You're going to learn how to make a lazy susan today. These spinning circles of efficiency are a quick & easy DIY project.
If you're on the hunt for a large, good quality Lazy Susan you're out of luck. There are no sturdy Susans, lazy or otherwise to be found anywhere.
There are a few small wood (16" or less) models around that you might use on a countertop but nothing for big cabinets.
When I first redid my kitchen done I didn't get ANY of the extras. You know, all those nice things that make your drawers and cupboards so nice? Yeah, I didn't splurge on any of those. So the first thing I did when my kitchen was made over was make some Lazy Susans for my cabinets.
They're incredibly easy & affordable to make.
Make this big DIY Lazy Susan for $8 out of wood or MDF and a bit of hardware.
This is a very informative post with step-by-step instructions. It is also all kinds of boring.
If you'd like to be entertained today, might I suggest throwing rubber snakes at your neighbours.
Onto the information!
Table of Contents
DIY Lazy Susan
BASIC STEPS
1. Measure the width & depth of cabinet.
2. Paint & Prime
3. Screw in lazy susan mechanism
Easy, right?
Materials & Tools Needed
- ½" sheet of MDF ($8.50)
- Lazy Susan hardware ($4-$9)
- 8 screws
- Paint
- Jigsaw
- Drill
Steps
- Measure your cabinet's width & depth. Draw a circle on the MDF. Make sure your lazy susan circle is slightly smaller than the width/depth of the cabinet. You just need a bit of wiggle room to ensure your lazy susan doesn't hit the sides of the cabinet when you spin it.
- Using a jigsaw cut the circle out.
TIP
I've tested a LOT of jigsaws. This Bosch jigsaw is the one I love and use myself.
It's steady, more stable & turns with precision.
- Prime & paint what will be the top of your lazy susan. You can leave the bottom unfinished.
- Working on the underside, find the centre of the circle and mark it.
- Place the lazy susan bearing over the centre and screw the portion that touches the bottom of the lazy susan into place.
- Align the top part of the mechanism so the large circle is over the MDF. Mark the MDF with a pencil in that spot (like you see in the photo above.)
- Drill a hole through the MDF where you marked it. The hole needs to be large enough to fit a screwdriver head through.
- Place your lazy susan wherever it is you want to put it - probably inside a cabinet.
- Rotate the lazy susan until the large hole is directly over one of the screw holes on the mechanism plate. Drop a screw in and then screw it into the cabinet shelf. Repeat until all 4 screws are screwed in and the lazy susan is secured.
You're done.
Lazy Susan Hardware
There are two types of Lazy Susan bearings (hardware).
Round bearings Generally speaking the round ones are more expensive and bigger. They'll be more stable, especially if you decide you'd rather not screw the lazy susan into your cabinet. They're also a better choice for a stand alone unit for your counter or tabletop.
Square bearings You can get away with the smaller, square hardware for 95% of your Lazy Susan needs. These are what you would use when making a lazy susan for a cabinet.
How to Make a Lazy Susan
Aside from the money savings, making your own lazy susan gives you the advantage of being able to make it the exact size you want.
Materials
- ½" sheet of MDF ($8.50)
- Lazy Susan hardware ($4-$9)
- 8 screws
- Paint
Tools
- Jigsaw
- Drill
Instructions
- Mark a circle on your MDF with pencil.
- Cut the circle out with a jigsaw.
- Prime and paint what will be the top portion of the Lazy Susan.
- Flip the circle over so you're working on the underside and find the centre. Mark it.
- Place your Lazy Susan hardware over the centre mark and screw it into place. You will be screwing only the part of the hardware that is in direct contact with the circle of MDF.
- Find the large circle on the hardware and mark it on the board underneath with a pencil. Drill a hole big enough for your screwdriver's head to fit through.
- Flip your Lazy Susan so it is right side up and place it where you want it to go (probably on a shelf.)
- Turn the Lazy Susan until your screwdriver access hole aligns with a hole on the hardware. Screw in a screw. Repeat this for all 4 screwing points on the hardware.
- You're done!
Notes
Circular lazy susan hardware is very similar and installed in a similar way.
1, 2x4 sheet of MDF will get you 2, 22" Lazy Susans.
Cost per Lazy Susan will be apx. $8 each.
Recommended Products
I'm an Amazon affiliate some I get a few cents when you buy something I've linked to.
And that's all there is to it. I made 7 of these for my kitchen. The cost of each will be slightly less than $8 for you if you make smaller Lazy Susans.
To any Susans who are upset that their name is associated with laziness - just be happy your name isn't Karen.
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
Jackie
Karen, You made me too tired to do anything - with all that drilling, spinning & screwing. I need to go & find my plastic snakes to throw at my neighbors. Good idea. Maybe I'll write your name on them first.
Karen
I'm O.k. with that. :) ~ karen!
Olga
I like how you explain to everyone that you just pretending to screw your Lazy Susan to the patio table lol. I wonder if anyone actually though "ohhh, did she screw her lazy Susan outside on the table (add random head scratch)???". I bet you come across of a lot of interesting people lol
Karen
Yup. :) ~ karen
Nancy Blue Moon
Great tut..cheap..errr..frugal..love Lazy Susans..
LazySusan
I cannot tell you how many Lazy Susans I find at garage sales. I cannot tell you, because I never counted, but almost every garage sale around here seems to have one or more, and I've been going to garage sales around here for a decade. They might be the smaller two-tier plastic ones, or very large single wood ones. I buy most of them, and find a use for them somewhere, like in the upstairs hall closet for first aid supplies, or my craft table for art supplies, or the top of the refrigerator so I can just whirl it around to get the potato chips or the crackers that are kept up there, or in the garage on the work bench, for nails and screws of the size we normally use. They cost anywhere from $1 for the very large wooden ones to 10 cents for the single tier plastic ones. Just a bit of information about where to find Lazy Susans, from another Lazy Susan. Love your Lazy Susans, Karen! I would imagine they will make it much easier to retrieve things from those big, deep cabinets!
