A bamboo serving tray is not exactly a rarity at thrift stores these days. They vary in cleanliness and condition, and when I spotted a stack of them at Habitat Restore, I decided to give one a makeover as my latest project for the Charlotte Region ReStore blog.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
My upcycling plan was simple and straightforward: Paint and stencil the tray.
But the best part is that it would be a double duty DIY, as both a serving tray and a Thanksgiving sign! Aside from this pilgrim hat craft (ALSO from a Habitat ReStore find), I haven’t done too many Thanksgiving-specific projects.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
But, it seemed like this was a ripe opportunity to rectify that. So, let’s get crackin’ (and crafting)…
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience, and was also sponsored by the Charlotte Region ReStore(s). All blue, bold, and underlined text is a clickable link, either to a product or to a related post.
Double Duty DIY with a Bamboo Serving Tray
Here’s a better view of the bamboo serving tray. I selected the cleanest of the lot, but even after some careful scrubbing, a few stubborn stains wouldn’t go away.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Those stains made it easy for me to decide to paint it, though! And I selected a creamy off-white shade of spray paint to give me a fresh and clean surface for stenciling.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Next, I gave it two full coats of paint and was quite pleased at how it turned out. Clean and bright and ready for further embellishing!
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
I loved that the herringbone pattern of the woven bamboo was still visible through the paint!
Anyway, it was then time to transform the tray into a Thanksgiving sign. I selected and sized the perfect stencil, which I purchased it from this online shop.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Next, I carefully stenciled the word and willow branches in two different colors to complete my Thanksgiving sign.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Lastly, I made sure the stenciling was completely dry before giving the entire tray and light topcoat with a clear satin spray. And that was it! Ready to see how it turned out?
Thanksgiving Sign from a Bamboo Serving Tray
When all was said and done, I was left with a fresh and elegant makeover. It has a bit of a farmhouse look (which I’ve been moving away from doing), but I love how it turned out nonetheless!
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
I actually thought about finishing it up by wrapping the ends (where you’d consider the handles to be) with jute twine. But, in the end, I went without and left the handles as they were
I think it’d be a fine embellishment, though, don’t you?
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Either way, it’s hard to beat such a simple project that has two potential uses. It could be a tray set out on a coffee table for drinks (in lieu of coasters) or snacks. OR you could prop it up against the wall as a Thanksgiving sign.
Which way do you think you’d use it as?
I think I’m partial to it as a sign. But maybe that’s because I’m selfish and don’t want drinks or snacks covering up my stenciling work!
I hope you enjoyed this super simple, but very effective upcycling idea for a bamboo serving tray!
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
And don’t forget that my first book, “Crafting with Flannel”, is now available! It even contains its own tray project- with a touch of flannel, of course…
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Plus, I have an entire blog post dedicated to other upcycling ideas for Thanksgiving– a few of my projects, as well as others’, too!
Craft on!
S
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Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.
Great project, turned out nice!
Thanks, Carole!
I really like it as a wall sign. If you use it as a tray, give it a couple of coats of clear protective spray to save your stencils. I think it would go well in all decors! I’d also be tempted to stencil another holiday word/picture on the back, hang it by the “rail” or add some jute and make it do “double duty.”
I saw one of these same trays last week at a local thrift and didn’t pick it up.😞 I’ll check back today. Maybe I’ll be lucky. Your tray is so simple and I mean that in a good way. Thankful says it all.
Thank you so very much, Rita! I definitely see them fairly frequently, so I hope you can nab one!