Trash Can Tilt Cabinet

11 Materials
$20
2 Hours
Medium

We were so tired of seeing that garbage can in the corner of our kitchen and we really needed a better storage solution. Then, out of the blue, my mother in law gave us an old-but-cute little cabinet. The wheels started turning and soon we had our DIY tilt-out garbage cabinet ready to join the kitchen staff.

Isn't it cute?! The only thing I might add is velcro on the bottom of the trash can because it tends to fall over when it's empty and the door is closed -- this way it will stay put when it's opened or closed but can still be removed if need be.

Here's the cabinet my MIL gave us. It was nice on it's own but it had a higher calling!

Materials and tools:


  • small cabinet
  • small trash can
  • knob
  • handle/pull
  • 1" hinges (comes 2 in a pack)
  • 1 piece of 1x12 common board
  • wood glue
  • Kreg jig
  • pocket hole screws
  • measuring tape
  • drill (aka: screw gun, as Rob calls it)

First we made a base. Using a piece of 1x12 common board from Home Depot, Rob started by cutting a square piece to be slightly smaller than the width of the door using his chop saw. You can also 

 to do this step.


Next, he fastened the board he cut to the door to form the base that the trash can would sit on. He used wood glue, then 

 and used pocket hole screws to do this. He recommends buying a Kreg jig for this type of work -- it is easy to use and comes with instructions and some basic hardware to get started. You could also use trim nails if you don’t mind filling and sanding the nails holes later on.


If you don't have a kreg jig, there are some other creative tricks you can use to 

 using just a drill.


The next step was to cut triangle piece for the sides of the tilt-out cabinet to hold the garbage bin in place. Again, you can 

 for this step.


Next, Rob 

 on the triangle pieces and then  those into place. Once he added them, he let everything sit overnight to ensure the glue cured properly and got a good bond.

The next day, I filled in the original knob hole. I didn't have wood filler on hand at the time, so Rob taught me a cool trick to create my own. I mixed a little sawdust and wood glue together (should be the consistency of Play-Doh) and filled the hole with the mixture. Once it was dry, I sanded it smooth.

Once the hole was filled, I sanded the whole cabinet so that the paint would adhere better. If you don't know how to sand furniture, it's really not very difficult. After a little practice, you'll be a pro. I didn't go totally crazy with this but just enough to rough it up a little.

Next step was painting! I used to get really nervous any time I had to 

, but I've gotten better at it over time.


I applied my acrylic paint (I used Behr exterior flat "Cozy Cottage"). I painted the entire cabinet, let it dry, then applied one more coat of paint and allowed that to dry completely.

After it was painted, I decided to 

 my cabinet. I wanted my trash can cabinet to look a bit worn in, so I took a piece of fine grit sandpaper and went over the edges and accents so that the paint underneath showed through slightly.


It's not tough to learn 

 -- you basically just add a few scratches here and there until you like the look.

Next, I 

 on the hinges, knob and handle. Instead of adding a chain to keep the door from flying all the way open, Rob had a cool idea of simply drilling in a screw far enough that the inside of the cabinet grabbed the screw to keep the door from completely flying open.

What a difference huh?! I feel like this little gem looks like a totally new cabinet. I'm excited to start using it...now to figure out how to keep Bo out of it! :)

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  3 questions
  • Karen Karen on Dec 16, 2019

    Think we could do this tip opening to our built in kitchen cabinet?

  • Glenda Glenda on Dec 24, 2019

    There are several partial sentences cut out of this article. Perhaps it could be edited?

  • User User on Dec 30, 2019

    Hi, How to connect with you ?

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2 of 15 comments
  • Sissy Sissy on Dec 17, 2020

    great job every mans junk is a smart persons treasure

  • Jamie Jamie on Dec 17, 2020

    I use a larger garbage can that sits under my overhang countertop. A little cove where cabinet stop but wall for bar extends longer. I luv the idea, just have to figure out how to use the whole front of the cabinet to make it work. Definitely would have to mount to wall so it doesn’t fall forward. But you have made me want to cover my garbage can real bad. Thanks so much, luv what you did. Great inspiration!!!!!

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