Effectively, y’all, my chandelier isn’t completed, however not for lack of attempting. To say that the climate isn’t cooperating could be an understatement. This has been a really unusual July with a great deal of rain and ridiculous humidity, so nothing is drying prefer it ought to. My clay flowers are taking ceaselessly to dry. The spray paint that I used to color the chandelier and the flower “stem” body is taking ceaselessly to dry. The entire thing has been so irritating, however there’s not an entire lot I can do about it. It’ll get completed when it will get completed. So whereas I’m ready for issues to dry, I made a decision to make a very simple DIY ornamental tray to go on my closet island utilizing wooden scraps and different gadgets I already had available. The one gadgets I needed to buy for this tray have been the handles.
Ornamental trays are such a simple and enjoyable challenge, so for those who’re a starting and on the lookout for one thing to construct, otherwise you’re eager to attempt your hand at artful issues like gold leaf or resin, a tray is an ideal approach to begin.
I used scrap wooden that I already had available, and I minimize a chunk of 1/2-inch plywood to about 17″ x 19″ for the underside of my tray. Then I minimize some 1/2-inch wooden, ripped to 1.5 inches large, for the perimeters, minimize to size on my miter noticed. I nailed these in place utilizing 1-inch 18-gauge nails.
I didn’t even miter the corners as a result of they maintain collectively stronger after they’re not mitered. Not less than, that has been my expertise.
And as you may see, the corners weren’t good after I nailed the aspect items on. However I wasn’t anxious about that as a result of these corners could be cleaned up within the subsequent steps.
So right here’s what it seemed like as soon as the entire aspect items have been nailed to the underside piece and to one another on the corners. Then I used wooden filler to fill within the nail holes and nook joints.
As soon as the wooden filler was dry, I used my rotary sander with a 150-grit sanding disc to sand the perimeters and the corners. As you may see, the sanding course of actually cleaned up these corners and made them look very nice. I additionally sanded the highest edges of the aspect items in order that they have been easy and flush with one another across the prime.
After which, as is my behavior, I used 150-grit sandpaper and sanded these corners on both sides piece by hand to present the tough corners a little bit of a softer look.
After spray priming the entire thing with my favourite primer — Zinsser B-I-N shellac-based primer, after which sanding the entire thing easy with 220-grit sandpaper, I used to be prepared to color. I used a darkish pinkish pink on the within of the aspect items to convey some colour to the island.
I used to colours for this. The principle colour is Behr Hibiscus Flower.
However it was a bit too brilliant by itself, so I added just a bit bit (possibly two or three tablespoons) of Timeless Ruby to darken it only a bit.
That made the proper pinkish pink colour to go along with the wallpaper. After which I painted the skin white as a result of I like the white towards the darkish blue of the island. I used my go-to white — Behr Polar Bear — for the skin of the tray.
As soon as I had two coats of every colour on and let it dry, I then added my wallpaper to the underside of the tray. I adhered this with wallpaper paste that I had leftover. As that was drying, I went forward and drilled my holes for the 2 handles.
After which I added gold leaf to the highest edges of the aspect items. I used a steel leaf glue that I had by no means used earlier than, and I actually favored it!
It goes on white and dries clear. As soon as it’s dry and glossy, you may add the gold leaf.
If forgot to take an image of the gold leaf course of, however y’all have seen me gold leaf issues many occasions prior to now. It’s a reasonably self-explanatory course of. You press the gold leaf onto the adhesive, after which brush away any extra. It’s a reasonably messy course of as soon as all of these gold leaf bits begin flying, however I completely take pleasure in it. There are steel leaf merchandise that aren’t messy in any respect. The leaf comes connected to a backing, so that you don’t have all of these extra leaf bits flying round. I’ve by no means tried a type of, however I’d like to!
After the gold leaf was on and cleaned up, with the entire extra brushed away, I gave the entire painted and gold leafed areas two coats of Basic Finishes Excessive Efficiency Topcoat and let that dry. Then I used to be prepared to complete the wallpapered backside of the tray with resin. To maintain the resin from seeping by means of the joints the place the perimeters have been nailed to the underside of the tray, I turned the tray over and coated over these joints with steel tape. You should utilize caulk for this as nicely, however this appeared sooner and simpler since I wouldn’t have to attend for caulk to dry.
After which I blended up two cups of my favourite resin — ArtResin. For my 17″ x 19″ tray, I used one cup of resin and one cup of hardener to make two cups of blended resin.
I poured that over the underside, used a small spatula to easy it out over the underside, ensuring that it fully coated and met the entire sides and corners, after which used my Bernzomatic propane torch to eliminate the entire bubbles. The important thing with utilizing a propane torch on one thing like that is that you simply need to make very quick actions over the resin. When you transfer too slowly or maintain it in a single place too lengthy, you’ll burn the resin, or worse, catch the wooden on hearth. So making very brief, quick actions over the resin with the flame is vital, and you’ll goal any bubbles that you simply see within the resin. My propane torch is sort of large, however for those who’re eager to attempt your hand at a resin challenge, I’d truly advocate one of many little propane torches which can be for kitchen use for caramelizing sugar. These are a lot simpler to regulate. Additionally, I typically do the preliminary torching proper after I get the resin unfold out, after which I let it sit about quarter-hour and are available again and torch it once more since just a few new air bubbles all the time appear to seem throughout these first jiffy.
And right here is my new ornamental tray with the tremendous shiny resin wallpaper backside, a contact of pinkish pink across the inside, the gold leaf accent and gold handles, and the white on the skin.
I needed to convey some pink and a few sample to the island, and I feel that is the proper manner to try this.
And I like how shiny that resin is. It provides the proper quantity of glimmer and shine to the island with out being overbearing.
This challenge was a enjoyable little diversion whereas ready for paint and clay to dry.
I checked on the chandelier and flower stem body this morning, and I feel these are lastly dry sufficient to put in them in the present day. However the flowers nonetheless aren’t dry sufficient to prime and paint. If y’all have any recommendations on find out how to get air dry clay to dry sooner with out it cracking, I’d love to listen to it!
Extra About My Stroll-In Closet/Laundry Room
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I rework and adorn the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You’ll be able to be taught extra about me right here.
