Easy DIY Decorative Tray With Wallpaper And Resin

I used scrap wooden that I already had available, and I reduce a bit of 1/2-inch plywood to about 17″ x 19″ for the underside of my tray. Then I reduce some 1/2-inch wooden, ripped to 1.5 inches extensive, for the perimeters, reduce to size on my miter noticed. I nailed these in place utilizing 1-inch 18-gauge nails.

I didn’t even miter the corners as a result of they maintain collectively stronger after they’re not mitered. At the very least, that has been my expertise.

And as you possibly can see, the corners weren’t good once I nailed the aspect items on. However I wasn’t anxious about that as a result of these corners could be cleaned up within the subsequent steps.

So right here’s what it appeared like as soon as the entire aspect items had been nailed to the underside piece and to one another on the corners. Then I used wooden filler to fill within the nail holes and nook joints.

As soon as the wooden filler was dry, I used my rotary sander with a 150-grit sanding disc to sand the perimeters and the corners. As you possibly can see, the sanding course of actually cleaned up these corners and made them look very nice. I additionally sanded the highest edges of the aspect items in order that they had been clean and flush with one another across the high.

After which, as is my behavior, I used 150-grit sandpaper and sanded these corners on either side piece by hand to offer the cruel corners a little bit of a softer look.

After spray priming the entire thing with my favourite primer — Zinsser B-I-N shellac-based primer, after which sanding the entire thing clean with 220-grit sandpaper, I used to be prepared to color. I used a darkish pinkish purple on the within of the aspect items to convey some coloration to the island.

I used to colours for this. The principle coloration is Behr Hibiscus Flower.

But it surely was a bit too vibrant by itself, so I added just a bit bit (perhaps two or three tablespoons) of Timeless Ruby to darken it only a bit.

That made the proper pinkish purple coloration to go along with the wallpaper. After which I painted the skin white as a result of I like the white in opposition to the darkish blue of the island. I used my go-to white — Behr Polar Bear — for the skin of the tray.

As soon as I had two coats of every coloration on and let it dry, I then added my wallpaper to the underside of the tray. I adhered this with wallpaper paste that I had leftover. As that was drying, I went forward and drilled my holes for the 2 handles.

After which I added gold leaf to the highest edges of the aspect items. I used a metallic leaf glue that I had by no means used earlier than, and I actually favored it!

It goes on white and dries clear. As soon as it’s dry and glossy, you possibly can add the gold leaf.

If forgot to take an image of the gold leaf course of, however y’all have seen me gold leaf issues many instances previously. It’s a fairly self-explanatory course of. You press the gold leaf onto the adhesive, after which brush away any extra. It’s a fairly messy course of as soon as all of these gold leaf bits begin flying, however I totally take pleasure in it. There are metallic leaf merchandise that aren’t messy in any respect. The leaf comes connected to a backing, so that you don’t have all of these extra leaf bits flying round. I’ve by no means tried a type of, however I’d like to!

After the gold leaf was on and cleaned up, with the entire extra brushed away, I gave the entire painted and gold leafed areas two coats of Basic Finishes Excessive Efficiency Topcoat and let that dry. Then I used to be prepared to complete the wallpapered backside of the tray with resin. To maintain the resin from seeping by means of the joints the place the perimeters had been nailed to the underside of the tray, I turned the tray over and coated over these joints with metallic tape. You should utilize caulk for this as properly, however this appeared quicker and simpler since I wouldn’t have to attend for caulk to dry.

After which I combined up two cups of my favourite resin — ArtResin. For my 17″ x 19″ tray, I used one cup of resin and one cup of hardener to make two cups of combined resin.

And right here is my new ornamental tray with the tremendous shiny resin wallpaper backside, a contact of pinkish purple across the inside, the gold leaf accent and gold handles, and the white on the skin.

I needed to convey some pink and a few sample to the island, and I believe that is the proper manner to try this.

And I like how shiny that resin is. It provides the proper quantity of glimmer and shine to the island with out being overbearing.

This mission was a enjoyable little diversion whereas ready for paint and clay to dry.