A Tray From a Frame

MJ made it home safely and it is so great to have him back. Life makes sense again.

We had a busy weekend of checking things off our to-do list. Real exciting stuff, let me tell you. But it feels good to complete things. MJ and I are gearing up to tackle a few other home improvement projects this week, things we’ve been avoiding since trying to start them in January. But it’s time to bite the bullet and get things done.

Ugh, if only I had little helper elves…

With life back to normal, I did some creating as well.

First up, turning a frame into a tray.

This is what it started as.

Gorgeous.

I’m not really a bird person (actually I’m a little afraid of them!) but the frame was good. Real wood, good condition, plus the price was right at $3.99.

It was a bit dirty, however.

Major gunk.

Before anything, I scrubbed it. De-gunk-a-fied.

The frame I chose didn’t have a removable back (but if you find one, use it!) so, after removing the purdy birdies, I cut a piece of MDF to size and glued and tacked it in place. The MDF was a half-started art piece.

Then I primed and sprayed the whole thing white.

I added felt to the bottom of the tray to give it a soft surface.

To finish things off, I added handles to either side.

Ready for use.

An all white tray might seem kinda boring but it lends itself to so many color options. For this, I ironed a bit of batik fabric to fit. Maybe I’ll have to buy more fabric… :)

This tray will come in handy for dinners outside this summer. With or without the children.

Take care