Black-and-white can be boring, but that's more or less what we're stuck with when working with small, inexpensive CRT monitors. 

Monochrome monitors, like green or amber, have a special vintage charm, but their growing rarity makes it painful to tear them apart for a project. 

For a while, I've been toying around with faking a green monochrome monitor using a black-and-white CRT and stained-glass spray paint. My first attempt was with purple paint, and it was a failure. I tried again, this time with green paint, and the results are quite good! 

This paint is made by Krylon, and is available at some craft stores for about $10 a can. 

Before applying, I made sure to thoroughly clean the surface of the CRT with alcohol. I then used masking tape to remove any bits of lint left behind by the paper towels. I found it helpful to have a box I could set over the top of the CRT in between coats to keep ambient dust from landing in the paint and sticking. 

This is an optional step. A black-and-white display might suit some purposes better. Other colors of paint (other than purple) might work as well.