I love thrifting and one of my absolute favorite items to repurpose is trays! You can usually find these at local thrift stores, and they are normally cheap. My inspiration came from 2 Bees in a Pod and their tray makeover.
Table of Contents
Repurposed Thrift Store Tray
Here is the tray that I will be giving a makeover. It was only $1.50. The price tag was $2.99 but yellow was the Color of the Day which made it 50% off.
The middle design is a sticker, so I had to remove it before I painted it. I soaked it with a little Windex and then used my paint scraper to remove it from the bottom of the tray. The designs in the corner do not appear to be raised and are not stickers. I can paint over those.
The tray was cleaned with Windex to remove any dirt and grime.
Painting Process
My goal was to give the tray a farmhouse look which meant I wanted to distress the edges. The wood underneath was a light color; therefore, it would not stand out after distressing. I applied two coats of black craft paint.
After it was completely dry, I painted three coats of white craft paint.
Once the paint was dry, I used my 220-grit sandpaper and distressed it around the edges. See how the black peeks through? I cleaned away the sanding dust and applied one coat of wax.
Adding the Fabric
My fabric of choice was a black and white check. It is my absolute fabric print! I measured the bottom of the tray and cut my fabric to fit over the bottom of the tray.
I used my spray adhesive to attach the fabric.
Supply List
Thrift Store Tray
White Craft Paint
Black Craft Paint
Fabric of Your Choice
Chip Brush
220-Grit Sandpaper
Waverly Clear Wax
This tutorial was inspired by a lot of the beautiful repurposed tray images on Pinterest.
I have not had a lot of luck selling trays in my booth and I think they are awesome. I wish they did sell better because i love re-making them. Now that Crown Royal bottle got my attention. I just sent my son in law a text and asked him to save one for me. That looks awesome! thank you. Pinned
Thank you and thank you for pinning! They make great decor because the glass etching is just beautiful!
Love this
Thank you! And thanks for visiting 🙂
This looks great! I have to admit, I had a stash of trays I had gotten at the thrift store and I recently re-donated them because I never got to redoing them! Now I’m kicking myself
Uh oh! I have done that before too, and I always want them back! ?Thank you Emily!
I love giving old tray a makeover. There’s so many things you can do that are easy and make a big difference! Love the buffalo check!
Thank you Linda! You are speaking to the tray hoarder haha!
I rarely meet a thrift store tray that I don’t buy to bring home for a makeover. I love the idea of using cloth as an insert. The buffalo check pattern is lovely.
Hi Beverly! Thank you 🙂 my husband calls me a tray hoarder!
Looks better with the buffalo check and perfect for the fall/winter season.
Thank you Erlene 🙂
What a nice makeover! And don’t you love it when you get such a great bargain at the thrift store!
Thank you! Oh yes I get excited!
You had me at buffalo check, Christina! Your tray looks gorgeous!
Thank you Gail! I just love buffalo check too!
I love the remake on the tray!!
Thank you so much Lisa 🙂
This is so pretty! I loved the buffalo check. I’m going to make one for my bedroom out of an old tray I’ve been saving forever. 😀
Thank you Michelle! It’s super easy and fun 🙂
Oh I like your version so much better! Pinned.
Thank you! ? Trays are some much fun!
This tray looks fabulous. I love repurposing thrift store trays and buffalo check.
Thank you Jenny! They are so much fun!