BEFORE & AFTER: Pretty Metal Cabinet Makeover! - Thrift Diving

[@ThriftDiving]

For a list of the tools and materials used for this project, read the blog post: thriftdiving.com/paint-metal-cabinets/

[@GODSPEAKS898]

Beautifully done. I love the color and the drawer pulls which give these two piece a whimsical and fun look!! Great job! Oh and by the way, I think everything is trial and error, I know I have been there, but in the end you always make it look beautiful. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾💕💕💕🤗🤗🤗

[@1953lili]

They are great since they have lots of drawers: art supplies, jewelry findings, etc.etc.etc.!

[@tl1110]

You ruined them.

[@xchrysantha]

I REALLY appreciate that you include the mistakes and backtracking that you did because those are exactly the kinds of things I would do if I'm not thinking or focusing right lol. It makes me feel a little less silly that I'm not the only one; but it also serves as an excellent reminder or warning of the things I can avoid myself. Thank you so much for sharing!!!

[@joyharper89]

I have to admit I would have never thought these rusty old cabinets could be made into something beautiful, but you did it! I love the color, love the wallpaper and knobs, but I especially appreciate that you show all the mistakes along the way! Even experts like you get it wrong sometimes, but you are an inspiration!

[@holly5791]

I love refurbishing old metal cabinets. I have done file cabinets as well as others. I usually paint them, but one time, I even made a slipcover for a file cabinet. It wasn't rusted, but someone had taped the drawers together and encircled the entire cabinet with the tape. (It was during a move.) I was not scraping all that adhesive off! I camouflaged it instead. No, seriously, I used camouflage material, like is used for hunting gear and made desk accessories to match. It was for my husband's home office. He loved it! Great job on your cabinets!👍

[@jillbarry922]

What a wonderful example of recycling furniture. You were not daunted by the challenges you faced. Loved the end result, they are outstanding and whimsically wonderful, loved the knobs and fact they were not matching, made them all the more magical. Well done!!!

[@lennemcgillparrish9682]

Love, Love LOVE the knobs! Redoing metals cabinets myself. I'm probably doing That! Thx!

[@carolepeck3829]

I really appreciate that you include your screw ups in your videos. It makes me feel less insecure about my own messes.

[@kimberlyhanley5905]

Now I know what to do with my rusty file cabinets in the basement! Thank you!

[@mariamercy7317]

Wow, God bless your patience! Those cabinets came out beautiful! Amazing job, and yes, that photo is either from the 50s or 60s. The 70s were a bit more advanced. Now you know how young I am. Lol

[@jeannetimme7337]

I snagged my dad's old metal tool drawers, cleaned 'em up, spray painted & put them under my craft desk. They're really long but not very deep but store all those household things that are scattered everywhere - different types of tape, envelopes, rulers, and of course scrapbook stuff! Best thing I ever did!!! The wallpaper idea is genius! I just stuck felt in some drawers. Now I'm off to reorganize and find some cool wallpaper! TFS!!!

[@maegardnermills4292]

Thank you. I have a tall file cabinet about to give to Goodwill. Now, I will make it pretty.

[@renabee8246]

Love what you did. I like that you put in the errors in your video so others can learn from it too. We all make mistakes. With all those drawers, the different knobs will help you remember where you put your items.

[@fireheart0913]

love Golden Girls on in the back ground lol

[@ThriftDiving]

It's my "go to" when I'm in project-mode! :)

[@novaricos]

glad I'm not the only one playing " paint -chicken", " or, "will it make it to the end of the whole job?" ( I do it with yarn too, lol). Your project came out so nicely. Now inspired, maybe I can tackle one I've had as well!

[@evelynzlon9492]

These cabinets are very philosophical. Children do as they please before they learn that they must tailor their behavior to impress others. The exterior of these cabinets is very whimsical and childlike. This presages the drawers are more ornate, to delight the user rather than the distant observer. Your thought process is on a par with the truly great designers in every field. I look forward to seeing your career progress.

[@missygrando1965]

Sugar beet was definitely the way to go! They are soooooooooo gorgeous!!!

[@CR-ee3iu]

You revived the cabinet and made it beautiful and functional. Awesome job!!😃

[@SomeOne-vy5gv]

This was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo awesome!

[@ThriftDiving]

Awww, thank you so much!! :)

[@herleyrobinson5965]

What a wonderful job. Those cabinets are beautiful. You are so talented and creative. Thank you for your wonderful channel. I am so glad to see the incredible growth

[@marilynhamilton5910]

It's such a throw away culture. It's great to see items being repurposed and look so stylish and in use again. Just need to get myself 2 metal lockers.

[@deewest1227]

Excellent job Serena! You've got the Midas touch!

