Faux Zinc Painted Chalkboard File Cabinet
Faux Zinc Painted Chalkboard File Cabinet
This summer I was thrifting with a few friends and stumbled across an ugly cabinet at the Goodwill. The metal chest had extra wide and deep storage, but the worst colors imaginable! The hot pink and mint green were disguising the true potential of the chest, but like a color-blind dog, I was able to see beyond its garish appearance. In my mind, I pictured a vintage metal cabinet with a faux zinc side and chalkboard drawer fronts.
I scooped it up and brought it home. Then the poor chest sat in our garage for months and months until I had a chance to work a little spray paint magic and turned it into….this thing of beauty:
Yes, that is the same chest of drawers! You could do the same transformation.
Materials:
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- Gray Automotive primer
- Rust-oleum Black chalkboard spray paint
- Rust-oleum metallic hammered metal spray paint (silver)
- Craft paper
- Painter’s Tape
- Rubber gloves
- White chalk
Instructions:
Clean off the drawers. Remove any dirt or debris (I actually had to use a little Goo Gone to get rid of some sticky residue. But, lemon essential oil will also work for this task.)
Remove the drawers from the chest. Tape over the drawer glides and slides. Mask off the drawer sides and insides by covering the drawers with tape and craft paper, leaving only the drawer fronts exposed.
Spray paint the chest and drawers with automotive primer. (I prefer the automotive primer because it sticks to metal and can withstand a lot of abuse.) Let it dry.
Spray paint the drawers with chalkboard paint. (Use three fine coats of paint instead of one or two heavy coats.) Set them aside to dry.
Adding a Faux Zinc Texture:
This is the most exciting part of the tutorial. I created this technique by trial and error and I’m excited by how well this method works for creating a faux zinc texture.
Getting a faux zinc texture is really easy. Just have some gloves on and use a crumpled up piece of craft paper. (A loose crumple works best.)
Spray paint the chest with a thick coat of the hammered silver spray paint, (but not so thick that it runs). Let the paint get tacky by waiting a few seconds. Then use the crumpled piece of craft paper to blot into the wet paint.
Work in small 1 foot sections and pounce the paper a few times. (Too much pouncing and you’ll lose the large textured pattern.)
Let the cabinet dry thoroughly.
Insert the chalkboard drawers back into the cabinet frame.
Add chalkboard art to your drawer fronts.
This metal chest of drawers is the perfect size for my large tablets of art paper.
The cabinet has a wonderful texture now.
I have the flexibility to move my art supplies around and just change the chalkboard label.
Did I mention this little chest is the perfect height to rest my palette on while painting.
I’m soooo thrilled with the results!
I just texted my husband that I wanted some 2×4’s for christmas! We need some additional basic shelving in my basement craft room. BADLY!
I would like to repaint my bathrooms.
Finish my bathroom-need a new faucet and bowl thanks
It’s my birthday in a couple weeks and my present to myself is to (start and) finish two furniture projects so my apartment will stop looking like a war zone (650 sq ft…I’m currently lacking crucial storage space). I’m going to build an end table for my living room (kentwood plan from Ana white) and a pseudo-media table (from Kara paslay), so $100 would definitely get me started 😉
we are in the middle (well, hopefully more towards the end) of our guest bathroom makeover. it has to be done before my family comes for thanksgiving, so we’re getting into cruch time!
I need to repaint my son’s room. I was noticing yesterday that the walls are terrible in there. I love your project. Thanks for the giveaway!
we would love to use it for doing a backsplash in our kitchen!
I am in the process of launching my new business. I make soap and other bath products, really good ones at that. I have a big craft show coming up, sort of my coming out party. I have all of my products ready, but am now starting to work on my display. That money would go a long way for me, as I do adore some DIY. Which is exactly what it is going to take for me to get my booth ready for the craft show. I need to start out with a big bang to keep it rolling to make this business work. Thanks for considering my entry.
Also, I am starting a blog on all of my pinterest projects. I adore this file cabinet redo and feel rather inspired by it. My blog today in fact was on chalkboard paint. That stuff is awesome! Many thanks, and keep up the good work!! It looks fantastic!
I’m finally getting ready to do some more work in my kitchen and could really use the gift card to build in a spice rack where I’m removing a small 12in cabinet that is just taking up space beside the fridge!
I need to get busy building a bench for our kitchen table. I have the plans, just need to get started, and a trip to Lowe’s!
That looks awesome! I need to work on my master bath – BADLY!!!
I am so impressed with your cabinet and especially your chalkboard art! I always have projects going on. I would use the gift card to buy some wood sealer for our outdoor potting bench and some plants for our yard. Thanks for the opportunity!
Great job!! My daughter would like a magnetic chalkboard for room which is currently being “tween-i-fied” . I could get lots of my painting supplies, light fixtures, drawer pulls, and maybe even a wall clock. Would just luv to win!
I would use the gift card to finish a dresser that has been sitting in my garage and also redo our hall bathroom which the kids use. It has old ugly wall paper in it and the counter top needs help. I would love to win it!
I found a $6 coffee table, that I want to makeover. The plan is to sand, prime and paint the legs. Then I plan to sand the top and stencil leaves in different colors, overlapping. Lastly , I plan toglaze the top with a pretty brown. That gift card would rock my table and leave some to try out a file cabinet makeover!