My Pretty Little DIY Card Catalog
I love card catalogs, especially DIY card catalogs! It’s no wonder that (aside from the thrift store), libraries have always been my favorite hangout spot.
So imagine my luck when I was walking through the thrift store on a 50% off sale day and saw this amazingly beautiful piece sitting there, pristine! I felt like I had just struck gold!!
The “before” wasn’t totally ugly (it was in perfect condition!). A friend of mine had even suggested I keep it “as is.” Um…..but why would I do that?? I know you should always ask yourself when should you NOT paint wood furniture, and while this was in good condition, I didn’t care for the golden oak color.
I wanted a pretty little DIY card catalog with paint. And to create that, I was going to have to make some changes.
BEFORE
AFTER!
New paint……and card catalog handles like these….and I would finally have my crafting card catalog that I have been drooling for!
Materials List for Painted Card Catalog
Here’s what I used for this card catalog:
(I participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites).
- Annie Sloan Chalk Paint – white
- Card catalog pulls
- Screws
- Spray paint for pulls (optional)
I picked up these card catalog handles on eBay for a mere $7.00, plus $5.00 shipping. They were perfect for turning this into a card catalog. You can find similar card catalog pulls on Amazon.
I didn’t care for the brassy color, so I spray painted them with Black Rust-Oleum “Hammered” Paint & Primer in One, about $8.00.
I wasn’t too impressed with the Hammered look, but sometimes you just accept it and move on!
The little itty-bitty knobs needed to come off. It was pretty simple to remove them.
But to get the new card catalog handles to fit, I had to drill new holes. The existing hole didn’t match up.
After drilling holes for the card catalog pulls, I was left with the big original hole in the center.
Whenever you have a little hole that needs filled up and covered, wood filler is the perfect solution. Just put a clump of it on, let it dry, and then sand it smooth so it’s even with the surface.
I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint – Pure White. With chalk paint, the longer it sits out, the more it thickens up. And when it thickens up, you see more of the brush strokes, which sometimes is the look you’re going for.
If you’re getting this texture, just add a little bit of water to the paint to thin it out again. And if you get lots of unintended texture, like below, you can smooth it out with Fine sandpaper.
(Related: What’s the Best Paint for Furniture?)
Once I was done, it looked amazing!
BEFORE
AFTER!
For just under $50, I totally got what I wanted: a card catalog! 🙂
- $18.00 card catalog from my favorite thrift store
- $12.00 card catalog handles via eBay
- $8.00 hammered spray paint for handles
- $3.00 screws
- Annie Sloan paint (already owned, but if I had to price it, I would say I used about $5 worth of the paint)
GRAND TOTAL = about $46.
Thrifted Craft Room
I have used this DIY card catalog in both my thrifted craft room….
….and in my pretty little basement home office!
I love this piece so much. It fits in well great in my home and it didn’t cost much money. That’s the kind of DIY project I love! 🙂
Other Cabinet Makeovers
Want more cabinet makeovers? Check out my most popular post ever, BEFORE & AFTER: China Cabinet Makeover. See what the “AFTER” looked like!
And these $20 metal cabinets were in horrible condition! But you know how I love little drawers.
I picked them up for next to nothing at the salvage shop. You won’t believe how cute they looked afterward. 🙂 Check out my Painted File Cabinets and see the AFTER!
So what do you think of my DIY card catalog?! 🙂 Are you obsessed with card catalogs, too? Leave a comment and let’s talk about it!
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Love this! Such a unique piece!
I wish I would find pieces like that for such a great price! You did a beautiful job!
Hi Serena! I love your card catalog and your desk!!! Beautiful!!! If you’d like to share them at a party I have going on at Project Queen, I would love it! http://projectqueen.org/welcome-to-link-party-27-turning-the-daunting-into-the-do-able
Thanks for stopping by Project Queen today!
Thanks, Mandy! I will be sure to stop by to link up! 🙂
PS: Tried to email you back but you are a no-reply blogger… 🙁
http://www.thehouseofsmiths.com/2011/01/tutorial-how-to-let-me-reply-to-your.html
XOXO
For real! Steal of a deal girlfriend!!! Love it!!! 🙂
This is the coolest!! I want one!
Thank you so very much for sharing this at the “Cowgirl Up!” linky party. I appreciate your participation.
♥Linsey
Deny, seriously, if you can find something like this, you’ll love it! I mean, a place to organize all your crafting stuff!! I am tired of shoving stuff in boxes.
Krisen, thankfully, yes!! Annie Sloan is great for coverage if you use 2 coats on a non-sanded surface. But that first coat is a bit yucky, like thick primer. It does dry nice and smooth, though.
In the end did the Annie Sloan paint work out to your satisfaction? I t looks fab in the photos!
How awesome is that! I think I need something like that for my office, to keep all my stuff (crap) organized! Great job!