Montessori Closet Tutorial

My daughter is 12 months old, and clearly has the independence of her mother and father combined! She is also a little fashionista! She loves picking out her own clothes and works very hard to get herself dressed in the mornings. I strive very hard to foster her independence and help her grow into her own personality. We are working towards making our home a Montessori style home, and I wanted to give her a way to pick out her own clothes. Lots of Google and Etsy searching later, I came to the conclusion that purchasing a closet was just outrageous. The prices started at around $280!! Since that was too big of a price point pill for me to swallow, I decided to build one!

I took a trip to Lowe's and Sherwin Williams, my favorite place, and got started.

Here's what I purchased:

- 6 pre-cut 3' boards

- 1 3/8 dowel rod

- Valspar Stain Blocking Primer

- 2'x4' plywood underlayment - I wanted something that was incredibly thin that could act as a backer for the shelves. Choose what works best for you!

- 1 quart of your paint of choice. I used Sherwin Williams ProClassic in Westhighland White. It has a slight grey/taupe undertone which was perfect for our space.

- Closet rod and corresponding brackets. I purchased one of the longer rods because I plan on using the scraps for another project - stay tuned!

- 4" flat surface roller brush

- Mini paint tray

You will need:

- Miter or table saw

- Kreg kit

- Drill and bits

- 1" screws

- Hammer

- Dovetail saw (or finishing saw)

- Sander with 60 grit and 100 grit sandpaper

- 4" paint roller

- 2" Paint Brush

I try to draw most projects before building. Here is a rough drawing of my project as well as a cut list. I do recommend double checking each measurement and cutting as you go in case there is a discrepancy when assembling.

After getting an idea of what I wanted this to look like, I started cutting and assembling! I originally chose the pre-cut boards because I knew I wanted this closet to be 3 feet wide. So, I went ahead and saved myself some time on this step. I used my Kreg jig to create pocket holes in the corners of the boards and created my frame.

I measure, cut and placed the vertical divider once again creating pocket holes to do so - along with the following steps in this process.

Then, I went for the shoe rack. When I was planning this closet, I wasn't sure how tall I wanted this opening. As I began assembling, I actually pulled a pair of my daughter's shoes into the garage to measure. I wanted her to be able to easily get her shoes out of the opening, and I wanted it to have some longevity as her shoe size increased, so I made this opening 5" tall - I'm hoping that is tall enough as she grows!

Next, I installed the shelving and backer. The shelves are 12" wide - enough room for baskets should I choose to put those in at a later date once she has more things she would like stored in this piece.

I drilled my pocket holes and installed the shelves. Then I measure and cut the backing. When installing, I pre-drilled holes, using a 3/32" bit, for the screws so my wood didn't split.

Then, I installed the rod hardware where I wanted it. The measurements I used for this were a little rough -- 2.5" from the upper wood panel to the top of the hardware / 3" from the center of the hardware. I also brought a child sized hanger into the garage to make sure I could easily place and remove the hanger without struggling to get it around the rod before I screwed anything in.

That's it! That's the basic construction! Easy, right?

Once I had the construction finished, I filled in all of my pocket holes and cut down the excess with my dovetail saw. Personally, I prefer to cut my own pocket hole fillers out of a dowel - this is why it's on the purchase list. If you prefer to use pre-cut fillers, that's great! For a tutorial on how to create your own pocket hole fillers, click here.

I used my sander with 60 grit sand paper to make sure all of my pocket holes were smooth and to file down and rough areas. Also, since this is for my baby's room, I filed down the sharp outer corners of the whole piece just in case. I then went back with my 100 grit paper to make sure everything was nice and smooth and ready for paint.

When painting, plan to paint in steps - prime, sand, paint, sand, paint. Apply your paint using a brush to all interior corners of the surface first, then roll carefully. By brushing first, you will help get rid of the harsher brush strokes and have an easier time sanding in between steps!

I chose not to seal this piece further because it is going to be a light use item and the paint I chose is very durable. It's meant for interior doors and trim but also works fantastically on something like this.

Once the whole piece dried thoroughly, I installed and styled it in my daughter's room. It's the perfect place for her to have a few outfit selections as well as hold her favorite toys and stuffed animals for quiet time.

Happy building!