines
July 21, 2014Thank you, Amanda for your sweet comment. I appreciate it a lot.
HousePunkery (@housepunkery)
July 26, 2014I love the wood stain contrasting with the white, and you can’t beat that price. Thanks for sharing. Hello from Flaunt it Friday.
sabines
July 26, 2014Thank you for the nice comment and for stopping by. Have a great evening!
the cape on the corner
July 29, 2014this is awesome! i love how chunky this piece is, and the two toned colors. enjoy!
b
sabines
July 29, 2014Thank you for the nice comment and for stopping by. Building the island was actually fairly easy. Have a great day!
Tina
March 7, 2015How did you make the pocket holes? I don’t have a kreg jig either? Thanks.
sabines
March 8, 2015Hi Tina.Here is a great tutorial I found on Youtube. You don’t need a kreg jig to make pocket holes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyrE1VFXIlE
Lori
March 30, 2015Wow, I love it! My brother, his wife, and 1 year old son live in Nashville too. I’m going to try and make one of these for resale. Thanks for the tutorial.
sabines
March 30, 2015Thanks, Lori. Hope your brother and his family love Nashville as much as we do. Making this kitchen island for resale is an excellent idea. Craigslist sometimes has similar for $300.
Lori
March 31, 2015Yes, Sabines, my brother is very happy. It took him till his 50s to find true love and happiness and becoming a Dad again at age 53 has really given him purpose. As for the kitchen island resale value; I knew it would sell well! Thanks again!
Lori
March 31, 2015Oh and one more thing; that dang thing looks good without stain or paint! I love the way it looks natural. I bet a few of my customers will too! Great job and thanks again. I truly appreciate anything I can learn from here.
sabines
April 1, 2015I like the look of natural wood, too. i just refinished my hardwood floors and didn’t bother staining them. The light color makes the house look bigger. It has this Scandinavian feel to it. Thanks for stopping by, Lori and good luck with your kitchen island.
Carol Ann Speight(CanadianShe_Wolf)
April 2, 2015I bet it takes help to move it!…..lolol. I sure would love to have the space for one. My home is a heritage one and the kitchen is about the size of a “normal” walk-in closet…..DRAT!
My cost wouldn’t be as high as yours was because I am only 4′ 11″, so wouldn’t need to build it as tall…..snicker……..
Have a great day and keep on, keeping on.
Ciao! from Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada.
sabines
April 2, 2015Carol Ann, I feel ya. My kitchen is large, but my bathroom (the only one in the house) is the size of a walk-in closet too.
Amy Kabase
April 2, 2015What is the color of the stain you used?
sabines
April 2, 2015Amy, if I remember correctly, I used Minwax dark walnut.Thanks for visiting.
Karen
April 2, 2015I love what you did. My daughter just moved into a new place in Murfreesboro (howdy neighbor!) and her kitchen could really use an island. I’ve been pricing ones like yours on Craig’s list and can I say, Wow! Not so inexpensive! I already bought her a vintage blacksmith hanging pot rack for Christmas. What a wonderful surprise to give her a homemade kitchen island to go with it! Can you give the dimensions on the wood pieces for me? I am like you, I’ll be asking the nice folks at Lowe’s or Home Depot to make the cuts! Thanks for sharing such an awesome project! Yours turned out beautiful!
Karen
April 2, 2015I’m so silly! I just realized you did include a link to a page with the cut dimensions! Sorry about that!
sabines
April 2, 2015Thank you, Karen. Your daughter is very lucky to have a nice mom like you. One advice, tell the guys at Lowe’s to cut super straight. They can get a bit sloppy sometimes.
barbara
April 2, 2015How hard would it be to make drawers into the Island?
sabines
April 3, 2015Barbara, i haven’t learned how to make drawers yet. Hopefully someday…
lizza angeles
April 4, 2015Hi Miss Sabine,
gorgeous!
can i ask for the exact stain & paint that you used, and how?
thank u for your time.
sabines
April 5, 2015Hi Lizza,
The paint was just some leftover white latex paint I had. I think it was Benjamin Moore. The stain was Minwax Dark Walnut. Thank you for stopping by.
lizza
April 7, 2015Thank you for your time Ms Sabines!
sabines
April 7, 2015Anytime, Lizza. Have a great evening!
rae
May 3, 2015I’m sorry but this tutorial is Not $30
I went to Lowe’s and for the same cuts of wood it’ll cost me $50.
Please don’t mislead people.
sabines
May 3, 2015Rae, I’m sorry you feel that way. I’m certainly not misleading anyone. As a single mom, I am always on a very tight budget and I certainly know how much I spend on things. At my local Lowes 2x4x8s retail for under $3 and 2x4x10s for $4.Besides, I built this island a year ago when prices were even lower.They didn’t charge me to do the cuts.I know I spent less than $30 on wood.
Jeff Irish
May 16, 2017Just checked pricing online, and as of right now, the boards would be a total of $29.16 WITHOUT your 10% discount. Not sure where Rae was coming up with different prices, but you are pretty much right on.
Very nice by the way! Might have to borrow this for my wife 😀
sabines
May 17, 2017Thank you, Jeff. Even without the discount, this island is way cheaper than any store bought island.Even the flimsy laminate islands are over $200.It’s great that you’re making one for your wife.
