Trash to Treasure File Cabinet Take Two {Monthly DIY Challenge}

Welcome back to another Monthly DIY Challenge!   I could not be more excited about this month's Trash to Treasure theme.   If you have been reading my blog for any length of time then you know turning trash into treasure is right up my alley.

In case you're new around here, the second Wednesday of every month my favorite bloggy friends and I get together and share a project based on a particular theme or material.   We've done all sorts of fun projects including wood slices, Dollar Store Crafts, plumbing pieces, doors and now my favorite of all, Trash to Treasure!

Last February, my boss was updating our office and hired a couple guys to haul away a bunch of old office furniture and supplies.  I was on the phone while most of the items were getting hauled to the dumpster, but happened to glance over when an old file cabinet passed by my desk.  Unfortunately, the drawers had already been thrown in the trash, but determined to save the cabinet I did what any normal person would do.  I put a smile on my face, batted my eyes (okay, maybe I didn't go that far) and asked the nice gentlemen if he would be so kind and pull the drawers out of the trash.   Totally normal, right?!?! 

The first makeover I did on this guy included the addition of white paint and fun wallpaper.  Unfortunately, I was so excited to get started on this project that I failed to take a before picture and only remembered AFTER I had started painting.  #bloggerfail

I loved how the wallpaper looked, but it was time for another update.

In order to turn this two drawer cabinet into an eight drawer specimen cabinet I had to create the look of multiple drawers.   In my opinion the best way to achieve this look is with balsa wood.   It's incredibly light weight, easy to use and perfect for craft and DIY projects, especially if you don't own a saw.   I was able to cut each piece easily with a razor blade then smooth the rough edges with sandpaper. 

After all my boards were cut I gave them a quick coat of my favorite Jacobean stain.

While the stain was drying I spray painted a bunch of wood button caps that I planned on using for the front of the drawers.

Once everything was dry, I applied a fair amount of wood glue to the planks then glued them in place.  

I let them dry overnight then it was time to install my favorite part, the wood caps and hardware.  I knew when planning this project that I wanted to use my favorite cup pulls from D.Lawless Hardware.  I used them for a previous project and love their quality and affordability.  These particular pulls come in a variety of colors and are a total steal at $0.60 a piece!

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