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Drawer Cutlery Organizer[4/4 · 2ft · 5-Pack]
One pack. One build. All 5 boards used. • Makes 2 organizers
Shop Black Walnut 4/4 · 2ft Pack Shop All Speciesselect 2' Lengths
How it goes together
Black Walnut
Hard Maple
Cherry
White Oak (QS)
Red Oak
Ash
Hickory
Ambrosia Maple
Sapele*
Padauk*
Purpleheart*
*Exotic — not available for shipment to US customers.
A solid hardwood tray that keeps knives, forks and spoons in their own bays instead of in a jumble. The walls glue to the base along the grain, the ends screw in, and thin resawn dividers make three bays. One 2ft pack makes two — one for the cutlery drawer and one for utensils or a second set.
Quick Build — for experienced woodworkers
| Part | Qty | From | S4S size | S2S size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base halves | 4 | Boards 1–2, two each | 11" × 4" × ¾" | 11" × 3½" × ⅞" |
| Bases, after glue-up | 2 | 2 halves each | 11" × 8" × ¾" | 11" × 7" × ⅞" |
| Sides | 4 | Board 3, half-ripped | 11" × 1 15/16" × ¾" | 11" × 1 11/16" × ⅞" |
| Ends | 4 | Board 4, half-ripped | 6½" × 1 15/16" × ¾" | 5¼" × 1 11/16" × ⅞" |
| Dividers (resawn) | 4 | Board 5, one half-strip | 9½" × 1 15/16" × 5/16" | 9¼" × 1 11/16" × ⅜" |
Base: two pieces edge-glued, grain running the length of the tray.
Sides: glued on top of the base's long edges — long grain to long grain, same direction.
Ends: fitted between the sides, no glue: 2 #6 screws up through the base and 1 through each side, pre-drilled.
Dividers: resawn to about half thickness, bottom edge glued to the base (grain runs the same way), set with a spacer block.
Finished size: Each organizer, S4S: 11" L × 8" W × 2 11/16" H, three bays 1 15/16" wide × 9½" long × 1 15/16" deep · S2S: 11" × 7" × 2 9/16", bays 1½" wide × 9¼" long × 1 11/16" deep.
Before You Start
Shopping List
- 1 lumber pack — 4/4 · 2ft (S4S or S2S)
- Wood glue (Titebond II or III)
- 16 × #6 flat-head screws: 1¼" (S4S) or 1½" (S2S)
- Sandpaper 120 / 180 / 220
- Food-safe finish: mineral oil and board wax, or hardwax oil
- 8 small felt or rubber dots
Tools
- Saw for crosscuts (mitre saw or circular saw with a speed square) — with a stop block
- Saw for rips (table saw, or circular/track saw with a guide)
- Bandsaw (best for resawing the dividers), or table saw with a tall fence and push block
- Drill/driver, countersink bit, pilot bits
- 4 bar clamps, 12" or longer
- Random-orbit sander or sanding block
- S2S only: jointer, straight-line rip jig or hand plane
S4S or S2S? S4S boards arrive flat and square on all four sides — cut and build. S2S boards have rough edges you straighten first, and finish ⅞" thick instead of ¾". No jointer? Choose S4S.
Our sizing assumptions: ⅛" per saw cut · S4S boards 23½"/47½" long with ¼" to square an end, 4" wide, ¾" thick · S2S boards trimmed ½" each end and ¼" off each rough edge (3½" clean), ⅞" thick · sizes drawn for the narrowest board in the pack. Wider boards give you a bigger offcut or a wider part — never a shortage.
Step-by-Step
S4S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 4 sides — no jointing
- 1 Measure the drawer. Each organizer is 11" long × 8" wide. Check the drawer is at least 12" deep and 9" wide inside, and that it closes over 2 11/16" of height. Two organizers side by side need about 17" of width.
- 2 Make the bases. Crosscut boards 1 and 2 into two pieces each at 11", using a stop block. Edge-glue the pieces in pairs into two bases, 11" × 8". Keep the ends flush, clamp, and leave overnight.
- 3 Rip the wall strips. Rip boards 3, 4 and 5 down the middle with a push stick — six strips, each 1 15/16" wide. Crosscut the board 3 strips into four sides at 11", and the board 4 strips into four ends at 6½".
- 4 Resaw the dividers. Cut a 19⅛" blank from one board 5 strip. Stand it on edge and saw it through its thickness on a bandsaw, or on the table saw with a tall fence and a push block. You get two thin strips about 5/16" thick. Crosscut each into two dividers at 9½".
- 5 Sand. Flatten the base glue seams, then sand every part 120 → 180 → 220. Round the top edges of the walls and dividers so they are kind to fingers.
- 6 Glue on the sides. Stand a side on top of each long edge of the base, flush with the outside and both ends. Glue and clamp. Both parts run grain the long way, so this is a strong long-grain joint.
- 7 Screw in the ends. Set an end between the sides at each end of the base, flush all round. No glue here: the end crosses the base grain and meets the sides with end grain. Pre-drill and countersink, then drive #6 × 1¼" screws — 2 up through the base into each end, and 1 through each side into each end. 8 screws per organizer.
