Paint an art-deco tray

Give an old kitchen tray a glam art-deco style makeover.

Resene upcycling for good with Sarah Herring - Project 13

Finished project

You will need: Painter’s masking tape, Pencil, Resene Aquaclear waterborne enamel varnish, Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat, Resene Testpots in Resene Copperhead, Resene Dawn Chorus, Resene Rascal and Resene Solid Gold, Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer, Ruler, Testpot and detail brushes.

Finished project

Before

Step one
For a wooden tray, sand before painting. Or, if your tray is has a smooth surface and metal frame like this one, so can’t be sanded before painting, apply one coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer with a testpot brush to prepare it for painting and allow to dry.

Step two
Prime the entire tray with one coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat and allow to dry. This step is optional if you have used the Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer.

Step three
Apply two coats of the chosen base colour for the tray using a testpot brush. Sarah used Resene Rascal. Always remember to wait for each coat of paint to dry thoroughly before proceeding,

Step four
Mask the edges of a wide stripe using low tack masking tape. Paint a wide stripe through the centre in Resene Dawn Chorus in two coats. Allow the first coat to dry, before applying the second coat.

Step five
It’s time to create the art-deco pattern. Sarah decided to make this up as she went. Sarah started from the centre of the tray, and used a ruler and a pencil to design a symmetrical design. Mask this out with painter’s tape and paint the design in Resene Copperhead and Resene Solid Gold metallic colours for that extra ‘glam’ factor.

Step six
To finish painting the tray, paint the handles and the outside frame of the tray in Resene Copperhead. Use Resene Solid Gold metallic in the inside lip of the frame for a bit of a gold ‘pop’. You will need a detail brush for this.

Step seven
Apply two coats of Resene Aquaclear waterborne enamel varnish to protect the paint and give the tray a nice glossy finish.

This previously very blah tray is now gorgeous and glam and would look right at home on an art deco drinks trolley. Cheers!

Upcycling for Good

You can find a huge range of treasures, from ornaments and picture frames, to furniture and toys at your local Salvation Army store that you can easily upcycle with a little Resene paint and some imagination.

"Our Family Stores are full of treasures generously donated by members of the public. We value these donations and try our hardest to re-purpose and sell as much as possible. We’re all about re-using and recycling, so teaming up with Resene on Upcycling for Good was a perfect match. Resene’s products and tips are a natural fit with our pre-loved furniture and accessories, which are usually great quality but could sometimes do with a lick of paint to ensure they fly off the shelves.

Each year, nationally, our stores save 16,000 tonnes from landfill. This initiative increases the value of the donated product, improves the range of goods for our customers, and furthers The Salvation Army’s mission and Resene’s community activity.” Gareth Marshall, The Salvation Army's National Family Store Manager.

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Resene Paints Ltd – www.resene.com