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Trash To Treasure

TV Tray Table Upcycle

upcycled-tv-tray-tables (2)

I have no idea how long I have owned these TV trays, but I would venture to say over 15 years.  They have probably been hiding away in a closet for ten of those years.  I think every home has these (kind of like the Monopoly board game), but I’m not sure how often they are used.  I personally, have forgotten about them because they were tucked away, and they were tucked away because they didn’t match my furniture and home décor.  So, instead of selling them at a garage sale I’m planning on having in a couple weeks, I thought I’d do a TV Tray Upcycle instead and do a trash to treasure project.

Here is the before photo.

tv-tray-tables

Materials:

  • Wooden TV Tray Tables
  • Household Cleaner
  • Paint (2 or more colors)
  • Stencil(s)
  • Spouncer Stencil Brush

Step One:

Clean your tray tables.  Mine were dusty!  If there are tough stains, you can lightly sand them with 150-grit sand paper.

Step Two:

Paint your base color and allow it to dry.  I chose to just paint the top because I like the contrast of the light wood on the bottom.  I think it makes it look more interesting.

painted-tv-tray-tables

Step Three:

Apply your stencils with paint and a spouncer stencil brush.  A spouncer makes your life easier, and reduces or even eliminates bleeding.  I have a ton of stenciling tips on my Burlap Stenciled placemat post.

stenciled-tray-tables (2)

I worked with all four tables at once, washing and cleaning my stencil and brushes in between.  Allow your paint to dry in between stenciling.  I took my time so it took me a couple days to do this.

stenciled-tray-tables (1)

Step Four:

If you’re like me, you have some bleeding mistakes, so after I finished stenciling, I used a small paint brush and the base color and touched it up.

upcycled-tv-tray-tables (1)

That’s it!  Prettier trays = more use.   They are no longer hidden in my closet!

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15 Comments

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Comments

  1. Bri says

    April 29, 2013 at 1:50 pm

    Ohhh man this is awesome i have some dusty old trays @ my house. Thx for the idea.
    🙂

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      April 29, 2013 at 2:34 pm

      Thank you, Bri!! Send me a pic if you end up doing it! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Emily Wilke says

    May 10, 2013 at 7:32 am

    What a great idea. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      May 10, 2013 at 8:07 pm

      Thank you Emily! I’m still loving them!

      Reply
  3. Charlie Hendricks says

    July 7, 2013 at 7:54 pm

    Now I know what to do with my newly inherited (in-law) tv trays that were absolutely hideous! I showed my husband and he suggested a layer or two of clear coat to protect the paint. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      July 7, 2013 at 8:24 pm

      Ha! That’s great. I hope you do it… send me a pic 🙂

      Reply
  4. Karen says

    July 10, 2013 at 12:19 pm

    HI!
    I was just wondering if you could give me a source for the stencil you used here.
    Love the look!
    Thanks, Karen

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      April 3, 2014 at 6:57 pm

      I would love to know where you got the stencil you used here too! 🙂

      Reply
      • Dinah Wulf says

        April 4, 2014 at 7:07 am

        Hi Rachel and Karen!

        Karen I am so sorry that I missed your comment! They are from the Martha Stewart collection. I bought them at Michael’s Craft Stores.

        Reply
  5. Bianca Y. says

    December 15, 2014 at 8:54 am

    Did you use any sort of sealer/ clear paint once you were done? I started painting mine and I was told that I needed to a sealer since they would be used often.

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      December 15, 2014 at 10:53 am

      Hi Bianca! I didn’t and mine are holding up, however you can do a quick sealer. I like Krylon’s Make It Last Clear Sealer (spray can). You can find it with the spray paint. You can also try one coat of polyurethane as another option.

      Reply
  6. Juanita Boykin Sanchez says

    January 3, 2015 at 8:51 pm

    These look gorgeous. Hopefully my husband agrees and we can do this.

    Reply
    • Dinah Wulf says

      January 4, 2015 at 7:58 am

      Thank you, Juanita!!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 20 Cool Must Do Stenciling Projects - DIY Inspired says:
    May 22, 2015 at 4:19 am

    […] a boring TV Tray Table with a modern and colorful […]

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  2. Five Cool Stenciling DIYs for your Kitchen – Bored Reader says:
    July 22, 2016 at 7:24 pm

    […] […]

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