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spray paint a file cabinet feature
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Spray Paint a File Cabinet

Learn how to use spray paint to decorate a filing cabinet! This is an easy office DIY project.
Course DIY Projects
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Dry Time 3 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings 1 cabinet
Cost $10

Equipment

  • Screwdriver
  • Ruler
  • Drill
  • Miter saw

Ingredients

  • 1 Filing cabinet
  • Spray paint Various colors
  • Wood screws at least 10 either 1.5" or 2"; more if you're going to use casters
  • Butcher paper or newsprint
  • 3 x 3 turning blank, 36" long
  • 4 Casters we got ours from Home Depot

Instructions

  • Your first step will be to clean the cabinet if it needs it. I recommend it just because it's likely been handled a lot. We used soap and water, plus Goo Gone. The sticker on the front was easily removable and the residue removed.
  • Remove the drawers and use the painter's tape to section off the area you're going to paint. Then tape off a stripe on the far left.
    Use your ruler to make sure that the painter's tape is even and that it is the same on the bottom and top drawer. Smooth the tape down thoroughly.
    Taping off the drawers with painter's tape
  • Start spray painting the drawers. Use the butcher paper to help you out - tape off the section with painter's tape as shown. Spray several light coats until the area is covered. Let dry for a minute if necessary. Then remove the tape and paper and let dry.
    Spray painting a stripe on the front of a cabinet
  • Now, it's going to take you some time to do the stripes, just because of the drying. So paint a stripe, let it dry for a few hours, then come back and do another one.
    Work your way across the front of the cabinet . .  then come back and fill in additional stripes if you like. As I said before - the whole process was very random
    stripes spray painted on the front of a file cabinet
  • We used the white spray paint/primer on the base. Unscrew , prime, paint. Let dry.
    spray paint the base with various colors
  • Next you will add a base for wheels. Measure carefully inside the base of your filing cabinet. We cut the 3 x 3 to exactly fit inside along two edges of the base - this is to add support.
    Wood support cut to fit inside the base frame
  • Drill into the sides of the base/wood and add the screws. We secured the wood pieces with three screws down the long side and one at each end. Attach the casters to the wood with more wood screws. You are ready to set the cabinet upright.
    Screwing casters into the base frame

Notes

  • We should have used flat head screws. But we had these slightly tapered ones on hand, so that's what we used.
  • Looking back we should have probably waited to paint the base until we added the wood and the screws - so that the screws would be the same color as the base! Lesson learned.
  • Here's what we used:
    • Rustoleum American Accents Lagoon
    • Valspar Outdoor Satin Spring Sprout
    • Valspar Outdoor Satin Dark Night
    • Valspar Outdoor Satin Dried Peppers
    • Krylon ColorMaster Satin Island Splash
    • Krylon ColorMaster Paint + Primer Flat White