Time flies when you're having fun, right? When the second Tuesday of the month rolls around, I'm excited to announce it's
Trash to Treasure Tuesday time. yeehaw! My blogger friends and I share our latest DIY inspiration for you. You'll see their work in a bit, however, until then, check out this stand of vintage TV trays that caught my eye.
While I'm not sure what era you grew up in, I'm sure you do know what a TV tray is. Thankfully, I grew up in a home without much emphasis on parking it on sofa for hours on end, I do know these tables are quite handy for sick days, game time, and just all-around fill-in-the-spot fun. When taking a closer look at this set, it can be deceiving. The fold out great, but...
...they look like me in the morning...saggy and tired. tsk.
DIY TIME
I'd say it's high time for a facelift to this fun set, don't you? First, I take the legs and hardware off. Then, I need to remove those sagging center panels. Thankfully, I could knock apart the frame and slide it out.
While I'm at it, I paint the tables in soft muted tones like this soft aqua. Can I just say it took me HOURS to work on them, but so worth it. I'm curious...when you have projects that provide oodles of thinking time, what do you do? Because most of my creations end up in another part of the world, I like to pray for the recipient. Or I like to just talk to my heavenly Father. Walking down memory lane is always an adventure as well.
Next, while my paint is curing, I need to cut new panels for the table tops. I have to use a 1/8" thickness that fits the original. Using my circular saw, it's as easy as cutting butter.
*note: I love to support local and purchased this at a family business. They had me checked out and loaded in less than 10 minutes with a smile and respect. I definitely don't receive that kind of customer service at a big box store. For every dollar you spend locally puts $3 back into the community.
Then, once the panel is cut into four pieces, I need to sand the edges just a bit because this luan is a mite thicker than the routed TV tray slots. After that, I use a tannin reactive stain which ages the wood right before your eyes. In the past, I show how I use all the variations of
this stain for many fun DIYs.
NEXT STEPS
Additionally, I want to add a touch of flair to the tray tops. One of my favorite ways to decorate is to use an old tablecloth or piece of lace to make a layered look. You can see how dressed up a
dumpster chest of drawers or this
vintage tea cart. I simply lay it on and spray through it.
One thing, however, I noticed that the paint isn't as strong a contrast as I thought it would be. The paint was being absorbed into the wood. Luan is a very open grain (porous) manufactured wood. In any event, I'm still happy with the outcome. Last, but not least, I assemble with my nailer and apply a few topcoats with
my DIY furniture lazy susan.
THE REVEAL
Finally, after several hours of my DIY fun, the vintage TV trays are ready for many more years.
Buh-bye boring and blah. Hello fun color! I worked hard on these and hope it shows, but it was so worth every bit. In my house, these tables would be fought over with my six kids based on color alone. However, they are perfect for any room and any use you can think of.
Do you love the colors I chose? I wanted a muted vibe, but a little fun too.
If you'd like to make these a part of your home, you can find them and much more available in
my online store.
Additionally, I'd love to hear what you would do with this set, so leave a comment below. And pin and share to inspire others to give DIY a try too.
NEXT UP
Up next, I found two pairs of wooden shutters, and they are ready for a new lease on life.
See their new look and life HERE!
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Also, more trashure makeovers like these vintage TV trays:
