Repurposed Filing Cabinet-A How To Guide

Ahh, summer time.
The time that you can get caught up.
Or-you can get bogged down with 1000 projects and feel like you are about to lose your mind.

Which one do you I fall under?  Depends.

Last week, I spent the week at the beach.  My mind went to complete mush.  It was fantastic.

My one and only post last week was for my Fabulous Find Friday Linky.  {Which, by the way, you can still link up any time.  It doesn't have to be on Friday.} Did anyone notice the brain-fart that day?  I had titled it "Fabulous Find Friday-Beach Addition".  Duh.  Not "Edition".  Nope, beach-brain-mush. {obviously I have no real shame because I'm bringing attention to it all over again}

I realized it while on the beach-face down in the sand.  No joke.  I jumped up, pulled out my phone and desperately tried to edit it from my phone.  Ahhh, the iPhone.  Thank you, dear iPhone.  I was able to fix it.

Since I am back and trying to check things off of my to-do list, I thought I'd post this how-to for repurposing your filing cabinet.  I've had several questions and requests about it.

I'm going to start at the end of this story and work backwards, OK?
Here's my final product:

I learned through trial and error and thought I'd share it with you in case you were thinking of tackling this project.

Bottom line.  Don't Mod Podge unless you are an EXPERT.

See the one on the left.  Well upon closer inspection it is a HOT MESS.  You can see wrinkles.  The glue dried funny...yadda, yadda, yadda.

I had also Mod Podged {Blogger doesn't like that word, but it's real.} the one on the right, too, and it was WORSE.  Like a four year old had tried to do it.  Bad.  I went in the next day and tore it all off.

Let me tell you the error of my ways.

Take said fellow on the left.  He's made with scrapbooking paper and Mod Podge.  First off, the scrapbooking sheets were 12x12.  Unfortunately, the drawers are 12x14.  So, I had to piece together a little strip so that I could cover the entire drawer.
Mistake #1- I should have used wrapping paper {maybe} and it would have covered the entire drawer. 
Mistake #2- I should have taken the drawer handle off.  Instead, I trimmed around it with an Exacto knife.  It was OK, but again, would be better if I had taken off the handle.
Mistake #3- I am NOT a Mod Podge Expert!

Enter fellow on the right:

He's made with contact paper and paint!

What Went Right #1- I took the drawer handles off and measured the contact paper to cover the entire drawer.
What Went Right #2- The contact paper was forgiving.  That contact paper, by the way, was from TJ Maxx.  Cute :)
What Went Right #3- The pink drawers are painted.  Those drawers, to me, look the best.  Duh.  I should have painted the entire thing.   I used enamel paint that I rolled on with a sponge roller.  You will see pictures below.  I knew I couldn't/ wouldn't spray paint it, so this was the only way to cover it and know it would last.  Enamel paint is not the best to work with, but I just threw out the sponge roller when I was finished so that clean-up was easy.

Now, as far as all of the black...that's two different materials-black contact paper and black electrical tape.  It was easy.   You have to get that contact paper at just the right angle and it will go on smoothly.  The outsides that show all look great.  The two sides that are in the middle are more wrinkled, but I didn't care.

Here's a shot of the painting.  Step 1 {on the top}  prime it.  I used Kilz primer.   Step 2 {on the bottom} paint with enamel paint.  I bought mine at Lowes.  Here's what the paint looks like.  Then, below that, my drawers.  {I never tire of showing you my drawers...teeheehee.}

Here's a close up of the electrical tape.  I used it to cover all of the narrow strips.  (Like on the
top, between drawers, etc.)

Here's a side view of the black contact paper:

So, there you have it.  Repurposed filing cabinet.

If I had to do it all over again it would be contact paper and paint all the way :)

I like the way they both turned out, but I like the one on the right better.  Also, you might be going...blah, they aren't the same.  I know.  I like it that way, too.

See you tomorrow with my Monday Made It {not these, either}.  Then, I'm going to be a little MIA for a while so that I can get that darn to-do list down to a manageable size.