[@dreed1058]

Paper, paint color, techniques, and your use of power tools (I LOVE POWER TOOLS!!) - OVERALL FANTASTIC! Wonderful job, thks for sharing!

[@mariaelenasantiago3313]

I love both colors. That wallpaper is so beautiful.

[@barbarakosloski9260]

I would so huy these from you. Using paperbon drawer sides and inside bottom takes furniture up a level. Such a finished look... and so pretty. I love when you show your happy mistakes. It shows we're human. 😂😂

[@gigicoogler]

The file cabinets are exactly the word you mentioned, whimsical. So bright and upbeat vibration.

[@debbiegreen7837]

I was so glad to see your video as I have a large 4 drawer filing cabinet I bought to repaint and use. Yours turned out so good! Thank you for sharing your project.

[@wandaroach765]

Ok I’m not jumping to the end, I’m understanding the assignment 😃

[@9catlover]

love you showing your mistakes so others can learn from it. The drawers are beautiful

[@kathyallen6238]

Awesome project; awesome tutorial!

[@alliefabrizio5395]

Thank you for sharing all your mistakes! It’s refreshing to see the reality that goes behind some diy projects. Very relatable. Lots of learning along the way

[@brendasidmore2731]

Great tip about spray painting on a flat side to avoid runs!

[@margaritaaguilar7405]

To cut the small circles of wood like the ones you needed, I suggest the round cutter jigs used with drills to make holes for doorknobs and hindges... just an idea ( don't enjoy the jigsaw too much😁)...

[@glendak4093]

Why not buy the washers. They are cheap at Lowes.

[@rasheedawilliams4395]

​@@glendak4093 if she gets the tool then she can use it with other projects. Plus she can use scrap wood she probably already has.

[@gypsygem9395]

They're called hole saws (I just learnt that a couple weeks ago when I needed to cut around some screws in some architrave I was trying to preserve!)

[@lindamcwilliams9056]

Beautiful. Love the color and the different knobs.

[@cv5200]

So cute! Yes, Sugarbeet is amazing!

[@colemine7008]

I loved how those turned out. Thanks for the video.

[@ThriftDiving]

Thanks! They turned out better than I had hoped! ❤

[@fluff7uk]

You are my favourite fixer upper. You are a mine of information and best of all I probably learn as much, if not more, when you discuss your mistakes. Brilliant. 😊

[@lilred312benett6]

They are gorgeous. I have certainly made the spray painting mistake. So many projects that I have to start over. I learned the meaning of "its a labor of love." Omg the E6000! It can fix my lampshade! Omg thank you so much!

[@vintagelady1]

As a shabby-chic person, I kind of liked the rusty/industrial look, but they sure did look great at the end. I'm not sure why you didn't use one of the Rustoleum spray products--there's one that turns a light rust into metal--you do have to scrape off rust flakes, but it makes things so simple. Also there is a Rustoleum spray paint that has rust containment, again for light rust such as you had. Anyway, great job to rescue the old file cabinets from the dump & turning them into something pretty & useful.

[@jmanonmakes]

They are gorgeous. I love the detail of adding the paper to the side of the drawers. Makes them that much more special. Thank you!

[@modemarcoj8026]

This woman is phenomenal Give her a raise Excellent transformation

[@beatrizgarcia2969]

They turned out beautifully

[@traceybradshaw]

They look beautiful Serena - advice on painting deep colors like red and bright pink, you’ll need less coats if you use a gray undercoat. ❤️

[@yoginisatwork902]

Haha I love it when you shared the whole process of having to redo stuff, because it always happens to me and I can relate! 😅 It’s real life. A fantastic outcome!

[@ThriftDiving]

Glad you like it! The "redoing" of stuff happens too often. Lol

[@priceisright3004]

Omg! This is so inspiring!! What a make over. Way to repurpose old stuff. Amazing 🤩

[@rhondadavis6894]

Absolutely, love your new drawer-cabinets!

[@carolinedubose5136]

Love the Sugar Beets color on the cabinets!! Between the wallpaper and knobs they look so fun!!

[@susanross1651]

You given me great ideas, I have an old grey filing cabinet with two drawers that I want to renovate, but because it’s quite heavy I am going to have to come up with a way to add castors to the bottom. They looked lovely when you were finished.

[@spazmat123]

Woah! What an amazing transformation!!

[@lydialangfordjoiner765]

I wouldn’t have said trash them. I love them. Thank you for doing the hard work! And sharing♥️

[@CarolynDeevy]

Very well done. Love the fact that you have setbacks and SOLVE them!

