{ DIY "Vintage" Tray }

I had a little bit of "free" time this weekend, so I headed to the local antique mall... Fell in love with a few goodies there, but everything seemed to be so over priced! Any who, I found a cute vintage tray, looked at the price tag of $45 and didn't think it was so "cute" anymore! Needless to say, my next stop was Hobby Lobby where I knew I could find everything I needed to re-create that vintage tray!

Here's what you're going to need:

• natural wood tray, $3 (with coupon)
• two sheets of scrapbook paper, $1.08 (or fabric would also work!)
• spray paint, I used Krylons oil rubbed bronze, $4
• homemade decoupage (recipe here!) 
• furniture wax, I used Miss Mustard Seeds

Start by applying two- three coats of spray paint to the sides of your tray. I did a light coat on the base of the tray since I would be covering it. Let dry completely. Measure your scrapbook pages to fit the tray base, and trim. I opted for a beautiful, vintage looking paper. I used an elmers craft glue to adhere the pages to the tray base and pressed down, eliminating any bubbles. I love my homemade decoupage! It's the same batch I made last June, and it works just as great! I applied a generous amount of the decoupage to the top of the craft paper as a sealant. At first it will look very bubbly, but it doesn't dry that way! As the glue and decoupage was drying, I added thin coats of Miss Mustard Seeds furniture wax to the sides, inside and tops of the tray. The wax recommends letting it sit 3-5 minutes and buffing it with a clean cloth. Doing so created a worn feel to the tray.

And there you have it.. A "vintage" tray for right around $8! 

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