DIY Network

Vintage Tea Tray Make thi ssimple but elegant tray from an old cookie sheet. From "Creative Juice" episode DCRJ-102L

You'll be proud to serve tea on this lovely découpaged tray that you made yourself from an old cookie sheet. Speaking of which, don't forget to serve cookies with the tea!

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Materials:

Vintage Tea Tray

cookie sheet
sandpaper
metal primer
acrylic paints in colors that complement the image
paintbrush
color copies of images
découpage medium
water-based polyurethane
2 disposable foam brushes
scissors
glue stick
waxed paper

1. Sand and thoroughly clean the cookie sheet; allow to dry completely

2. Apply the primer to both sides of the tray; allow to dry completely.

3. Paint the base of the tray with acrylic paints; allow to dry. You can use one color or several colors. It's important to try to use colors that complement the images you will be using.

4. Working on the tray and using the color copies, lay out the design plan (figure A). Begin by overlapping the images and trimming them if necessary. Use a glue stick to secure them or fold back the corners to create a collage (figure B). Make one large color copy of the collage (figure C). This will create a smoother serving tray. Trim the large color copy to fit inside the tray.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

5. Apply the découpage medium to the tray. Use the foam brush to evenly distribute the découpage medium (figure D).

6. Working on waxed paper, apply the découpage medium to the back of the color copy image, flip the image over and apply the medium to the front side (figure E). Use a liberal amount of the medium.

7. Apply the color copy to the desired position on the tray. Using your finger, spread the découpage medium over the image to remove any air bubbles (figure F). Go back over the image with the foam brush to smooth out the découpage marks. Apply the medium to the entire top of the tray (over the paint) so that you get an even shine.

Figure D

Figure E

Figure F

8. Allow the medium to dry overnight. Apply a second coat of medium to the tray and allow to dry. Apply two to three coats of water-based polyurethane, allowing dry time between coats.