Trashy Tacky Cabinet to Cute n' Tacky Cabinet

Remember that awesome day I got to meet a fellow blogger and go junking ALL DAY with her???  Well, Miss Laura from Our Prairie Home was with me the day I picked this nasty wooden filing cabinet up for five buckaroos at Saint Vincent De Paul.  Even Laura looked at me like I'd lost my mind!  I actually love the ugly thing because the drawers slide really easy, the drawers are super deep, and it has taught me that you can't judge a book by it's cover!  What?  Who says I've been using it as is?  Well ummm, errrr.......

Yup, it was in some nasty shape.  First thing to do was to chip off the rest of that veneer.

I used a hammer and screw driver to get it all off.  It wasn't a real fast process, even though I had great help from my two year old who kept wanting me to put every hair clip we own in our hair.  Just you wait.  Next thing you know, alllllll the fashion models will be sporting a dozen colorful alligator clips in their hair.  Just call me Miss Pre-Trendy.

Wonder why my kids always have paint on them?  You can stop wondering now.  There is a munchkin who insists on sitting on my lap.

This is what it looked like on the edges under that veneer I pulled off.  Oh boy, I'm a painter, not a carpenter.  What to do, what to do?  I went out in the garage and found a big long piece of quarter round.  I got out my new jig saw and found that probably wasn't the best tool for the job.  But it worked and I cut it the lengths I need.  Then I waited for my hubby to get home to teach me how to run the nail gun.

He basically handed it to me and said aim and pull the trigger.  I thought I was aiming straight in.  Apparently not.  I screwed up the first two shots, but I didn't let it happen a third time!

Time for my thumbtacks from the dollar store.  I drew a line and nailed them in.  No matter what, I can't seem to get them to go in straight.  Urgh.

I had no intention of turning this into a whimsy owl-y peice of furniture.  No, it was going to have  gorgeous new hardware, paintable wallpaper on the drawers, and my mind just kept wondering until I couldn't get my brain off of "owl".  Evvvvvverybody's doing it....  jump on the bandwagon, Kammy!  So I did, I jumped on.  I folded a paper in half and cut out the owl so it would be symmetrical, then traced it out onto the drawers.

I had fun painting it with whatever color or idea popped into my head next.  Then I added turquoise chevron stripes across the top and down the side, and a stick for the owl to perch on.  I decided to save my fancy drawer pulls for a more suitable project and screwed the old ones back into place.

I might sell it if the price is right.  Otherwise, it's great storage in my craft room for now!

Psssssst!  I have a deal to share with you shabby vintage lovers!  Huckleberry Vintage is having a 15% off sale on everything in her Etsy shop March 12-14th.  Stop over and check out her fun finds!

A few things I'm lovin' from her shop right now: