Refurbished Serving Tray and Basket

Our living room is very short on space for setting down drinks out of the reach of little hands.  I wanted to find a tray that had a nice presentation for serving and could also be set down in a number of tall places to keep beverages elevated.  I found two separate pieces that worked well together and got to work on refurbishing them to match our home decor.  


What You Need

• Wooden Serving Tray
• Shallow Rectangular Basket
• Acrylic Paint for Accent Color (Ultramarine Blue)
• White Acrylic Paint for lightening inside of tray
• Copper Acrylic Paint for Antiquing and Trim
• Large Painters Brush
• 1" Paintbrush for Trim
• Matte Finish Spray to Seal Project

I found both of these pieces at a local Goodwill for a few dollars each!

They fit perfectly together and the gears started turning on how I could refurbish them to match.

Using my large Painters Brush (shown) I painted the Wooden Tray an Ultramarine Blue on the outside and the same Ultramarine Blue mixed with white acrylic paint on the inside to give it contrast.

 I then trimmed the rim of the tray with Copper Acrylic Paint using my 1" Paintbrush.

Using the large Painters Brush (dry), dip the edges in the Copper Paint and dab a few times on a paper towel before sweeping back and forth across the tray (nearly dry.)

An antique "worn" effect is created giving the tray a rustic quality. 

 The copper tones are pulled together by the solid trim of the tray.

I then began to give a similar character quality to the plain basket by matching the trim to the tray with the Ultramarine Blue.  I painted the rim, top, and around the handles on the sides.

Using the same dry brush technique as used on the tray, add the copper streaks to the blue trim.

In order to give the basket an antique feel dampen the large Painters Brush, dip the edges in copper paint and dab on a paper towel.  Sweep the brush across the basket, hitting certain points but not covering the basket in paint. 

 This image shows both the antiquing with the copper paint on both the wicker and the blue trim.
 

Waterproof both the tray and the basket with the Matte Finish Spray to seal and allow to dry completely.  The tray then inserts into the basket, allowing for a solid surface.

The final product was fast and easy to make, costing only a few dollars.  It is practical, matches our decor, and is a great conversation piece!