Are you ready to see the biggest trash to treasure I have ever done? I am in LOVE with this project and I can’t wait to share the details with you so that you too can make your own! First off, let me say that we have a metal planter box on our deck that I just love! However it wasn’t cheap, and I wanted a few more, so I set out to come up with a good replica for way less money. That is when I stumbled upon these file cabinets at the thrift store and a lightbulb went off in my head! Because I am always overly prepared, I had the dimensions written in the notes on my phone for where I needed planters. I also always carry a tape measure in my purse. It comes in very handy! I measured three of the filing cabinets to make sure they would work in my space and sure enough, they were perfect! The largest one was marked $14.99 and the two smaller ones $5.99 each. Quick tip- If you are putting these side by side make sure you get ones that are the same width and height as filing cabinets vary in size. Try looking on Facebook Marketplace as people give these away all the time. Just make sure there are no dents.
HOW TO-
1-Once you have your filing cabinets home, discard the drawers as you won’t be needing them. 2-Use a grinder or saw fit with a metal blade to cut out the middle dividers. If you don’t have a grinder you can leave them and cover them with dirt, or use a hammer to beat them down a bit, then cover with dirt. CAUTION- be very careful when handling these as the raw edges of the metal are extremely sharp! 3- Lightly sand the surfaces enough to just rough them up a bit.
4- Position the file cabinets on a tarp or dropcloth with the drawer side up as this will be the top. 5- Spray light coats of spray paint all over each exposed side plus the inside rim. It is way better to do multiple light coats than to do a thick coat as the paint will run. Trust me when I say this, I know it from experience! If this does happen, be prepared with a paint brush to immediately brush out any runs. Then follow up with light coats. I had to do 4 light coats and I waited about 30 minutes between coats. They are going to look super rough at this point, but don’t worry, just trust me in the process! 6- You may also notice that the bottoms are missing on my file cabinets. I was not lucky enough to find file cabinets with bottoms. The solution I found was to cut pieces of plywood to fit and then attach them to the bottom with screws. Painted the same black color, it’s not really noticeable. 7- If you’d like to add adjustable feet you can do so now after they are painted. 8- I placed empty 5 gallon Home Depot buckets in the bottom of mine to keep down on the weight of the soil and to not have to use so much soil. 9- If you live in a climate with extreme temperatures, you can line the inside with bubble wrap. This will keep your plants from getting too hot inside the metal planter. 10- Fill with soil and plant whatever plants you love! I thought about using these as they are in an area that doesn’t get much sun and I didn’t want to have to water! They look so real! They are the same ones I have in our window boxes for years. They have held up really well and haven’t faded. But ultimately I ended up planting with real plants. Ready to see some finished photos?
COST BREAKDOWN- 3 THRIFTED FILE CABINETS-$26.97 SPRAY PAINT- I BOUGHT 6 CANS AND ONLY USED 4. $31.92 BUCKETS TO FILL THE VOID IN THE BOTTOMS. I USED 4 IN THE LARGE AND 2 IN EACH OF THE SMALLER ONES- $33.15 ADJUSTABLE FEET {OPTIONAL} I NEEDED THESE AS THE AREA IS UNEVEN. $41.23 THIS IS OPTIONAL. YOU CAN ALSO SAVE EMPTY MILK JUGS TO FILL THE VOID, OR EMPTY PLASTIC GARDEN CONTAINERS. Total spent on my project for three planters- $133.27 which is less than the price of one new! If you do the math that is right around $44.00 for each planter! Here are some metal planters if you would rather skip the DIY and just hit the purchase button. Ready to see all the photos of them done and in place?
The largest one sits outside out basement here-
It fits perfectly between the house and the post!
The other 2 that are smaller in size are in our outdoor kitchen flanking either side of the fireplace area.
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this project! Please drop my a comment in the comment section below.
Now, let’s take a look at a few more spring garden ideas from my talented friends!
Blogger’s Best Spring Garden Ideas
Seven Lessons I Learned from My Kitchen Garden | My 100 Year Old Home
The experience of growing a kitchen garden has taught me the basics of planting and tending to a kitchen garden and has changed my outlook on gardening forever. Now that my garden thrives and provides a bountiful harvest, I want to share the seven invaluable lessons I’ve learned.
How to Make a Tabletop Fire Bowl | Tater Tots and Jello
Add coziness to your outdoor space this summer with a DIY tabletop fire bowl you can make in minutes.
Make Easy, Sturdy & Inexpensive DIY Tomato Cages | Most Lovely Things
We made simple tomato cages for our stock tank garden.
Watering Potted Plants While Away | Happy Happy Nester
Watering Potted Plants While Away can be a bit challenging. I came across these fantastic glass bulbs that you fill with water, and they gradually water your plants. It’s a simple self-watering system that simplifies plant care and removes the guesswork from the process.
DIY File Cabinet Planters | My Sweet Savannah
Turn thrifted file cabinets into high end looking metal planters with a bit of elbow grease and some spray paint! You will save hundreds on this easy project!
Anne says
You have an eye for beauty and some magnificent ideas on how to repurpose things. Thanks for sharing.
Jackie says
I absolutely loved the file cabinet planters! Such a great idea and they look fantastic!
I live in Missouri so I think they would rust pretty quickly, even with the paint on them but oh how I would love them do much! Great job and thank you for the ideas!