Celebrating 100 with a little DIY

What better way to celebrate my 100th post than revealing my latest DIY transformation. I've been searching for a tray to adorn the coffee table for what seems like forever. Finding one I liked within my price point was proving to be a challenge.

Enter the Goodwill. It was the end of the day of my thrift store window-shopping tour and I was perusing the frames section when I found one that caught my eye. Nevermind it still held the picture of a small child. Sketchy. But there was potential.

The layered frame had pretty detailing and looked deep enough to be a tray, so the creative wheels started turning. It was nothing a few coats of spray paint and fun pattern couldn't fix. And the best part? The frame was only $2.99 and the total cost of the project was about $10.

The creeptastic before:

The fun after:

The DIY journey from sketchy to fab:

1. Remove picture, sand, spray paint and add poly.

Finding the right yellow was difficult. I wanted a pretty and non-seizure-inducing shade. I chose Rust-Oleum's Painter's Touch in Sun Yellow and couldn't be more happy with the color. This was my first time using a protective finish, and it made the tray look polished.

2. Create image in photo editing program of your choice.

The picture slot was 10x13 and I made four different patterns of that size to change out in the future.

3. Print images.

We don't have a printer yet, so I saved the four patterns on a thumb drive and headed to the FedEx Office up the road. It was 40 cents a piece to have the patterns printed to 11x17 cardstock.There was the option of plain paper, but the cardstock looks more professional and sturdy. 

4. Cut out images.

Since FedEx Office only does standard sizes, I had to go with 11x17 paper. It's fine if you don't have a steady hand. The frame hides any wobbly cutting job.

5. Choose pattern.

The chevron is in the tray now. Is anyone surprised?

6. Insert pattern and cover.

The frame came with a plastic cover that was pretty gnarly, so I gave it a good scrubbing with a multi-purpose cleaning solution.

7. Style, admire and love.

The new tray is begging for some fresh blooms. It turned out just how I hoped and my assistant Wazzu is a fan. The final result also proves it doesn't take a lot of money, only a little imagination, vision and spray paint, to give a scary and old picture frame new life.