Thrifted Tray Gets A Perfect Makeover with Paint & A Decor Transfer

July 29, 2021

My daughters picked up this sturdy wooden tray at Goodwill in the Twin Cities.

It turned out to be the perfect size and shape for what I had in mind for it!

(When you click on the bold Amazon, Old Sign Stencils or Dixie Belle Paint Company affiliate links you will be taken to the products I used for this project. If you order it does not change the price or service at all. As an Amazon Affiliate, Old Sign Stencils Affiliate or Dixie Belle Paint Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Photo of a stain & odor blocker being brushed on a tray

My plan was to paint the tray with Dixie Belle Paint in Drop Cloth. Drop Cloth is Dixie Belle's best selling paint color.

To avoid any stain bleeding through my white paint, I brushed on one coat of Dixie Belle Boss, and let it dry overnight. Then I brushed on two coats of Drop Cloth.

Next, I pulled out a tube of decor transfers from Redesign with Prima called Spring Flowers. Spring Flowers has four separate rectangular transfers.

Photo of a decor transfer laying on a tray top

See what I mean when I said PERFECT? This transfer fit my tray so perfectly.

Photo of a tray with a decor transfer taped to the top of it

I measured with a ruler to center the transfer on the tray. I had it wrong at first because I measured from the side of the white backing and not the transfer's lines. Luckily, I figured it out before it was too late.

I taped the transfer in place at the top with blue painter's tape. Then I lifted the clear top sheet to remove the paper backing. The tape keeps the clear sheet and transfer from moving.

Photo of a partially applied decor transfer on a tray

I used the rectangular stick in the decor transfer tube to begin rubbing down the transfer in the upper right corner.

Pull up the transfer very slowly to be sure it's stuck down. If not, simply roll the clear sheet back down and rub some more!

I then sprayed the tray with two coats of Rust-Oleum Chalked Clear Matte Sealer Topcoat Spray. This will protect the paint and transfer. It is not waterproof but water resistant, so a sweating glass should not be left on it.