Lori
May 4, 2015Rae: I’m just going to say it! If you can’t say anything positive then say nothing g at all! Sabines said she paid $30 and has absolutely zero (0) reason to mislead or lie!
sabines
May 4, 2015Thanks Lori!
Dannielle Thomas
January 6, 2016I’m in total agreement with you on this. This is how much it costs her. Maybe it’s more expensive in your area or maybe you bought a more expensive cut. No need to bash the lady
13 0 13
October 26, 2015You have a project on your blog, wood box, that’s how you make drawers, just that most drawers aren’t 2 X 4’s use 1/2″ maple plywood,
I just started a new kitchen and bought 2 sheets of 3/4″ 4 X8 Oak plywood and a sheet of 1/2″ maple for 6″ drawers with a flush 1/2″ bottom; made a 40″ base for the sink and a 30″ deep by 24″ wide end that makes a 3 drawer base at the end of the sink unit for a start of a peninsula with a cook top. Retail cost over 150.00$, found the floor manager and pointed out the last 2 sheets in the rack were damaged and that’s why they had been sorted out ” delam” on the edges, offered to buy if the can discount, he said yes and wrote up a sales ticket for the cashier, better than I expected with sales tax under 70.00$. A win win they don’t have to pay to dump and I can get my project started without mortgaging my first born. I still have after cutting out the 2 cabinets and the drawers materials to build other units.
sabines
October 26, 2015Wow, you got yourself a great deal. I love it when that happens!It’s impressive to hear that you can build your own kitchen. Wow!
Dannielle Thomas
January 6, 2016hi there GREAT JOB. I saw this on Pinterest and decided to try and make it too. and the nice guy at my Lowes cut my 2x4x9 for me for fee and the total cost of the wood was 29.84 before taxes. i am so looking forward to making this on Saturday. Thanks for the inspiration
sabines
January 6, 2016Hi Dannielle. I am so happy to hear Lowe’s cut your wood for free. I find that if they’re not too busy, they don’t mind making lots of cuts. Have fun building… I’d love to see a pic of your island when it’s done. Thanks for reading!
Mary-The Boondocks Blog
March 2, 2016This is really pretty and very practical for the kitchen without being overly fussy!
sabines
March 2, 2016Thanks, Mary.
Esmeralda
March 12, 2016What is the height and length
sabines
March 12, 2016Esmeralda, my post has a link to the plan with all the measurements. Thanks for reading!
Sue
March 19, 2016It would be nice to have the size of all the cuts.
sabines
March 19, 2016Sue, if you click on the links in the post you’ll find all the cut sizes.
Hannah
April 19, 2016I need steps on how to make this!!
sabines
April 19, 2016Hannah, if you click on the link in my post you’ll see all the necessary steps. I modified my build by adding a second shelf.
Pam Livingston
October 16, 2016I am interested in trying this. Is there a video? I have been trying to figure out the other sizes of wood on the sides. What is the size of you island? I am been measuring and I think that I can do 3 feet wide, 5 feet long and 29 inches high. which I have having trouble figuring out how many 2x4s I have a sum of 4 right now.
sabines
October 16, 2016Pam, my island is 39″ wide x 33″ tall x 20 1/2″ deep. There is a link to all the measurements in the blog post or you can just click here https://www.morelikehome.net/2012/10/day-29-build-open-storage-vanity.html. This will show you the cut list and directions on how to build it. You will need at least eight or nine 2×4’s.
Pam Livingston
October 20, 2016hello Sabines I have printed out the link you sent me to but it does not look like the picture on the top of this page. I was trying to tell my instructor about this build, you are using 2×4;s right not cutting them in half length ways? the one it says This beautiful vanity by Eisia Tipton, is this the right one? Thanks Pam
Pam Livingston
October 20, 2016The link you sent me too is a different island. It is from morelikehome.net It says 8 2x4s and it only has the two shelves. I want the one on the top of your blog. I am not good at moving from page to page. Please help. Do you have a instruction and size and cuts. the steps like the other has? sorry I did say I am no good at this. I have bought 4 2x4s already
sabines
October 21, 2016Pam, I emailed you the dimensions.
Dwight
March 7, 2017Great post! Lots of inspiration. I made a small sized kitchen island, but I added drop leafs on either end for more surface area. It is great since I have a smaller kitchen with no room for a full sized table. Here is a link if anyone is interested in the plans and pics: bacheloronabudget.com/diy-drop-leaf-kitchen-island-cart/
Looking forward to trying out some other projects on your site!
sabines
March 8, 2017Your island is beautiful and functional. I love it! You’re a pro.
Brandon
April 4, 2017I’m confused because you said you added a second shelf. Yet the initial template you used calls for 7- 2x4x10 and 1- 2x4x8. So how does your 5- 2x4x10 and 2- 2x4x8 get me an extra shelf when I’m short wood to even get to the point of which you started.
sabines
April 6, 2017Hi Brandon,
It’s been almost three years since I built this island so I almost forgot how it all happened. Anyways, when I showed the guy at Lowe’s my dimensions he told me to get 5- 2x4x10 and 2-2x4x8. It all worked out ok. The second shelf was sort of an afterthought. After I built the island per plan, I figured it would be nice to have a second shelf. I dug through my scrap pile and pulled out some 2×4’s. Technically, I didn’t buy them at the time, so I didn’t add them to my purchase list. Hope this helps. I updated this on my post.
Gift SG
May 1, 2018Lovely piece of DIY.
sabines
May 1, 2018Thank you.