August 20, 2010

Cookies in bed

Jason and I love to eat upstairs. Actually, we love to eat anywhere but our kitchen table (ironic, isn't it since I put in so much work on it?)! The only thing about this habit is we tend to let the dishes pile up. When it's time to wash them, I grab a box and load them in to be carried downstairs. Well, the other morning while making breakfast (to be eaten upstairs) I thought, I wish I had a breakfast tray. I happened to see an old, extra large cookie sheet that my mom had just given me since it didn't fit in her oven. I grabbed it, planning to use it just as a make shift, but then I thought Why can't this be a breakfast tray?! And I set off to Home Depot. After breakfast that is.

I picked up four little American Country-style wooden legs, Rust-Oleum primer, Rust-Oleum metallic spray paint, and two little silver handles.



I removed the screws from the little legs (this can probably be done with almost any of the decorative wooden legs that Home Depot and Lowe's carry--just takes a good pair of pliers and some serious twisting).



Next I filled in the tops with some wood putty and once they were semi-dry, I gave them a quick sanding. I find it's easier to sand wood putty when it's still a little moist.



While the legs were drying, I took the cookie sheet out to my work table to give a good coat of primer. I was a little nervous since (like all cookie sheets) there was some built up grease that just would not come off.



But, good old Rust-Oleum didn't fail to deliver! The primer covered all of the grease stains with no problem whatsoever. As the primer was drying I started looking at the handles I'd picked out. Originally, they were purchased because of their shape and easy epoxability (ease and ability to to be epoxy'd--it's totally a word, I don't care what Blogger spell check says). I didn't care what color they were, since I was thinking of painting them either oil rubbed bronze or a flat black/wrought iron color. But the more I looked at them, the more I really started to like them.



It's a little hard to see, but they have this liiiiiittle hint of tarnish on them. And suddenly painting the tray to a perfect silvery mirror-like finish seemed all wrong. And you know how much I like tarnish these days. So I decided to top my primer with some Rust-Oleum espresso paint and give 'er the old Rub 'n Buff treatment.



I applied the handles using Gorilla Glue Epoxy. I probably won't carry the tray by them when it's full of dishes, but they add a certain charm!



I decided against using the wooden legs because it just looked awful once they were on! Like, ridiculously. I tore them off with the plan to saw them down, but for one: unless I wanted to saw for over an hour with my hand saw or, two: chop off a finger with my jigsaw since the legs aren't exactly stable, I decided against it.



And since it's going to be sitting mostly on chairs, beds, and perching on desk corners...perhaps it's best to let it stand alone--er--leave it as is! ;)



So there you have it! My new $6 breakfast tray! I can't wait to get it on our bed when the room is complete.

2 comments:

  1. Such a great idea! I wouldn't have ever thought that a cookie sheet could be turned into a tray like that. I love the finish that you have - I think it looks better than a plain perfect silver finish. I have read that you use this rub & buff.... but I don't even know what it is or how it works. Can you only use it on metals?

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Sheena--NO! It can be used on any hard surface. Just make sure you prime first. I always prime and then paint a coat of Rust-Oleum Epresso paint in a satin finish, that way any color peaking through is uniform and looks time-worn. I absolutely LOVE this stuff, with a capital pink puffy heart L. It was like $3 at Michael's and I still haven't used half the tube. I've done two lamps, a small picture frame, and the tray. This will always be in my supply closet! :)

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