Hey friends! I’ve amassed quite the collection of old cabinet doors from the Habitat For Humanity store, so it’s time for me to start doing stuff with them. Here’s my first project of sure to many to come: DIY repurposed cabinet doors.
Here’s how these two particular doors looked when I bought them. They still had their hardware and were in pretty grubby condition.
First order of business was to remove the hardware. I’ll keep all of it for a future project, but for now it goes into my hardware stash. I love my Black + Decker drill for jobs like this – it makes it so much easier than doing it “manually” and no sore wrists from fighting the screws! You can get your own Black + Decker drill here.
This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience to help you find the paint and supplies I used to make this project. I make a small commission if you order through my links, but it doesn’t cost you anything more! If you do, thank you!
Next it was time to clean the crud off the cabinets. Krud Kutter Prepaint Degreaser to the rescue! I originally bought this for when we paint our kitchen cabinets, but I decided to try it out on this project to see how well it worked. I was really impressed – it cut through all the dirt and grime with ease, and left the cabinet doors almost looking brand new! If you want to try this out on your own project, you can buy it here.
Time to start painting! For smaller projects, I love using the FolkArt Home Decor chalk paint line of products. Don’t let the reasonable price fool you: this chalk paint is excellent quality, very easy to use, and comes in a variety of gorgeous colors. The colors I used for this project is Adrionack White and Sheepskin. Check out their full chalk paint line here!
I wanted the paint to crackle here and there on the doors, so I spot applied FolkArt Home Decor Crackle Medium in random spots on the doors. I let it dry thoroughly before applying the paint. You can get FolkArt Home Decor Crackle Medium here.
Next up was painting. I only painted one coat, working quickly over where I had applied the crackle medium before so I didn’t pull any of it off.
Here is the two doors side by side after the paint dried. The one on the left is the Adrionack White and the one on the right is the Sheepskin.
I distressed the all the edges with 150 grit sandpaper to really give these doors an aged effect.
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I used the FolkArt Home Decor Waxes in Antiquing and Clear to finish up the project. I applied the Antiquing wax first. Since the bottle was small, I poured a bit of the wax on a paper plate so I could use my large wax brush. I brushed the Antiquing wax on working in areas, then immediately wiped off the excess wax with a clean, damp cloth. After leaving it dry thoroughly, I did the same thing with the Clear wax, only I let each area sit for a few minutes and then wiped off the excess with a clean, dry cloth. You can get the Antiquing wax here and the Clear wax here.
I’m pretty happy with the results! I used them on top of my end tables in my front room where I needed to fill up some empty wall space. Of course these are not limited to using just like this – you can hang them on your wall, use them as back plates for hooks, make them into trays… the list goes on and on! 🙂
I hope you enjoyed my DIY repurposed cabinet doors tutorial, and I hope it inspires you to make some of your own! How will you use yours?
As always, if you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comments section below!
Michelle
Very Nice tutorial! They look great in your living room!
Thanks so much Amber! 🙂
They look amazing!!!!
Thanks so much! 🙂
Michelle, this is fabulous! Thanks for sharing @Vintage Charm–pinned!
You’re very welcome Cecilia – thank you for hosting! 🙂
Great idea. I have a few of these in the garage too. Thanks for sharing at To Grandma’s House We Go Link party.
Thanks so much Stephanie! 🙂
Hello again, I am featuring this on our link party tonight. Have a great week!
Love how you refinished the doors and made them beautiful.
Hugs,
Bev
Hi Michelle, I’m new to your blog. This is a great idea! Cabinet doors are often discarded after a remodel. They are a wonderful backdrop for a piece of art, and the possibilities are endless. I love how your door fits perfectly into your decor and enlivens the corner. Well done!
Lois
Oh Wow!! I LOVE your style, it is so cosy and rustic looking. I’m gobsmacked by the loveliness of it all. Sighhhhh! Id just sit there all day admiring my beautiful decor.???
Awe thank you so much Sandra! You just made my day! 🙂
This is a great use of recycled cabinet doors. We live in such a throw away world that it’s nice to see new life to used pieces. When I took a painting class we painted on the center part and painted the outside frame a contrasting color. They turned out nice.
Thanks Maureen! And thanks for the idea – I need to try painting a couple of them in contrasting colors! 🙂
Michelle,
I’m new to these types of painting projects but have begun collecting items. Did you use the antiquing was over just the crackling and distressed areas and the clear over the rest? Thank you for the beautiful idea. Teresa
Hi Teresa! I used the antiquing wax over everything; I just focued more on the crackled and distressed areas more and applied less of it to the rest of the cabinet.
What did you do witb the holes from the door handles. Did you fill them in and if so with what.
Thanks, Cathy
Hi Cathy! 🙂 I didn’t fill the door handle holes on this particular project, but when I do I use caulk.
They are really pretty and look amazing in your beautiful home !!!
Thank you so much Maude! 🙂
Great idea and live all they different ways you showed to decorate with the completed doors.
Thanks so much Rebecca! 🙂