(Un)Crafty - Stenciled Tray

Ages ago, when shopping at Target, I found some little wooden trays in their bargain bins.  They were $2.50, so I bought two to experiment with.  I just finally finished the first - its a gift, but it turned out great...good enough that I kinda wanted to keep it.  :)

This is such a special gift and even though it isn't much, there is special meaning behind it.  Our friends did something so special for our family.  We were so blessed by their generosity.  I knew I wanted to do something special to be sure their actions did not go without notice.

I started by sanding the wooden trays, wiping them down, and then using a spray primer to cover.  Part of the delay on this project is that you can't spray paint while the weather is freezing.  We had a looooooong winter here!

Then I coated the tray with some regular paint I had left from this project.  Because I used a dark primer and the paint was light, it took many many many coats to cover evenly.  Oh well.  I used a foam brush and it was such a small surface to paint, it was quick!

I was inspired by Jen at Tatertots and Jello when I saw her quatrefoil projects.  I downloaded and printed this stencil on cardstock.  Cutting out the pattern was the most difficult part of this project!  Then I just traced the stencil, making sure center the pattern on the surface.

I used some Metallic Folk Art paint from JoAnn's that I found on clearance to make this tone-on-tone color combination.  Then I coated the tray with some protective spray to keep from damage from water, scratches, or heat.  I love how the tray turned out - totally luxe for just a few bucks and a bit of (un)craftiness.

The tray can be used for anything!  Everything looks better with a tray: end tables coffee tables, kitchen counter, bathroom, bedside table...I can think of a million places to put these!  Luckily, as I walked past the bargain bins this week, I saw one more lonely tray sitting there, so I snatched it up!  This time, it was on "clearance", so it was only $1.75.  I'll have no problem working out a place to put it (or someone to gift it to!).

This tray was filled with some casual goodies for our sweet friends.  

"Much love, deep gratitude, many blessings"