A few months ago I discovered a giant file cabinet at a thrift store. I had been wanting a file cabinet for a while now and saw a lot of potential in this huge (and heavy!) one. I decided to dress it up with a can of paint and a few whimsical labels.
Here is the 'before' cabinet. It was dirty and had sticker residue on a few of the drawers. I removed the sticker residue and scrubbed down all the drawers with paper towels and water.
You'll need: File cabinet (duh!), painter's tape, 2-inch paint brush, small
paintbrush, black acrylic paint (I used a small tube of acrylic black
paint made by Golden), and an All Surface Enamel Acrylic paint (mine is
from Sherwin Williams. Ask an associate for a paint recommendation to
use on a metal file cabinet if you're unsure).
First, you will need to cover all the hardware with painter's tape. Try to be as accurate as possible, but remember that you can touch up with a small paintbrush later! Then paint 3-5 coats of paint until the color looks perfect to you! 
Once the drawers are painted, keep the tape over the hardware and paint the rest of the cabinet. Remove the painter's tape and paint inside the labels.
Next, sketch out the words on a piece of tracing paper so you can better estimate how to draw the words. Lightly sketch out the words you are labeling your drawers with. I chose Listen (for my roommates sheet music), Create (for cookbooks and other DIY books), Remember (for paperwork), and Share (for odds and ends).
With a small paintbrush, slowly go over the lines until they are perfect.
And here is the cabinet all together!
xoxo. Kara
Brilliant! Unfortunately my handwriting isn't that pretty..
http://bravebrunette.blogspot.com
Posted by: Lara | January 21, 2013 at 10:17 AM
What an awesome idea! I feel like file cabinets can be so...dreary, but this is really beautiful! I love how you've done the words and how they'll inspire you to do the things you love :)
Posted by: krugthethinker | January 21, 2013 at 10:29 AM
Wow I love this! What a creative piece of storage! And the handwriting makes it feel so personal. Great job as always :)
http://charliececile.blogspot.com
Posted by: Charlie Cécile | January 21, 2013 at 10:34 AM
I love the contrast between the hard lines of the file cabinet with the whimsical lettering. cute!
http://sarahthearchitect.com/
Posted by: Sarah | January 21, 2013 at 10:35 AM
How cute! I always think that file cabinets are so boring and ugly, but you did a great job of making it look fun!
Posted by: Rachel | January 21, 2013 at 10:40 AM
Love this idea. Your labels are so creative!
http://catherinedenton.com
Posted by: Catherine Denton | January 21, 2013 at 10:51 AM
Very cute! It reminds me of this dresser: http://www.flickr.com/photos/misskara/4108171254/in/set-72157622812195376/
Posted by: Sally | January 21, 2013 at 10:53 AM
I'm in love with these steel filing cabinets. I've been meaning to get some of the little ones and go neon.
Melissa
Http://shakeshakee.blogspot.com
Posted by: Melissa | January 21, 2013 at 11:00 AM
The transformation is amazing!
Katie xx
http://gravityandshe.blogspot.co.uk
Posted by: Katie | January 21, 2013 at 11:02 AM
Interesting idea. Great day.
http://www.fashiondenis.com/
Posted by: Denisa | January 21, 2013 at 11:02 AM
So cute! I adore it! Such a great DIY!
Posted by: Yelle | January 21, 2013 at 11:03 AM
That's a clever idea to use the labels as a decorative element - it's beautiful!
Posted by: Sabine | January 21, 2013 at 11:04 AM
Such a great idea!! xxx
http://hunterapted.blogspot.co.uk/
Posted by: Lucy | January 21, 2013 at 11:05 AM
Love this!! And great for extra storage.
Carlee
http://almostendearing.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Carlee | January 21, 2013 at 11:05 AM
wow that's an amazing idea !! so cute !
New outfit post up: http://www.thestilettoholic.com/
Posted by: Laura | January 21, 2013 at 11:08 AM
FUN! I love that you humanized a typically boring piece of furniture, but kept it crisp and down-to-business.
Posted by: Valerie (all mussed up) | January 21, 2013 at 11:09 AM
I love the labels! And I know people who just get rid of their filing cabinets because they don't "fit in" anymore!
Lovely idea!
Posted by: Tyler Anne Snell | January 21, 2013 at 11:10 AM
That's amazing! I've been wanting to do a similar project myself but those file cabinets are so expensive over here. I don't even know why because most of them are in a pretty bad shape. How much do you think is a good deal for a file cabinet? Maybe I'm just too uninformed... I've seen such cabinets on eBay and markets starting from $60. Would love to know the answer! I think yours is pretty bad ass. I think it would be an amazing project to work on and it would be such a pretty addition to my home. Lovely post, dear! xo
Posted by: Raya | January 21, 2013 at 11:17 AM
Such a beautiful idea! Now to find my own filing cabinet...
Posted by: Missy | January 21, 2013 at 11:20 AM
Great DIY!
Posted by: Flora | January 21, 2013 at 11:29 AM