[@robertagoldsmith5833]

Lucky me!. Your video just popped up. Now you're stuck with me. Right on time. Now I'll have to find file cabinets to with themI'm going to get file cabintes to match my stands. THANKS FOR SHARING💕

[@sheilahendee3489]

Wow! Great job! Such talent & so determined. Girl, you rock!

[@DipityS]

Beautiful result - and you being open with your missteps would help others avoid the same - hopefully 😊

[@catcolbert9044]

So cute! I have tall metal file cabinets that I kinda figured I'd eventually get rid of because they're ugly. After seeing your video, I'll definitely give them a makeover!!! Thanks for sharing this wonderful idea! ❤️

[@rebeccaturner7097]

I love the sugar beet color! And I see why you got the wallpaper-similar to the valances. Good job, Serena!!

[@dondieu3154]

So nice. Wish I had those for my wife's craft room. They'd be great for all her 'stuff'.

[@qubilahmuhammad2725]

Don't skip to the end. LOL. Love it. Love the red.

[@ThriftDiving]

Thank you!! I know, the fun is in watching the transformation! :)

[@elizabethtrihub8047]

I have two file cabinets which I took out of my shed, which I turned into a chicken coop. Needless to say, they're getting rained on and have a little rust. I now have been inspired to restore them, paint them red ( I love red) and bring them indoors!! TY 👋👋👋👋👋

[@carolbradley4845]

Yes! Way to go! They are gorgeous! Thank you for your authenticity! So refreshing! ❤

[@2Cambell]

I love the color that you ended up choosing!!! ❤❤❤ It's a near match for my night out on the town lipstick...😁😆🤣 I also appreciate the colorful knobs. With our humidity levels, we deal with minor rust frequently, so it's good to see a video with someone who just tackles it! Sometimes you end up making adjustments midway with a project and that's to be expected. It worked out well here!!!👍👍

[@marysmith4479]

Beautiful, I have a similar cabinet. I’m painting the drawers in various colors. Thank you for the inspiration.

[@HopskotchBunny]

You are so talented and creative. LOVE that you found the sugar beet color that you loved even more by the end. I love the finished product. Can’t believe how beautiful you made those old scrappy metal cabinets look. Well done. ❤️💜

[@sonjag.8686]

A 100% success! I understand the paint under the drawer cause it created a clean in and out! And my mind would calm, knowing there‘s color barrier to keep things in the drawer clean too 👍🏻

[@fleurjardin1012]

Your process sounds like mine but the main thing is that even with doing things in backwards order or changing your mind midstream it all turns out fine. I absolutely love how the file drawers turned out. So cute!

[@reneebarrett1161]

Oh my gosh! I have two of the same cabinets. Mine have been sitting in my outbuilding for about 10 years. 👀 I believe I paid five dollars each for them. So they are now a little rustier and a little more dirty than when I first purchased them in fact they have even sat outside one winter. I thank you so much for your video didn’t know how I was going to get the rust off. such a cute idea

[@laurielahr9401]

I love the finished product. They are beautiful.

[@Calgree]

While looking for other instructions, Google suggested your vlog. Love your determination. I would clean and paint rust . . . never would make my own wooden washers unless it was only one. Your project looks beautiful. I will subscribe.

[@tinavinson3063]

That turned into a serious labor of new love!😊 Beautiful! I think/paint/craft on the fly, too.

[@Jazz1959]

I’m working on an index card metal cabinet right now. I incased mine in wood and put hairpin legs on mine. Yours I really like the color and the knobs are so cute.

[@mlwashington4118]

Beautiful Job Sister!!! Love them!!! Thanks for sharing!!!😊😊

[@ThriftDiving]

Hey Martha! What's up! Glad you like them!

[@ejcostin3070]

Absolutely beautiful!

[@Cnichal]

You should get the long gloves, that go past your elbows! I even found some with a cute floral and lemon patterns! It also has a ruffle to prevent water running back on to you/clothes🥰

[@lewmisslew7827]

These are absolutely beautiful! The whimsical knobs are perfect as well. You always impress!

[@elizabethlacky6068]

I LOVE them! I also like they way you show us how to get around challenges. ♥️♥️♥️

[@pama.6410]

Wasn't sure about the color choice but the knobs just make the cabinets enviable! And the wallpaper lining is stunning. It all made sense when I saw your valances/curtains. You don't need to live with the extra long screw parts sticking out into the drawer. They make a tool like pliers that can cut that metal to the length you want. Enjoy the new cabinets!

[@darciemerriweather1206]

I really liked the cranberry, but I'm not really into bright colors. But those colors look fabulous and I love the knobs. Gorgeous

[@melindap.ullrich4564]

Great job on makeover, they look 👀 fantastic! Love the wallpaper.

