Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » diy project: casey’s wallpaper file cabinet

casey at fossil (who is responsible for these great sneak peeks!) sent over this fun office-related diy project. looking to spruce up her drab file cabinet, casey used new handles and a wallpaper sample and a little mod podge to create a chic home-office friendly file cabinet. file cabinets are definitely an area designers have yet to really tackle, so it’s great to have a fun way to spruce them up until we start seeing cuter options on the market. thanks, casey!

CLICK HERE for the full project after the jump!

Supplies:
File Cabinet
Wallpaper sample (or any other printed paper)
Mod Podge
Brush
Paint
Exacto Knife
New Handles/Hardware

How-To:

1. Remove the drawers and hardware from the file cabinet. (You can remove the lock by pinching the sides of the back, then pulling it through the front- see picture!)
2. Paint the body of the cabinet with spray paint or use a roller with high gloss latex. Set it aside to dry.
3. Apply Mod Podge directly to the drawers and apply wallpaper on top. Smooth out air bubbles with an old credit card. Allow to dry
4. Once the wallpaper is dry, cut around the edges with an X-Acto knife.
4. Apply a layer of mod podge on top of the paper and allow to dry.
5. To protect and seal the cabinet, coat with polycrylic or another water based top coat.
6. Attach your new handles and reinsert the lock.
7. Stand back and enjoy! :)

*click here for more images of casey’s process!

Hi Marie,
For the inspiration board above the desk I painted an old door with magnetic paint then coated it with 1 layer of chocolate brown paint and 1 layer of walnut stain, then sealed the whole thing. I glued magnets to the back of buttons and beads to hold all my favorite tears.
casey

Thanks everyone for such lovely comments! The wallpaper is from Sherwin Williams. The $5 sample was plenty of material to cover the front of the file cabinet. You can search for pattern #SW2AT9006
on their site: http://www.swdecorating.com/default.asp?fm=/wallpaper_home.asp|

I can’t remember the name of the fabric off the top of my head, but I’ll look tonight to see if I still have a piece with the info on it!

I recently painted (light, bright blue spray from Rustoleum) and added new hardware to my 2-drawer filing cabinet. I bought the hardware at Home Depot. I also had 3-3/4″ width holes existing, and was able to choose a standard size, off-the-rack handle. At the store, they were measured in millimeters.

I work at a paint and wallcoverings store, and we can order samples up to 6′ in length from several companies for a small cost. I’ve completed many projects with these, from handmade books and boxes, to decorating binders and beneath the glass of a glass-top table. Find out what your local store offers. These samples are a great resource!

Love it! I have a white two-drawer file cabinet under my desk now that could use a makeover. Now I know where to start. I’m thinking about using some print quality wrapping paper that I saw at the DeYoung museum store.

the whole office is amazing! i am interested in the desk and the board above the desk…where can i find that desk or similar one? oh and i wanted to know where do you get the magnetic paint? thanks for sharing your space with us! once again its amazing!

miranda

usually you can find mod podge at a place like michael’s craft stores, pearl paint, etc. craft stores are a better bet than hardware stores. you can buy it online too – just google “mod podge” :)

grace

Okay, I checked and can’t come up with the name of the fabric, but I got it at Sarah’s Fabrics in Lawrence KS.

The desk is the white parsons desk at West Elm.

The handles are from Lowes, and where pretty cheap- somewhere around $3 each. Like Christine said above- the measurement was in millimeters (96mm) that should fit the 3 3/4″ size perfectly.

The magnetic paint can be found in the paint aisle of your local home depot or lowes.

Hope that helps!
casey

I love this. I just attempted a mini-makeover of my black file cabinet but had a hard time finding hardware to fit. I’ll have to give Lowe’s a good look. I went to Anthropologie and couldn’t find a match. And I’m definitely going to pursue the wallpapered drawers now that I see how fab yours looks! Thanks!

Oooooh! Thanks so much for the inspiration. I’ve been looking at file cabinets… I didn’t want to pay a ton for a nice wooden one but hate the look of a plain steel one. Why didn’t I think of decoupage??? I have plenty of mags and half a bottle of ModPodge!!!

WOW! what a great way to improve a necessary evil in an office.. We have a couple hiding in my husband’s office and I can so see improving the look with a little wall paper or even fabric… Thanks for a great idea!

If only I had read your instructions and if only I had read the comments before I ran out and bought a file cabinet and attempted this project. Haha, no, I just did mine a little differently, but thank you so much for the original idea! It’s absloutely creative genius!

My attempt at it: http://somewhatcraftywedding.blogspot.com/2009/09/non-wedding-project.html

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