How to update press board cabinets

Paint or decopauge them. sand down swollen parts and seal finish well with so polyurethane in whatever finish you prefer. Invest in some new hardware or come up with an idea out of the box, like spoons bent around a block of wood, or wooden spools, or poly clay fashioned handles shaped like pizza slices, cinnamon buns, ice cream cones, T bone steaks, frying pans,....

I lightly sand them. Then I choose a color paint, sometimes I choose two paint colors. Have a bowl of water take an old wash cloth dip a little paint on the cloth and spread as if you were staining wood. Using two colors do the same where you like one color to end and the other color to add where you want it. The bowl of water is if you like a stain look, once you spread a little paint at a time dip another cloth just to dampen the cloth and gently wipe across the painted area. My cabinet doors are beautiful and look stained. All pressboard

https://www.wikihow.com/Refinish-Particle-Board-Cabinets

This will protect them from any further damage until you can afford to purchase "new" ones.

Make sure they are clean and dry. Remove the doors and hardware. Mark the doors and cabinets with tape where they go. Lightly sand the doors and cabinets to remove any gloss and roughen the surface for paint with 120- to 220-grit sandpaper. Use a tack cloth or damp rag to remove dust after sanding. Prime with a stain blocking primer like Zinsser 123, KILZ,or BIN and have it tinted to the color of the top coat. This will prevent dark or stained surfaces from showing through the top coat. Acrylic, or water-base, paints are low-fume and clean up easily with water. Alkyd, or oil-base, paints require good ventilation because the paint contains solvents that can irritate your lungs and make you feel sick. Alkyd options require mineral spirits for cleanup, but they provide a hard, durable paint finish. Whichever you use, buy the best-quality paint you can afford for a lasting kitchen cabinet finish. Seal with at least three coats with a water based polyurethane. Use a small foam roller and foam brush for a smooth finish.

I applied fabric and decoupage with new hardware