Picture a Tray

Labels: furniture I a-door, outdoor decor, Projects, Tutorial on

>The only negative thing about making a door into a table is that the uneven surface makes it difficult to display things. I could have topped it with glass, but seriously, who wants to have that additional cost, let alone clean a glass surface constantly.

My solution for creating an even surface is to
use a tray.

Oh how I love trays!

I'm pretty sure I have at least a couple of dozen of them, silver ones, wooden ones, store bought and handmade. But I thought I'd make one more.

I took out a wooden picture frame
from my stash.

Then had hubby cut and glue a piece of
scrap beadboard to fit the opening

(he enjoys taking part in my projects).

I gave it a pretty coat of spray paint.

And then gave it a good distressing.

My technique for distressing is pretty simple. I start by using my palm sander and scuffing up the areas that would naturally show wear, the edges, corners and under the handles.

If I had used brush-on paint, I might have rubbed those areas with wax before painting so that the paint would wipe off easily to show the original layer.

To add more character, I use a paint scraper.

With both the sander and the scraper I make sure to vary the scuffs, heavy in some spots and lighter, or not at all, in others. If the scuffs are too uniform it doesn't look natural.
I then finish with a coat of stain or diluted brown paint.

I like working with water-based stains and paints because I can spray on a little water and wipe off as much stain as I desire. I try to leave stain in the corners and low areas that would naturally attract dirt and grime over years.