[@totallydomestic433]

Great video. When i saw the cabinets, i knew i would not invest one minute on them, but you pulled off a near miracle. They looked great. It was alot of work though.

[@veronicaspage]

They look great! Yes, I often will re think a lives as I’m going along and create more work for myself. 😅

[@jomariepiccini5156]

So glad you showed all your mistakes…. That’s the story of my life. I get so frustrated. Cabinets turned out great

[@ThriftDiving]

I was frustrated, too, with my mistakes and not thinking through the steps before I actually started! It's a good lesson in getting into the habit of writing down what you want and plan to do, then numbering the steps. I do that for bigger projects, but I figured an easy project like this, it wasn't necessary. But you see that it is! It saves time and (possibly) money, too!

[@maureenmaureen713]

GORGEOUS project! Thank you for sharing. And the COLOR! So love that Sugar Beet color. Along with the whimsy drawer pulls. Enjoy your new cabinets. And thank you for rescuing something that might have been sent to landfill. We all have creative juices and need to think outside the box. Great-Great-Great result. I’m a new subscriber. 🙋‍♀️👏🏻❣️

[@jflclc]

I am so glad I found your video. My neighbor gave me an old filing cabinet to use in my craft room. It's in pretty good condition but I never thought about painting it. I'm going to see what I need to do to get it ready to paint and I might just use the same color you chose. Your cabinets turned out really well. Love the color, wallpaper and knobs. So inspiring!!

[@thebradoctor1858]

I was just thinking about you and this video popped up!! We have 2 tall metal file cabinets that are just ugly!! This has me thinking how to refresh and still use them!! LOVE, love love both colors! The final color really works in your she shed!!

[@modgirl3292]

Thank you for this tutorial & sharing your mistakes. We have a bunch of metal items that need painting around our house. Even older 50’s era metal kitchen cabinets. Plus I love this sugar beet color!!!

[@lolal1026]

Cute....certainly a labor of love. Like the idea of the knobs

[@colemine7008]

Your timing is perfect. I've been looking to pick up some metal cabinets just like this.

[@ThriftDiving]

When you find them, buy them! I love metal cabinets. The more drawers, the better! I once found a vintage metal cabinet (with much smaller drawers) when I was traveling to Wisconsin. I love it so much that I paid for them to ship it back home to me since there was no way to take it on the plane. And when I see smaller metal cabinets at the thrift store, I always buy them! :) Good luck!

[@frugalfixer5469]

That was a phenomenal result! I love the colors and the wallpaper inside: it's totally you!

[@lizeichner931]

Love them,they are beautiful 😍 ❤

[@cano21]

So glad I found this video. My wife and I are starting work on an old rusty metal cabinet and this answered so many of our questions! 👏👏👏 PS: That cranberry red is gorgeous 😍

[@ThriftDiving]

Good luck on your project!!

[@ginamaria2579]

Wow these turned out gorgeous, this color is everything 🤗

[@ThriftDiving]

The color makes me sooooo happy! I feel like the camera doesn't quite pick up how deep the color really is. They're like a deep wine, berry color. Not bright at all. I think gold knobs would have been nice, too, but to keep costs down, I'm trying to use up a lot of my stash!

[@ginamaria2579]

@@ThriftDiving it’s gorgeous maybe make it a primary color ☺️

[@Frosting1000]

That was a very satisfying transformation! The “before” gives me ptsd from school lol!! I hated those old rusty metal cabinets but you made them clean and beautiful!!

[@christinamiller4741]

What a lovely makeover! I am looking at a dresser I was given, and you inspired me to finish the makeover. Thank you!

[@deniseadams3981]

Great job!!!! I found 3 metal file cabinets at ReStore. I will refer back to this video when I start to restore them! Thanks!

[@ThriftDiving]

Hopefully they're rust-free! It saves you a couple steps in the process! :) Congrats on the find. I love metal cabinets!

[@melvinagresham7184]

Those turned out neat and they will be good for your different wallpapers and the other for boils and screw or you knobs that you used for different furniture

[@stellaolejar9007]

Serena I just came across your channel and wow I'm so happy I did. Your metal (very rusty) file cabinets came out wonderful- they are stunning. Thank you for sharing your journey and creativity with me.

[@NaomiC336]

I loved everything about this redo.

[@vjc4502]

You saw the potential & it worked out well! I have a garage full of 'I'll get to it' projects. Guess I better get to it!

[@AngieWilliamsDesigns]

These turned out great. I love that you saved them. They probably would have ended up on the dump. I have some cabinets I want to do this to. I can’t wait to try them.

[@fphome7229]

Really cute! Love that you show you mistakes.

[@bellaszucs-zagoni9014]

Beautiful job, Serena! Congrats!