Thursday, March 7, 2013

A Homely Tray Becomes A Beautiful Sign


Ever want to be on one of those makeover shows?
I used to think I did.

But then I realized I just wanted them to
give me the $5,000 to buy new clothes.

I didn't want them to tell me that I needed to wear bright
colors or floral prints or anything funky like that.

And I certainly didn't want them to color my hair or tell me I should
straighten out my curls when it took me so long to decide I liked them.

And then there's the whole idea of
"how bad do you really have to dress before someone nominates you"
kind of thing.
Yeah...I didn't want to think about that.

So I stick to doing makeovers on inanimate objects.
And so far it's worked out juuuuuust fine.


It all started when I saw this sign on Antique Farmhouse.
At least I think I saw it there first.


I don't know why, but I couldn't bring myself to pay $50 for it.
{I think that's what it was.}
Then I saw it in a local shop for $75...and I realized just how LARGE it was.

Since I've had a little time on my hands this week...
I decided to make my own.

I've had this tray I picked up on clearance at
Hobby Lobby a while back and thought it would be perfect.


While it's not totally hideous to start off with...
there was definitely room for some improvement.

The clerk kinda looked at me funny until I told
her I was planning to paint it or something.
She said, "oh, good." :)


I used 2 coats to cover the harlequin design.

I should have used more...you'll see why in a bit...but that's okay.


I forgot to show you the vinyl I created on
my Silhouette before I started painting over it.

My bad.

You know, the theory is that if you first paint around the
edges of your stencil with the base color...
you won't have the fill color seep under the edges.

Whatever.
It never works for me.

I always have touch up work to do.


I used some DIY chalk paint to cover the whole thing.
Sanded it lightly between coats so it was smoooooooth.


Then I peeled off the vinyl.

I lightly distressed the whole thing...
but it still seemed a little too bright for me.


So I added some dark wax.

Beautimous.


See what I mean about only using 2 coats of black?
You can kinda see the diamonds peeking through where I sanded it slightly.

I'm okay with it if you are. :)


So that's the story of how an ugly duckling tray
became a beautiful swan pie sign.

I hope you enjoyed this make your own makeover.
I must run...I've got 13 yards of fabric calling my name.
I've been trying to ignore it...but the living room is begging for new curtains.

Have a fabulous weekend!


Partying here:



22 comments:

  1. You are a rockstar! This tray looks absolutely beautiful! And no I could not see the diamonds poking through!!! Wow! And your vignette is stunning as well! Great work and I feel the same way about the makeover clothes thing!! Have a great weekend!

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  2. What a great makeover! I can see the diamonds peeking through - but I think it adds to the charm of it.
    Sarah

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  3. So cute! The diamonds peeking through remind me of an old-fashioned store, so it keeps with your theme in my opinion. Love the transformation. I would love it if you linked this project at Thrifty to Nifty Thursdays at A Jennuine Life - http://www.ajennuinelife.com/2013/03/thrifty-to-nifty-thursdays-10.html.

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  4. It turned out beautifully! Great job!

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  5. Absolutely love this! One of my fave things ever is making over trays & you knocked this one out of the park! Pinned :)

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  6. Love it! I've wanted one of those trays for a while, but we moved and don't have Hobby Lobby in the northwest... I'm missing it, for sure! I'm a new follower from the Clean & Scentsible party!

    Happy Tuesday!
    Danielle
    SewMuchCrafting.com

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  7. This is absolutely adorable! I love how you make the ugly tray into a piece of art! Thanks for sharing!

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  8. What a FUN idea!! It looks great--now I want to do something like this :D thanks for sharing!!

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  9. I love it. And, I kinda think the pattern looks "on purpose", so no one will think a thing. Great job!

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  10. What a great idea Kelly! You totally rocked it. If you rubbed some sandpaper lightly all over it, it would look 100 years old. But what do I know? LOL! You have a gorgeous home!!
    xoxo,
    Kim

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  11. Duh! Of course I just reread that you did that. Like I said, what do I know?

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  12. It turned out really nice! What kind of wax did you use?
    I found you today thru The 36th Avenue Linky. I hope you get a chance to stop by my blog and leave a comment, too!
    ~ Megin of VMG206
    www.vmg206.blogspot.com

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  13. I totally had my eye on that sign too! Your version turned out amazing! Thanks so much for coming out to the party at Clean and Scentsible. I'll be featuring this on Sunday. have a wonderful weekend!
    Jenn :)

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  14. Sweet re-do ! I haven't done this type of craft yet - you make it look so easy!
    Visiting from Kammy's Korner party.
    JoAnn @ sweetpepperrose.blogspot.com

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  15. I love this! Such a cute transformation! I may need one of these for my kitchen : )
    Thanks so much for partying with us at Time to Sparkle!

    Liz

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  16. I love your tray. I keep going to these blogs with great graphics and finding they use a Silhouette! Then I keep saying I gotta get one. lol One day I will. Thank you for joining us at Transformed Tuesday this week.

    Hugs,
    Peggy~PJH Designs

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  17. I just absolutely love this tray! I want one for my house!

    You've been featured today at Love Grows Wild:
    http://www.lovegrowswild.com/2013/04/12-projects-for-home-10-recipes-to-try.html

    xoxo Liz

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  18. I just bought a silhouette so I can start doing this stuff! I can't wait to use it. Your tray looks great!

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  19. Hi Kelly, I just love your tray. I recently got a Silhouette and want to make a sign like your tray. Could you let me know what font you used for the words Fresh Daily, it will be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks, Beth

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Sweet comments make me a happy girl!
I love and read each and every one!
I do my best to respond to all of them...even though it may take a while...questions I try to answer right away.