Monogram Tray

Update a thrifty find with Chalky Finish paint for an entire new look!

This month DecoArt challenged their bloggers to a transform a yard sale find using their Chalky Finish paint. I don't make it to many yard sales, but I am all over thrift stores, antique stores, and especially avid on going to barn sales. So, as you can imagine, I have more than one item waiting in line to get a fresh makeover or update!

For this project I had set my sights on a beautiful tray I found at a barn sale that had great lines and was larger than most trays you find, but I wasn't a fan of the paint job it had been given. But you can always cover paint with paint, right? It was the perfect project for this challenge. And I am absolutely loving how this monogram tray turned out!

This is the tray "before." It's a cream color with a bit of an attempt at a shabby chic finish. It's pretty enough as is but not my style.

But don't you just love the size and style? Definitely not something you see everyday. You can see why I was drawn to it.

I stocked up on Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint in Cherish, Honor, Rejuvenate, and Artifact. I also chose the Clear Creme Wax to add a protective layer.

I ended up not using the Rejuvenate, as you'll see.

I wiped the tray down really well, but did not sand or do any other preparation. I applied 3 coats of the Chalky Finish in Honor to a majority of the tray. The paint dries quickly so applied extra caots goes pretty quickly. For an accent, I ran a line of the Cherish along the sides of the tray, also 3 coats.

I found a font I liked (Master of Break) and printed it out in the size I wanted for the tray. To transfer the letter to tray I used tracing paper.

Place the tracing paper chalk-side-down on the tray. Center the monogram over the tracing paper. Trace the outline of the letter.

I used Cherish to paint inside the lines of the monogram, 3 coats. Any chalk left showing after the paint was dry I simply wiped away.

To add one last accent to the monogram I painted a circle around it. I did this by using the inside hoop of an embroidery hoop. I taped it in place on the tray and simply traced along the outside edge of the hoop. I skipped over the placed where the monogram was outside of the hoop.

You can see the soft matte finish that the Chalky Finish gave the tray.

To protect the paint I applied a coat of the Clear Cream Wax which gave the tray a slight shine.

The Cherish (coral) was a step outside of my comfort zone because it is so bright, but I absolutely love how it all turned out! And I love that I can use it as a serving tray, on a table to hold decor, or even prop it up on the mantel as home decor!

 
Linking up to Flamingo Toes, Today's Creative Blog, Tidymom, My Repurposed Life,
Tatertots & Jello, and other great parties found on my party page.