DIY - Above Fridge Tray Divider

Taming the Chaos: DIY Above-Fridge Tray Divider for Ultimate Kitchen Organization

They say "a place for everything and everything in its place," and in the kitchen, that phrase is a survival guide. From bulky appliances to tiny gadgets, every item needs a dedicated home to keep the heart of the house running smoothly. That's why maximizing cabinet space isn't just a hobby—it's a necessity.

My latest mission? Organizing the cabinet above the fridge.

I am so incredibly proud of how this turned out! Not only does it look organized every time I open those doors, but it has unlocked a massive amount of storage for my kitchen essentials. If you remember my last post about kitchen organization, you saw just how messy some of my cabinets had become. It was finally time to tackle the biggest offender: the "above-fridge" void.

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The Problem: Wasted Space and Clutter

Look at all that wasted space! Previously, this cabinet was a graveyard for random items. Cutting boards, trays, and oversized plates were buried under tubs of cleansing wipes and stacks of paper towels.

I decided this entire cabinet should be dedicated to baking supplies (a win for my daughter, who is the resident baker!). Once I emptied it out, I knew I needed a custom solution.

If you can override the bad graphics, you can see my plan in the picture below: 

The Plan: Customizing this 36" cabinet

My cabinet is a standard 36x24x24-inch unit from Ikea, installed when we built the fridge enclosure. To make it functional, I envisioned a split design:

• Left Side: A vertical tray divider for baking sheets and cutting boards.

• Right Side: Adjustable shelves for baking ingredients and supplies.

Step 1: Taking Measurements

To determine the height of the dividers, I measured my largest items. Most metal trays are around 12", but my large wooden board is 15". I also measured the depth of the trays when stacked to decide on the width of each slot.

The Final Specs:

• Tray Height: 14 inches

• Total Divider Width: 20 inches

• Individual Slot Width: 3 ¼ inches

Materials and Tools

I wanted to keep this project budget-friendly, so I used underlayment. It's not the smoothest wood, but since it's hidden inside a cabinet that stays closed most of the time, it was the perfect low-cost option.

• ¾" Plywood: For the main structural supports.
• ¼" Plywood: For the thin vertical dividers.
• Table saw or Router with a dado bit
• Kreg jig
• 1-1/4" screws
• Drill
• Clamps

How to Build the Above-Fridge Divider

1. Cut the Main Support Pieces: I used the ¾" material to cut three main pieces: one large vertical piece to divide the entire cabinet in half, and two horizontal pieces to serve as the top and bottom of the tray divider unit.

2. Mark Your Spacing: Decide how wide you want your slots to be. I marked the wood at 3 ¼-inch intervals to create equal sections that can hold multiple pans or one thick cutting board.

Step 2: Cutting the Grooves (The "Pro" Secret)

To make the dividers stable, you don't want to just nail them in. Instead, we're going to cut channels or grooves into the top and bottom boards. This allows the 1/4" dividers to slide right into place.

Using a Table Saw or Router

The easiest way to do this is with a table saw.

Guess what?! 

I don't own a table saw, and probably you neither. Enter here a router with a ¼" Straight dado bit.

Source

Both parts (top and bottom) were placed side by side to create continuous lines. The red arrow in the picture below shows where the two parts meet.

Clamp both pieces to the table or working surface. 

Use a ruler or guide. I used a straight piece of wood to guide the router in making the grooves. I used a sandbag in the middle to keep the guide from moving or sagging.

The place where you should install your guide is determined by the distance from where the bit is located to the edge of the router; in my case, that distance is 3". 

From each marked line, I measure three inches away, and that's where my guide would go.

Go slowly, keeping the router's edge in contact with your guide at all times.

Each dado-cut was done twice:

First, at about 1/8" deep into the wood, then about 1/4" deeper. This way is easier on your router.

This process is easy, but it takes time.

Doing both pieces at the same time ensures perfect alignment.

Step 4: Sliding in the Dividers

Once done with the dado cuts, you can go ahead and cut the divisions from the ¼" material (in my case, 14" + the amount each division goes into the dado cuts, I cut them at 14.5").

1. Cut the 1/4" Material: Cut your thin underlayment into rectangles that match the height and depth of your frame. For my project, these were roughly 14" high.

2. The Slide Test: Slide each 1/4" piece into the grooves you cut earlier. If they are a bit tight, a little sandpaper on the edges of the dividers will help them glide right in.

3. Optional Glue: You can add a bead of glue inside the grooves if you want these to be permanent, but leaving them unglued makes it easier to remove them later if you ever need to clean the cabinet or store something wider. I didn't use glu for the dividers.

Dry fit picture below:

The ¼" divisions were then bundled up with tape to create a cut-out design on the front part of all of them.

You can use a jigsaw to cut out this part. I used the BladeRunner X2.

After caulking and sanding all the pieces, they were spray-painted.

Step 4: Assembling the Frame

As soon as the paint dried, holes were drilled with the Kreg jig to build the "box" that will house your trays. 

1. Create the "H" Frame: Attach your horizontal top and bottom boards (the ones with the grooves) to your main 3/4" vertical divider.

2. Secure the Structure: I used wood glue and a pocket hole jig (or simple wood screws) to attach the pieces. Make sure the grooves on the top board are facing the grooves on the bottom board.

3. Check for Square: Use a carpenter's square to make sure your frame is perfectly 90 degrees. This ensures your trays won't lean or get stuck.

Step 5: Installation in the Cabinet

Since the cabinet is 24" deep, there is plenty of room to work with.

1. Slide the Unit In: Place your completed tray divider assembly into the left side of the cabinet.

2. Secure to the Cabinet: To prevent the unit from tipping, I drove a few screws through the side of the divider unit directly into the walls of the Ikea cabinet.

3. Center Division: The vertical, right board is secured to the back, top, and bottom of the cabinet with Kreg screws. 

This is how it looks:

I couldn't wait to fill it up!

Ha, I even brought some more trays I had stored in the basement, though I should get rid of those and buy some of the ones I keep on using.

The plastic boards that were previously stored under the sink can fit here, too. Well, I have to change those too; they are old and ugly.

The wooden boards and the roller fit perfectly up there.

The transformation is incredible. No more "tray-valanche" every time I reach for a cookie sheet! Everything is upright, visible, and—most importantly—easy to grab. 👍

:)

It's so fun to be this organized!

And hey, for the right-hand side part, you have to click right HERE, because I'm sure you also want to tackle that part!


For more kitchen organization ideas, check these out:

DIY - Plate Rack inside Cabinet

Organize your Measuring Cups and Spoons

Install Pull-Out Shelves in Pantry