Hello, lovelies! I’m back today sharing 11 super easy ways to update trays! While we are still enjoying some much needed family beach time this week, I thought this was a great one to reshare since everyone probably has a tray that could use a simple update!

Here are 11 easy ways to Update trays

And here’s a peek at how some of them started!

I linked to the original posts below each after photo if you want to see more details!

Enjoy!

1- Decoupage Paper

Up first is this plain wood tray I found for $3 at the thrift store:

Some Cotton paint and the addition of one of Dixie Belle’s older decoupage papers did wonders to bring this tray to life!

This paper is sadly no longer available, but this Shabby Floral Paper has a similar vibe…

$3 Thrift Store Tray Makeoverwith Decoupage Paper

2-Stripes

At number two on the list is this silver tray:

There wasn’t much that could be done about the discoloration, so paint to the rescue!

And stripes for the win!

Silver Tray Makeover

3-Stencils

Up next is another silver tray that I picked up for $2 at the thrift store:

Not only was it super cheap, it also had little feet attached, so I had to grab it.

I thought it would be perfect to use this beachy blue color on:

A pretty wreath stencil was the perfect addition:

$2 Thrift Store Silver Tray

4-Wood Pattern

This next one had a heavy acrylic coat on the bottom covering the print.

Instead of just painting it, I decided the best way to update this tray would be to cover it!

Here is what it looks like from this angle…it already had those small feet on the bottom:

And here you can see what I covered the bottom with!

I cut and painted triangles out of thin plywood and arranged them in a quilt pattern to cover the bottom:

$4 Thrift Store Tray Makeover

5-Shiplap

This next tray was the second of its kind that I have come across, and at just $4, I bought it again:

The bottom appears to be metal, but it is really just embossed paper.

I decided to cover that also…

With shiplap! These are really just strips of poplar from the Home Depot that I cut to fit and glued in place…

Thrift Store Tray Makeover with Shiplap

You can see how I redid the first one I found just like it HERE if you like.

6-Grain Sack Stripe

I really liked the shape of this next one:

I added feet to it using wooden knobs:

And adding a simple grain sack stripe down the middle was the perfect accent!

$3 Thrift Store Tray Makeover

7-Whitewashed Wood

At number seven is a set of three trays I picked up for super cheap at only $5.25 for the set. (Keep in mind that most of these trays were found pre-pandemic when things were priced much more affordably!)

Good bye, boring monogram!

I updated these trays by white washing pieces of thin plywood that I cut to fit.

Then, I added different stencils to each one…

$5 Thrift Store Trio of Trays

8-Numbers

I wasn’t sure what I was getting when I bought this tray table for $10 at the thrift store:

But I figured if the table part was too messed up, I would still get a decent tray out of it. Luckily, I was able to fix the table part pretty easily!

I designed a bunch of numbers in random sizes and fonts on my Silhouette to get this whimsical look!

The numbers added a unique touch to this tray!

Tray Table Makeover

9-Gilding Wax

This beautiful silver tray is one I’ve used in my holiday decorating for a couple of years now, I paid $9.95 for it:

I finally decided to add it to one of my hauls and get it transformed! In this post, I shared the BEST way to paint a silver tray.

I chose this lovely pinky Silk color, Conch:

 

Gilding wax in gold highlighted all the gorgeous details around the outer edge…

How to Paint a Silver Tray

10-Silhouette “Stencil”

This next one was already pretty cute to start. It was $5.25 at the thrift store:

However, it seemed a bit seasonal, so I set out to make it appropriate for everyday use!

I created a design and used my Silhouette Cameo to cut a “stencil” for me:

In this post, I share how to cut your own designs with your Silhouette.

How to Cut your Own Designs with a Silhouette Cameo

11-Distress

And finally, I had to include the simplest of makeover ideas that I used on this $4 tray:

Just paint and sandpaper!

Just a simple coat of paint will do wonders! Distressing this one enhanced all those details and turned that ugly tray into a fresh new tray!

$4 Thrift store Tray Makeover

This one still lives on our coffee table!

And that’s 11 easy ways to update trays!!

 

If y’all enjoyed this round up, you might enjoy these 10 DIY & Upcycled Trays from WAYYYYY back as well:

See them all HERE!!

More thrifty round ups you might enjoy:

15+ Simple Basket Makeovers

12 Thrifty Shelf Makeovers

12 Thrifted & Upcycled Box Makeovers

10 Upcycled Headboards

23 Thrifty Chair Makeovers

15 Ordinary Items Repurposed

I’ll be back on Tuesday with nine years of my front yard progression! It’s fun to see how it has grown since I tore everything out and redid it when we moved in. Plus, it’s nice to share it when it’s pretty and not just decked out in skeletons ha ha!

Here’s what it looked like when we moved in in 2017:

A HOT mess!

UPDATE: See how it has pogressed over the past nine years HERE!

Enjoy your weekend!

XOXO,

 

 

 

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