Friday, May 04, 2012

a bit of recycling





When I'm ready for a little change, I rarely go out and buy something new ~ instead I just refurbish/recycle what I already have.
This wooden tray is on its third transformation: 


Some leftover black paint, primer, and a National Geographic map of my little corner of the earth, and it's now the perfect spot to hold sentimental treasures:


* beach glass & heart-shaped stones from our walks at the lake
*arrowheads found by Dad when he was farming
*an old silver dish
*a family baby picture
*a hawk's feather I found this week


Have a good weekend!

~Deb


22 comments:

  1. You are such a clever creative girl.

    PS The bag loves living in Australia and it goes everywhere with me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Rose! So glad the tote bag has found a perfect new home :)
      Deb

      Delete
  2. Great transformation - I love anything to do with maps or travelling.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love it!!!
    In fact....I love it so much, my yellow tray may have a similar transformation this weekend! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have two trays like yours. Plans for this weekend.........
    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's just fantastic!!! I love the idea of using the map, did you varnish it afterwards? Only the other day I got two doors off a very old cabinet (the marble top was smashed making it too expensive to repair!) and I was thinking of making them into trays for my kids, but whatever 'covering' I put on them it must be waterproof and wipeable! any tips?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Emma! To answer your question, after I cut my map to size, I sprayed it with two coats of Krylon Matte Finish. The can says it gives a permanent, protective finish that is moisture resistant. Then I glued the map into the tray.
      I only had some Elmers glue, with caused my map to wrinkle a bit. I think some spray glue or rubber cement would have worked better....Deb

      Delete
  6. What a great idea! This is a great gift idea for my map loving sister.

    ReplyDelete
  7. That is so cute! I have a tray similar to yours, that my father had made in High School. I put it away as I grew tired of the color and varnished look. Now, I just may dig it out and start a new project :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great tray upcycle! It looks wonderful with all your treasures. Those are some nice arrowheads. We sometimes find them here, but not in that condition. Ours are usually broken.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love it! I also the "finds" and "treasures" you put on it. I don't have a tray but I have that map and all my life i have looked for arrow heads and have yet to find one. Once, my son found one for me but it's not the same...I want to find one myself...anyway...I'll keep looking and meanwhile I'll look for a tray too or something similar around here. I love your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I like the idea of putting the map on it...I may have to cover my desk like that, I was thinking of painting it but I like that idea better.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous10:40 PM

    What treasures of history your father found.

    Your ideas and work are always so inspiring. Jan

    ReplyDelete
  12. Perfect!

    Blessings, Debbie

    ReplyDelete
  13. so pretty! nicely styled!!! Love shopping at home!

    ReplyDelete
  14. wow those arrow heads are impressive, especially as so casually (but beautifuuly displayed). I have a similar blog title - homespunblissblog.blogspot.com and was checking out who's saying what. Nice to discover you. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  15. That's seriously clever. I do enjoy your taste.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Loving the ''new''tray Deb, and the idea of a the map is a good idea, I recently saw one used as a pinboard too.

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a brilliant make-over! Very inspiring, and you make it look so simple! Paula x

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking time to leave a comment--I love reading each and every one! I will try to answer any questions you have in the comment section. Due to the amount of spam, I am sadly no longer able to accept Anonymous comments....Kindly, Deb

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails