Introduction: Etched Plexiglass Cabinet Door

A while back i got some cheap cabinets from Walmart. I wanted to find a way to make them look like they were higher quality. I was inspired by this glass door that i saw online. When all finished it makes the cabinets look a lot better.

Step 1: Supplies

You will need:
A cabinet
plexiglass
plexiglass cutter
dremel
non-bore hinges
magnetic touch latch
Magnetic strike pad

Step 2: Cutting the Plexiglass

First you must find out what dimensions your door will be. You can do this by measuring the cabinet opening. The door will need to be small enough so that the hinges fit inside of the opening.

To find what height you need you should slide the hinge onto your plexiglass. Then measure how far the hinge sticks out.

Use this formula to determine the door's height
h-2x
h= Height of opening
x= Amount hinge sticks out from plexiglass

To find the width of the door i suggest that you use this formula
w-t
w= Width of opening
T= Thickness of the plexiglass

Once you know the dimensions of your door you can cut it. You will have to use a plexiglass cutter. The cutter that you use should have instructions about how you should cut the plexiglass. Just make sure that you cut it as close to the dimensions as possible.

Step 3: Design

When you pick a design you will want to put it in some kind of image editing software. There are many free and paid ones that you can use. Once you have your design opened in your software of choice you should choose what parts you are going to etch. Single out those parts and delete everything else. It might help if you make the parts that you etch the same color. After that you will want to flip the image horizontally. That way the etched part will be on the inside of the door instead of feeling a rough edge on the outside. You can make the image any size that you want, but i recommend that you leave some space from the edges.

Step 4: Etching

Tape your design to the back of your cut plexiglass. You will want to etch the design in with your dremel. When you are etching the design you will want to be looking directly above the plexiglass so that the image doesn't get warped through the plexiglass. If you look at an angle some parts will appear longer and it could make it so some of the lines don't meet up. While etching make sure that you use equal pressure so that the entire design seems consistent.

Step 5: Finishing

The final step would be to put the hinges on and put it into the cabinet. Before you screw everything in make sure that the door can open wide enough to get things in and out. When its all put together, your cheap cabinets will look like they are high quality.