Turn a Medicine Cabinet Into a Message Center

By: Amy R. Hughes

Shopping List

Supplies You Will Need

1. Vintage medicine cabinet with missing mirror

2. Wood putty

3. 120-grit sandpaper

4. Latex primer

5. Blackboard paint

6. Painter's tape

7. 12-by-12-inch cork craft tiles

8. Wood glue

9. Magnetic door catch

10. Cup hooks

11. Door pull

12. Chalk

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Tools List
Tools You Will Need
- Paint brush
- X-Acto knife
- Small roller frame fitted with foam roller
- Screwdriver
- Drill/driver fitted with 1/16-inch drill bit
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woman putting an envelope in the pocket of a message center made from a vintage medicine cabinet

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Photo: Kristine Larsen

Introduction
Overview
Steps:
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2 hours plus dry time
About $90

Difficulty: Easy Simple; no fancy carpentry skills required

Besides its obvious utility in a bathroom, a vintage medicine cabinet can double as a kitchen spice rack or a curio cabinet. I recently spotted a wood one with a plate-glass door displaying a handsome collection of vintage wind-up alarm clocks. But you can also use one to hold keys and letters, or, if you're still sore like me, the occasional missive to mom about that icky cod liver oil she used to make you gulp down.

Tired of littering my countertop with house keys, bills, and various daily reminders to my husband and babysitter, I set out in search of a medicine cabinet to transform into an organizer for a corner of the kitchen. A scan of Craigslist turned up a gorgeous wall-mounted oak model for just $65, a bargain because it was missing its mirror. Rather than filling the empty recess in the front of the cabinet door with new glass, I brushed on chalkboard paint and lined its back with cork. A row of cup hooks is perfect for hanging keys.