Refurbished thrift tray. I was on the fence about painting this guy. I mean, it’s hand painted and on the back it reads: To Julie Love F.H. Well sorry F.H., most people weren’t in love with your artwork and you just didn’t go with my decor. But I appreciate your tray.
Once again I was stuck on what direction I should take with the tray. I was going to make it Ramadan/Eid specific but then that came and went and now fall is my next big decoration time. I wasn’t sure if I should go with a specific color for the time period, or make it a neutral one and be able to use it for all holidays/seasonal decor times.
Well I decided on a neutral. I love putting decor on a tray and thought, neutral is a better idea for my first tray. I’ll go through the year and see how I like it. It’s such an easy piece to paint. The tray cost me $3.99 at Goodwill – so I can afford to change my mind later.
UPDATE: I ended up painting this tray a couple years after this post and made my super fun DIY fall colorblock tray. I mean, it’s super cute.
The grey chalkboard paint was $5.97, so I still feel like I’m winning in this scenario. That also means I don’t have to sand like crazy either.
I did sand some because the layers of paint were a little raised so I wanted a smoother finish. I sanded with a rough sand paper, just over the painted parts.
How great is chalkboard paint? I know, I know, it’s kind of everywhere but it’s just easier to paint stuff with chalkboard paint because you typically don’t have to sand your pieces. It’s not like my entire house is chalkboard either so little touches is good for my decor!
I put on one coat of paint, and obviously it wasn’t enough. I waited for it to dry and it only took a few hours.
Next I applied the second coat. Make sure to finish your second coat with a roller brush for a nice, smooth finish.
I was up at my parent’s house when I painted it, and my mom suggested I wax it after the second coat was dry. I’d never waxed chalkboard paint before so what the heck. Well it’s super easy! I used my mom’s Americana Decor, creme wax.
The wax goes on clear and just helps to shine up the paint. Make sure when applying the wax you use a lint-free rag, and rub it in.
My advice would be to work in specific patches and put a little more than you think is necessary. I did it kind of light the first time and decided to go over it again afterwards. Also, I spread the wax over a large area and it started to dry and was harder to blend. And what’s great about wax is I can keep making it shinier. I guess not everything has to be matte when it comes to chalkboard paint!
Refurbished Thrift Tray Supplies
- Tray
- Rough sand paper
- Paint
- Paint brush
- Roller brush
- Clear wax (optional)
- Lint free rag (if applying wax)
Instructions
- Sand tray if you have any rough patches or are using regular paint – not chalkboard. If using chalkboard you can typically skip this step.
- Using a paint brush paint one coat over the tray.
- After the paint drys completely, typically just a few hours, apply a second coat. I used a paint brush in the corners and edges and then went over the rest of the tray with a roller brush for a cleaner finish.
- Dry completely.
- If waxing. Using a lint-free rag scoop a good amount of wax onto the rag and started rubbing onto tray. Work in small patches to prevent drying and for better coverage. Polish until you like it!
