Build Out Much-Needed Backyard Privacy With A Filing Cabinet DIY

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There's nothing worse than relaxing in your backyard and being met with nosy stares from your neighbors. Luckily, you can improve your backyard privacy by upcycling a few old filing cabinets. Imagine a privacy planter with beautiful, trellising plants — all anchored by a filing cabinet. This DIY is one of many ways to create some privacy in your outdoor space with a budget-friendly solution. The clever hack was demonstrated by DIY Dream Home with Cara Newhart on YouTube. Newhart took the drawers out of three filing cabinets to use as planters, and built 6-foot-tall trellises the same width as the cabinets when laid down horizontally. After attaching the trellises, she added potted plants to complete the privacy screens. 

You can place your creation on top of your lawn or pavement if you want a smooth surface, but you can also place the cabinets on paver gravel or a deck. Depending on how many filing cabinets you have access to, you can also opt to build a wider privacy fence. Beyond the filing cabinets themselves, you'll need to gather primer and metal-friendly paint, a drill, 4×4-inch posts, L-brackets, deck screws, a flat brace, as many lattices as you need, furring strips, and, of course, the plants you want to plant. While you can build your own lattices, you can also buy trellises in various sizes online, like a two-pack by Saffruff of 30-inch-high trellises, or a four-pack By LZRS that is nearly 83 inches tall.

Start by prepping your filing cabinets with a metal primer that helps prevent rust. If you don't like the color of your filing cabinets, you can paint the cabinets using a product like Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch. Next, you'll need to drill drainage holes in the back of the file cabinets to help water escape. Keep in mind that your filing cabinet will eventually have the cubby holes facing upward, so drill them at the back, not the bottom.

After that, build your wooden frame using 4×4-inch posts, L-brackets for the corners, deck screws, and a flat brace across the back. You can also add furring strips to support the lattice in the middle of the frame. Then, attach the frame to the filing cabinets using three deck screws on each side. Finally, slide the lattice into place and nail it to the back of the frame — or put in your pre-built trellises. All that's left to do is place your potted plants inside the cubbies and train them to the trellis.

There are a few ways you can modify this landscaping idea while still creating privacy in your backyard. If building a lattice frame seems intimidating, you can find lattice panels in all shapes and sizes. Try to find one that closely matches the width of your filing cabinet. Don't forget that the filing cabinet itself can also be used as a simple planter for privacy trees and hedges rather than climbing plants. When it comes to plant ideas, consider swapping high-maintenance privacy plants with a self-seeding flower.