- 8 Glue in the dividers. Cut a spacer block 1 15/16" wide. Run glue along the bottom edge of a divider only, set it between the ends with the spacer against the side, and press it down. Repeat on the other side. Three equal bays, each 1 15/16" wide. Weight it down until dry.
- 9 Finish. Wipe on mineral oil and a coat of board wax, or a hardwax oil, inside and out. Let it cure for a few days before the cutlery goes in. Stick four small felt or rubber dots under each base so it doesn't slide.
S2S Lumber Pack
Surfaced 2 sides — straighten edges first
- 1 Prep the boards. Trim ½" off each end to remove any end checks. Joint one edge straight, then rip the other edge parallel (¼" off each rough edge is our planning allowance). S2S boards finish ⅞" thick, so screws and some sizes change — use the sizes in this column.
- 2 Measure the drawer. Each organizer is 11" long × 7" wide. Check the drawer is at least 12" deep and 8" wide inside, and that it closes over 2 9/16" of height. Two organizers side by side need about 15" of width.
- 3 Make the bases. Crosscut boards 1 and 2 into two pieces each at 11", using a stop block. Edge-glue the pieces in pairs into two bases, 11" × 7". Keep the ends flush, clamp, and leave overnight.
- 4 Rip the wall strips. Rip boards 3, 4 and 5 down the middle with a push stick — six strips, each 1 11/16" wide. Crosscut the board 3 strips into four sides at 11", and the board 4 strips into four ends at 5¼".
- 5 Resaw the dividers. Cut a 18⅝" blank from one board 5 strip. Stand it on edge and saw it through its thickness on a bandsaw, or on the table saw with a tall fence and a push block. You get two thin strips about ⅜" thick. Crosscut each into two dividers at 9¼".
- 6 Sand. Flatten the base glue seams, then sand every part 120 → 180 → 220. Round the top edges of the walls and dividers so they are kind to fingers.
- 7 Glue on the sides. Stand a side on top of each long edge of the base, flush with the outside and both ends. Glue and clamp. Both parts run grain the long way, so this is a strong long-grain joint.
- 8 Screw in the ends. Set an end between the sides at each end of the base, flush all round. No glue here: the end crosses the base grain and meets the sides with end grain. Pre-drill and countersink, then drive #6 × 1½" screws — 2 up through the base into each end, and 1 through each side into each end. 8 screws per organizer.
- 9 Glue in the dividers. Cut a spacer block 1½" wide. Run glue along the bottom edge of a divider only, set it between the ends with the spacer against the side, and press it down. Repeat on the other side. Three equal bays, each 1½" wide. Weight it down until dry.
- 10 Finish. Wipe on mineral oil and a coat of board wax, or a hardwax oil, inside and out. Let it cure for a few days before the cutlery goes in. Stick four small felt or rubber dots under each base so it doesn't slide.
Why are the ends screwed, not glued? The ends run across the base grain, and each end meets the sides with its end grain. Glue doesn't hold on end grain and a cross-grain glue line can crack as the base moves. Small screws hold the ends and let the base move.
Why resaw the dividers? Full-thickness dividers eat almost 2" of width and leave bays too narrow for a soup spoon. Sawn to about half thickness, they give three bays wide enough for forks and spoons.
Why pre-drill? Maple, oak and hickory split if you drive a screw without a pilot hole. Pre-drill every screw and countersink so the heads sit flush.
Make It Yours
- Utensil tray: leave the dividers out of the second organizer for spatulas, whisks and tongs.
- Two-tone: walnut walls on a maple base.
- Five bays: for small things like corn holders and skewers, add short cross-dividers in one bay, pinned from the side.
Safety and Care
- Wear eye and hearing protection. Use a push stick for every rip under 4" wide.
- Resaw on a bandsaw if you have one. On a table saw, use a tall fence, a featherboard and a push block, and never stand behind the strip.
- Pre-drill every screw — hardwoods split without a pilot hole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not for S4S boards — they arrive flat and square on all four sides. S2S boards need their edges straightened: a jointer, a table saw with a straight-line jig, or a hand plane all work. No jointer? Choose the S4S pack.
Each bay is 9½" long (S4S) or 9¼" (S2S). Forks and spoons fit easily. Measure your longest dinner knife — most are 8½" to 9¼". Bays are 1 15/16" wide (S4S) or 1½" (S2S), wide enough for a tablespoon bowl.
Yes, but the bays get narrower — about 1 11/16" (S4S) or 1 3/16" (S2S). That works for knives and forks but is tight for spoons. Better option: use one full-thickness divider and make two wider bays.
Yes, once the finish has cured. Mineral oil with board wax, or a hardwax oil sold as food safe, are both good for cutlery that goes straight to the table.
Planned offcuts only: about 1" off boards 1–3, 10–12" off each board 4 strip, the end of the divider strip, and one spare half-strip from board 5 — keep it for a replacement wall. All 5 boards go into the organizers.
Yes. A 4ft pack makes four organizers: crosscut every board in half first, then follow this plan twice.
