Sunday, March 13, 2011

DIY: Repainting an old used filing cabinet

Being the uber organized neat freak that I am, it was even a surprise to me that I still didn't own a filing cabinet. All my documents are either stored on a shelf at home or in one of my filing cabinets at work (probably not the best place for confidential information). So, in an attempt to better organize my life, I finally embarked on a hunt for something standard-sized, inexpensive and with a pop of color. Turns out, they're all drab and overpriced at about $75.

So, I took it into my own hands and found a used one on Craigslist for $10 and turned it out. Instead of paying $75 for a brand new one, I spent a total of $20 (total includes price of cabinet + supplies).

Supplies:
-1 can of primer
-1 can of spray pain
-Sandpaper
-1 paint marker pen
-drop cloth

1.) Sand it. This is optional. By sanding it down, the paint sticks better. You can also sand down any uneven areas or sand off paint if it has any already on it from a previous DIY project.
2.) Clean it. Remove any dust and residue. Wipe down and let dry.
3.) Prime it. Use a primer that works on metal like Rustoleum. Dry.
4.) Spray on paint.

*Tip: Spray one side at a time and make sure the side you're painting is rightside up/ laying flat. I made the rookie mistake of spraying the sides and had paint drip marks. I ended up having to sand these down and repainting. Avoid this time-consuming mistake!

3 comments:

Tamina said...

Sa-weet! We were talking about buying a file cabinet the other day! Thanks for the great advice, esp. the Tip b/c I totally would have done the same thing!

Jackson Gaydosh said...

Lucky that you got one for $10 on Craigslist and, with some elbow grease, refurbished it to work like it's new! If I may ask, how long did you worked on the filing cabinet?

MELI.MEL. said...

It took 2 days total :)