How to create a dresser from a recycled filing cabinet

Begin with a simple filing cabinet. The one I found was old and beat-up, but for $10 at a thrift store it was the right price and a great size (think height,not width for small spaces)

Take out drawers and clean all the dust and miscellaneous paperclips out

Clean out both the inside and outside for proper paint application. Lining the drawers with contact paper, fabric or scented drawer liners is optional. I chose not to, but I may in the future!

Decide if you want to keep the hardware. If you don't, make sure you find drawer pulls that fit the screw holes. I chose to keep the label windows to identify and label what goes in the drawers.

Unscrew hardware. Tape off anything that doesn't come off so you don't get spraypaint on it. Use a ratchet and a hex bolt to take handles off. Or tape them off if you don't have the tools!

Keep all the hardware and screws together.

Now that your small pieces are gone, clean the front of your new drawers. The small square that doesn't unscrew can be taped off.

Take the empty filing cabinet somewhere that you can paint and leave it out to dry for a few hours. I took mine outside and brought it back in when it was dry but I had help-it's a heavy, metal piece.

No matter where you paint, put a tarp or towel down. It can get really messy really fast if you are using latex paint from a quart. I wanted to have a "shabby chic" brushstroke look for the outside.

If you don't want brushstrokes and want less mess, spraypaint is the way to go. I wanted it to have a brushed on feel, a light coat works well for that effect.

Cover entirely. Top, sides and back.

Next, spraypaint your drawers. I tested these at the store so I knew they'd be sharp and glossy, a good contrast to the white. Have fun with the colors, the drawers can all match or be a few shades!

2 of mine are light blue, 3 a darker bright blue. Color is entirely up to you. Consider stencils, chalkboard paint, etc.

Let stand for about an hour or until completely dry.

Reattach hardware

And you're done! Add clothes, paper, whatever your heart desires.

Note the great effect glossy spraypaint has.

Remember to fill in all of the front spaces with white. I missed a couple of spots on the second drawer.

And Voila! New to me dresser-this was so much fun and inexpensive to make. I hope you enjoyed this guide; good luck on your journey to making old artifacts functional and beautiful again!