Updating Plastic Storage (Doing Things #1)

Hello! So I did a thing the other day. Taking pictures for this definitely kept me on track. Plus it was much-needed, as I desperately need a place other than a big travel bag for my makeup. (This will also be great to take to college fall semester!)  I got this white (kind of dirty) set of storage drawers from my uncle, who brought it to sell at our family's garage sale. Instead of spending  15+ dollars on one, I decided I could make this one work for me.

Updating Plastic Storage 

What I used: 

• A set of plastic drawers, brand unknown. Sterilite makes similar ones, but I've seen these kind of things at garage sales, thrift stores, and clearance sections especially after "back-to-school" season. 
• A tarp or newspaper, and a way to hold it down at the corners. (You may not think there's much wind but you'll be sorely mistaken.)
• Painters tape
• Paper towels (way more handy than I thought)
• Spray paint 

MAKE SURE the spray paint specifically say it works on plastic. It's less than four dollars at Home Depot. I chose purple, of course, my favorite color. Also, it's REALLY important to do this in a well-ventilated area, and to be mindful of the general direction of the wind.

First, I washed the drawers with dish soap and the hose and set them to dry in the sun. This is important.


I took out the drawers (and set them way aside) and began the easiest part, which was painting the outside shell. In long, neither slow nor fast, consistent strokes, I swept in 8-inch swishes until a thin coat was upon the box. This what it looked like after.

After about a minute, I did a second coat in the same fashion so there were no white spots. I found this method important because putting on a too-thick layer leads to unattractive drips, which had to be wiped quickly and gone over again later. I found doing each side separately was the easiest way to control this, though it requires more patience.

OKAY now for the drawers, I didn't want any paint on the clear part, and as the nature of spray paint is to GET EVERYWHERE I made sure with painter's tape and paper towels that there wasn't going to be purple anywhere other than the handles. Although i'm sure the clear plastic would have taken the paint okay, it wasn't the look I was going for. Take your time to make sure the tape lines are p e r f e c t.

I carefully peeled the tape off before it dried too much to avoid the paint peeling, then I let everything dry for a couple hours before handling, just to be safe.

Okay this is very important! Make sure everything is 100% dry. I made this mistake and i had to quickly wipe off and repaint. It comes off with nail polish remover, so it's not a huge deal, but it is an inconvenience.  Check out those water bubbles. 

(I also painted a bit of the inside lightly just because the drawers were clear and i was like yolo)

AND YOU'RE DONE

See how fun and pretty it looks now? It no longer looks boring and "temporary" as plastic furniture can. 

All of my makeup fits in the drawers very well, just as the drawers fit very well on my desk! I divided up the inside with smaller boxes i had previously used to store makeup. Drawer dividers for pencils or silverware could be used for this purpose. And hey, those could be painted too! ;)

Very easy if you take your time! I'm proud of myself honestly of the patience I had for this. You could ask a question or comment on my process if you want!  Tschüss!