Red tray fixer upper.

I set out to make a chalkboard this morning while doing some housekeeping and enjoying my cup of coffee. Yesterday I found this neat red tray at Goodwill, for $1.99. It was rather grimy, but after giving it a good bubble bath, it was smooth and clean and ready for paint. I wasn't really sure how to prep the surface other than cleaning it, because its not wood and its not a metal, so priming it was questionable. I went with just painting the chalkboard paint straight on it, knowing that if it does chip overtime, I can always redo it, and use primer if I need to (I am still learning all the simple things regarding paint projects).

I used my level to measure and make the spacing right. I wanted to first paint a simple rectangle with an equidistant border all the way around, still leaving enough of the pretty pattern showing. I gave myself some extra wiggle room in case I decided to add in edge detailing by hand after the rectangle portion was done.

Once the tape measured out well and I was happy with the spacing, I used my foam paint brush with the paint. It's better to use a synthetic brush with this kind of paint, and a foam brush helped create a more sleek application. 

The first coat needed to dry, so I decided to use some paint to make a label for Shelby's treat jar. 

This is only after one coat. The chalk board paint needs a few coats to look true black and matte.

After applying a few more coats to my tray and waiting 2-3 hours for it to dry, I peeled the tape off and this is what it ended up looking like. I just wasn't satisfied. Although, it does look pretty cute, right?

Onto the victorian look. I first took a pastel and made a light outline on the tray. I did not use any stencils, but did use that Victorian tray (mentioned earlier in the post) for reference of shape. I then took my skinny paintbrush and went over my pastel outline. Again, lightly, incase I made a mistake. To fill in the space between my fancy border and rectangle, I used my foam paint brush again to get a smooth look. It is still drying and I may add some touch ups, but it is done! All I need is some chalk to write on it with! (And I just realized that the border of this tray matches the style border of my blog. I must like this look or something.)

Total estimated cost: $1.99 for the tray + barely a dent in my can of paint = $3