How to make a pretty vanity tray: Easy DIY project

Striped and white wooden vanity tray 8. Remove tape and voila!

painting and taping striped white and gold wooden vanity tray 3. Taping along the side

painting striped white and gold wooden vanity tray 2. Painting gold on inner party of tray

gold and white striped wooden vanity tray Sharalee Mushore

Nothing adds a touch of luxe and glamour quite like gold. Instead of buying an expensive, stylish tray, upgrade a vintage or bargain store find with this striped DIY design. Here's how to do it:

Materials:
small wooden tray (this one was from Dollarama)
white acrylic paint
gold acrylic paint
painter's tape (in the desired width of your stripes)
1 x small epoxy resin craft kit (available at art supply stores) (Optional)

Instructions:

1. Paint the entire outer part of the tray with white paint (bottom and all sides), thoroughly covering the piece. Add a second coat for extra coverage.
2. Once the white paint has dried, paint the inner part of the tray with at least two coats of gold paint.
3. Place the first piece of tape onto the tray going from one corner to the bottom. From there you can either use a pencil and ruler and measure out the placement for the next pieces, or you can do what I did and fold over a piece of the tape, making sure all edges meet exactly, and use this little piece as a measuring tool as you move along one side of the tray.
4. Once you've finished taping the long side of the tray, take a moment and measure the shorter side, marking off the halfway point.
5. Continue to tape around the corner and onto the shorter side, you may have to, very slightly, adjust your spacing so the tape will reach the middle point exactly. At the middle point, angle so he two pieces at the middle to create a 'V'. Use a ruler to ensure you get the same angle on both sides of the 'V'.
6. Continue to tape around the tray until you have made the same pattern on both sides.
7. Paint all of the sides thoroughly with gold paint, using at least two coats.
8. Allow the paint to dry completely then remove the tape to reveal the beautiful gold and white striped pattern.

Now if you'd just like to use the tray on a desk or vanity where it won't come into contact with moisture, you can stop here. Or if you can take it up a notch and coat the tray with epoxy resin. This will make sure that the tray is resilient to moisture and that the paint always remains in tact. Purchase the epoxy resin at any major art or craft store.

9. Prepare an area to resin the tray but putting down some cardboard to cover the surface you're working on. Elevate the tray using a smaller container or box.
10. Prepare the tray to resin by taping the bottom edges.
11. Follow the instruction provided with the kit to prepare the epoxy resin. For this small tray I used 1 oz each of resin and hardener. Thoroughly mix both together and pour the resin into the tray. Using either a disposable wood spatula or a cheap paint brush (most dollar store has both of these) to coat the entire tray with a light coat of resin. Don't worry if it pools in the tray, the resin at the bottom will self level and give a hard glossy finish.

12. Leave the piece to dry for 24- 48 hours. Your piece should appear very glossy and smooth with a hard, lacquered finish.

With the start of the Olympics, all eyes are on gold at the moment, and in this case sports and decor coincide perfectly with the increasing trend of gold in interiors. Nothing adds a touch of luxury or glamour quite as well as this shade. In keeping with the gold theme, here is a simple and inexpensive DIY project that will add a touch of luxe to any little corner.

Materials needed:

- small wooden tray (this one was from Dollarama)

- white + gold acrylic paint

- painters tape (in the desired width of your stripes)

- 1 x small epoxy resin craft kit (available at art supply stores) (Optional)

Instructions:

1. Paint the entire outer part of the tray with white paint (bottom and all sides), thoroughly covering the piece. Add a second coat for extra coverage.

2. Once the white paint has dried, paint the inner part of the tray with at least two coats of gold paint.

3. Place the first piece of tape onto the tray going from one corner to the bottom. From there you can either use a pencil and ruler and measure out the placement for the next pieces, or you can do what I did and fold over a piece of the tape, making sure all edges meet exactly, and use this as a little piece as a measuring tool as you move along one side of the tray.

4. Once you've finished taping the long side of the tray, take a moment and measure the shorter side, marking off the halfway point.

5. Continue to tape around the corner and onto the shorter side, you may have to very slightly adjust your spacing so the tape will exactly reach the middle point. At the middle point, switch the direction of the angle so that the two pieces right at the middle create a 'V'. Use a ruler to ensure you get the same angle on both sides of the 'V'.

6. Continue to tape around the tray until you have made the same pattern on both sides.

7. Paint all of the sides thoroughly with gold paint, using at least two coats.

8. Allow the paint to dry completely then remove the tape to reveal the beautiful gold and white striped pattern.

Now if you'd just like to use the tray on a desk or vanity where it won't come into contact with moisture, you can stop here. Or if you can take it up a notch and coat the tray with epoxy resin. This will make sure that the tray is resilient to moisture and that the paint always remains in tact. Purchase the epoxy resin at any major art or craft store.

9. Prepare an area to resin the tray but putting down some cardboard to cover the surface you're working on. Elevate the tray using a smaller container or box.

10. Prepare the tray to resin by taping the bottom edges.

11. Follow the instruction provided with the kit to prepare the epoxy resin. For this small tray I used 1 oz each of resin and hardener. Thoroughly mix both together and pour the resin into the tray. Using either a disposable wood spatula or a cheap paint brush (the Dollar store has both of these) to coat the entire tray with a light coat of resin. Don't worry if it pools in the tray, the resin at the bottom will self level and give a hard glossy finish.