Repurposed Cabinet

We've all seen the slogan, "Reduce. Reuse. Recycle."  I think recycling at home is very important.  And we are so lucky that our local vendor takes all types of plastic instead of just the 1s and 2s. We recycle our newspapers, magazines & junk mail, plastic bottles, glass jars, tin cans & cardboard boxes. 

There are a lot of ways that crafters can re-purpose plastic, glass, wood, metal, and paper in our art.  But today I'm going to talk about giving an old dirty cabinet a new life.  For a few years now my cousin and I have each fantasized about getting a big industrial map cabinet to hold our rubber stamps.  Last summer I decided it was time I did something about that dream.

I found an old cabinet on Craigslist.  It had been stored in a barn which was owned by a fireman out in rural southern Michigan.  The cost was an incredible $250.00.  I felt like I had won the lottery!  At first I thought that I would get it home as fast as possible, wash it up and fill it all in a weekend.  I could have done that and I would still love it.  But I didn't.  I decided to paint it pink and make it the focal point of my craft space.

Let me tell you - this piece of furniture is BIG and it is HEAVY!  And it took me a very long time to get it done.  We left it in segments, hosed them off and dragged them in to the basement.  Each drawer and cabinet section was scrubbed with Brillo and then sanded before they could be painted. 

Fresh off my husband's pickup truck - they all had to be hosed down to get rid of the barn dust & any bugs.

It started out the typical beige - and filthy!

 The room looks so cute now that it is complete and in place but I lived through 6 weeks of chaos.  I couldn't get to my craft table or half of my bins and everyone who had a birthday in the summer months got store bought greeting cards.  The cabinet now houses all of my image stamps and has given me a lot of surface storage, too.  Sadly, I ran out of space and my word stamps are still in the plastic bins.

My space before the map cabinet.

The bins all had to moved out of the way while the cabinet was being completed!

Cabinet body sections took over my laundry room.

The fifteen drawers were propped up everywhere space would allow while they were painted.

Over-sized hardware had to be purchased online.

FINALLY!

My flowers & trees together in one drawer for the first time.

The cabinet helps form the back "wall" of my craft space.

And here it is!  My pride and joy!  Well worth all the hours of work!!

Have you ever re-purposed furniture?  I'd love to hear about your project or what you think of mine.  Drop me a line some time!