DIY From My Profile Picture
02.20.08 (10:50 am) [edit]
If you look at my profile picture, you'll see I'm working on something. Here's what I'm up to:
I buy old metal filing cabinets from garage sales and paint and decorate them. It's really easy and you can do it for under 20 bucks.
Haggle a bit with the yard salers (you can usually talk them down to five or ten bucks if it's an old ugly filing cabinet) buy a couple cans of whatever color spray paint you desire and a paint pen (metallic looks best). Spray, let dry, touch up and pick your favorite book and write passages with the paint pen all over the cabinet.
Voila!
You can also leave it a solid color or cut your own stencils out of an old shoebox and spray on designs.
posted by: Barnabus1 (reply)
post date: 02.20.08 (1:02 pm)
Hey!!! Think you've found a neat niche!!!!
posted by: selenasking (reply)
post date: 02.20.08 (5:39 pm)
That looks like a very fun thing for you and you must be a neat writer. What kind of passages do you write? Do you have pics that I can see your face? Nice hair btw.
posted by: joliefille (reply)
post date: 02.20.08 (8:09 pm)
Reply to: selenasking
It is a very relaxing, creative way to spend an afternoon. I prefer working in a garage because of the paint fumes, so most of my work is done in the summer months.
I collect old and rare books so I usually write interesting excerpts from those.
As far as the face, well, I don't trust the net yet, so faceless it what you'll get. I like the anonymity.
posted by: fractalmom (reply)
post date: 02.21.08 (5:53 am)
great idea!!
posted by: seer (reply)
post date: 02.21.08 (9:37 pm)
Sounds like a good idea. I think I shall do that when I move into my new apartment...
posted by: bawdy (reply)
post date: 02.23.08 (12:22 pm)
Very cool..what do you do with them afterwards? Sell them?
posted by: joliefille (reply)
post date: 02.23.08 (12:51 pm)
Reply to: bawdy
I've gotten in the habit of giving them away to friends and family about my age as a way of encouraging organization. (I am a big organizer) People my age really don't think about filing things as much as they should, and having a cool looking place to put your check stubs, financial aid records, warranties, medical info, insurance and car maintenance records is an incentive. They also make good end tables for a first apartment, and you can even line them with cool contact paper and make a little dresser out of them.