How To Turn An Old Filing Cabinet Into A Garden Planter

I have seen countless articles describing how to recycle old pieces of furniture into plant containers, but this is the first time that I have heard of this idea being extended to office equipment. The step-by-step instructions are clear and easy to follow and the end result is a great improvement on the original filing cabinet. I came across this in an article by Julie from her Southern Wild Design website.

I totally snagged this wonderful project from Carole in Australia who posted her version last week. I loved this so much I went right to work with my own planter. Here’s what I came up with…

The hunt for a filing cabinet took me to my nearby Habitat Restore. I found several orphaned filing cabinets, one of which was older, made of thicker gauge metal, and (most importantly) had a bottom. It cost me $15. They probably would have taken $10 but it?s the restore. They need that $5.

Step 1: Remove the drawers.
Most filing cabinet drawers are removed by fully extending the drawer and then lifting up. The drawer is then detached from the extension mechanism.

If you pull the extension mechanism out, you will notice that it stops at some point. Look for a tab on the mechanism. By lifting this tab, the drawer extension will slide completely out of the cabinet.

Step 2: Sand loose paint and rust spots.
Using 180 grit sandpaper, sand areas with loose paint or rust spots. Sand lightly over the entire cabinet with a 220 grit paper. This will help your paint to adhere to the metal. Wipe down the cabinet with a damp rag to remove all the dust.