Repurposed Thrift Store Tray

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I love thrifting and one of my absolute favorite items to repurpose is trays!Β  You can usually find these at local thrift stores, and they are normally cheap.Β  My inspiration came from 2 Bees in a Pod and their tray makeover.

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.

Repurposed thrift store tray before.
Repurposed Thrift Store Tray

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.Β 

Painting Process

My goal was to give the tray a farmhouse look which meant I wanted to distress the edges.Β  The wood underneath was a light color; therefore, it would not stand out after distressing.Β  I applied two coats of black craft paint.

Adding Black Paint
Black Paint

After it was completely dry, I painted three coats of white craft paint. 

After First Coat of White Paint
Apply White Paint

Once the paint was dry, I used my 220-grit sandpaper and distressed it around the edges.Β  See how the black peeks through? I cleaned away the sanding dust and applied one coat of wax.

Distressing
Distressing

Adding the Fabric

My fabric of choice was a black and white check.Β  It is my absolute fabric print!Β  I measured the bottom of the tray and cut my fabric to fit over the bottom of the tray.

Cutting the Fabric
Cutting the Fabric

I used my spray adhesive to attach the fabric.

Fabric Added to Tray
Fabric Added to Tray
Repurposed Thrift Store Tray

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.

24 thoughts on “Repurposed Thrift Store Tray”

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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!

  4. 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.

  5. 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. πŸ˜€

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