Refugee Metal Recipe Boxes

I rescued these from my parents' barn. I call them refugees as they were on their way to the scrap yard. They're someone's old recipe boxes. They need a coat of paint, but first I had to sand off some rust.

I used a power sander with a circular head. The goal is to get the metal smooth so you can put paint on easily.

Here they are after being sanded and primed (I used a metal spray primer):

Then I spray painted them with the lilac color! Here's a closer view. (See below for important spray painting tips!)
And a sideways interior view:
The secret with spray paint is to not be too heavy-handed...keep moving as you spray. You should do a few light coats as opposed to a heavy coat. This will help you avoid runs. If you do have a run, the only way to fix it is to go back and re-sand after the paint has dried.

This was my first spray-paint project!

*Follow the directions on the can regarding drying times between coats.*