Karen
They do indeed. I like 'em because I could make them exactly the depth of the cupboards so I'm not wasting a single inch. ~ karen!
Agnes
Do you use an oil based primer on the MDF? I was recently working with some laser cut MDF and needed to make sure all the burnt edges were covered up since the project needed to be very white.
I used a really good oil based Beautitone primer from Home Hardware...very low VOCs and dried in a couple hours. Then top coated in regular latex paint.
Leslie
Genius with the little drilled holes for attaching it to the foundation!
JF
OK, now that you've showed us how to make a Lazy Susan, can you tell me how to coax the ones in my cabinets to actually work?!?!?! it's a two tier LS that came with the place and they inevitably get stuck and won't rotate completely. . .wait, I have a Lazy Lazy Susan?!?
anyway, can I adjust them or should I just get out my axe?
Deb J.
JF - not sure exactly what kind of lazy Susan you might have but we fixed one installed at our cottage. It involved the centre pole and two shelves. The pole needs to rotate in its pivot points and the two shelves were attached to the centre pole with a screw that locked them into place. Failure at either point results in poor function. However, fixing the damned thing (poorly) involved actually getting into the cupboard and messing around with the parts. These things are put in before the countertops go on which makes access much easier. If you can't climb into the cupboard (contortionists here we come!), the axe might be your answer.
JF
Deb,
doing my stretches as we speak! thanks for the info!
hey, if you don't hear back from me say, within a week or so, please call the rescue squad and ask them to bring the jaws of life!
Melissa in North Carolina
AWESOME...thanks for the tute! I've pinned this info. You are so clever.
Bols
I admit I got a bit confused with all the holes to be drilled but I know from plenty of my own experience that the fog will clear up once you start actually working on it.
I don't know what is the current situation but I bought a few of fairly large lazy susans at Home Outfitters. Probably not as large as Karen's, I would estimate them approx 17" or 18" in diameter. These were purchased some 12+ years ago and I still have them. Like I said, not sure if they are still available.
christine
Did you know if you have a lazy susan on the table and you spin it fast enough a full size jar of pickles can become airborne and stain your rug forever?
Nancy Blue Moon
Humm..Sounds like the voice of experience..lol
Suzanne @ Le Farm
They make one in older playgrounds that can make a human fly!
Mary Werner
Seems like you need to make a DIY for a grabber, pincher, picker-upper thingy. My Mom had hip surgery and needed help picking up things so we found one at a store that sells hospital equipment like wheel chairs, toilet potties, etc. It works great for retrieving from the abyss, tall cabinets, or into narrow spaces next to the refrigerator. Anyway, it's no wonder you needed a nap after all that spinning and screwing!
Becky
I have a few of those grabber things you speak of... I found mine at Harbor Freight for $3. I use them for picking up trash that blows in my yard that I don't want to touch.
Ann
I have to agree with Jack on the border. I have 2 built in Lazy Susan's that are in blind corner cabinets. So much has fallen off behind that we can not ever get out. Luckily it is all non-food items like tupperware and such. Maybe in a regular type, easy to reach in cabinet it would all be fine. Unless something glass spins off and breaks. Now that could be a real mess to clean up
Tigersmom
Those are awesome. I found a huge wooden one at a thrift store that I use when I'm spray painting for twelve bucks after pricing similar ones new at around $70. (I paint in my garage and like to keep what I'm painting in the direction of the natural light from outside.) Good to know I can make one if this one ever dies.
Nancy Blue Moon
Hey Tigersmom..same here..found huge wooden one at thrift store..first thought..this wood be great for spray painting..works great..very convenient..
Tigersmom
Clever girls, we are!
Jack Ledger
My expertise here is entirely lacking but might I suggest a border edge around the circumference of each circle and slightly overlap the edge so that your favorite sauce doesn't fall off into the abyss at the back of your cupboard to become unretrieveable for centuries.
Dagmar
I give you so much credit Karen. I am way too lazy to make a Lazy Susan, hey actually, how did they ever come up with that name ? But, even though I don't make a good deal of the projects you speak of, I jump like a giddy little girl on the first day of school when I hear my iPad make that ping at midnight, and I know my new installment of what's new in Karen's world is here. (The Art of Doing Stuff) Hehehe
Mandy Dunbar
I love that you have to 'attack' the lazy Susan bearing onto the bottom - makes the whole venture seem slightly more daring!
Great instructions :)
Margaret K.
Great instructions! I didn't know the bases had access holes for the screwdriver to fit through to attach them onto your shelves - always wondered how you did that. By the way, in paragraph 2 of the instructions, I hope you are attaching the bearing, not attacking it. They look like they could be vicious if threatened.
Peg
With any project involving me and a screwdriver, I am attaching and attacking! I can get it done, but it takes me 2-3 times longer than most men - life is not fair sometimes.
Amber
Hmm, I know a lazy Susan. She revolves quite frequently.
Maybe she isn't exactly lazy...
Feral Turtle
This is just bizarre!! I am in the process of making a big ass one for the floor in my pantry. In fact I just put the first coat of paint on it an hour ago.....so weird. Poor hubby has been after me for months to do this, and we happen to do it around the same time! I guess great Karens think alike....hehe Cheers.
Becky
I have said it before and I'll say it again... YOU are a genius, and I think I love you.
In a weird, sorta, I wish you were my sister, or my best friend kind of way, of course.