The Rules:
- Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
- There's no monthly theme.
- There's no budget to stick to.
One of the fun things about shopping at thrift stores is that you never know what you're going to find that day - like this embossed aluminum tray ($3) and a tumbler ($1) that actually matched - omg, just by luck! The guy at the checkout said the tray looked like a giant soda cap - I guess because of the curved ridges! Too funny!
Anyway, my idea was to combine the two items into a lovely decorative accent piece or accessory using napkins to decoupage onto them. Perfect to hold just about anything you can imagine - like appetizers, baked goods, decorative fillers, or holiday knick-knacks, to name a few!
Materials used:
Tray and tumbler (stand)
Decorative paper napkins
Mod Podge - matte
Soft paint brush
Scissors
Sandpaper
RapidFuse All Purpose Adhesive
Let's get started by cleaning and washing the tray and tumbler with mild dish detergent like Dawn to remove grease and or stains and dry. Then separate the design layer of the napkin from the plain white layers. To separate, I lightly dipped my finger in Mod Podge and tap my thumb and finger together, placing the corner napkin edge between them to separate the layers.
Next, apply a layer of matte Mod Podge onto surface. Place napkin on top smoothing out from the center to edges using a soft brush.. Apply additional MP while smoothing out wrinkles. I like to dip my finger in MP to also help smooth out wrinkles, too. Sometimes I use plastic wrap to help smooth wrinkles out but this napkin seemed too thin and would probably lift up or tear, so I didn't use it this time.
Also, since the napkin didn't cover the bottom completely, after the first portion of napkin dried, I matched up the pattern with an additional piece of napkin covering a little bit on top and on the side, and let that dry, too. The best part, you can't tell where it was pieced together!
Once the napkin was completely dry, it was easier for me to cut off the excess napkin using scissors first before using sandpaper on the edges.
And finally, apply additional layers of Mod Podge to seal.
Next, decoupage the tumbler following the same steps, as before.
And don't forget to seal the tumbler with additional layers of Mod Podge, too!
The tumbler edges seemed too narrow for a good seal so it was easier to glue the bottom of it onto the center of the tray. I use DAP RapidFuse Adhesive to glue the tray and tumbler (stand) together. It sets up in 30 seconds and has a permanent seal. Hot glue does not!
Don't you just love how the metal shows through the floral napkin - as if the flowers were handpainted on! Too cool!
What a lovely thrift store find transformation!
Check out more thrift store challenge creations!
Meet the Hosts
Angela | Simply Beautiful By Angela - Meredith | Southbound Blog
Jenny | Cookies Coffee and Crafts - Angie | Grandma Creates
Habiba | Craftify My Love - Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home
Ann | Duct Tape and Denim
Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!
Make sure you follow our board on Pinterest for more upcycled decor inspiration!
And now for more thrifty goodness!
