The bed is the largest horizontal surface in a bedroom and adding a bed tray on the bed provides you with the perfect accent to display on your bed. A bed tray provides the perfect platform to display a few lovely accents to enhance the decor in your bedroom.
Not only does it provide the perfect spot to add a lovely vignette but it can also serve a much more useful purpose. Use it to enjoy a leisurely breakfast in bed on a long lazy weekend. Enjoying breakfast in bed on a dreary, rainy morning is a such a decadent, indulgent luxury.
When I found this wood bed tray at a vintage market I knew I could easily update it. My dear friend Christine has told me she would love a bed tray. The lighter neutral finish will work perfectly with her bedroom decor. Her birthday is just around the corner and this is a quick and easy project that can easily be completed in a weekend.
I decided to chalk paint it to update the finish. Spray painting it would have been much quicker, but I wanted a more durable finish since it will be used for serving food and will probably get some wear and tear. Chalk paint provides a hard, durable finish that will hold up well to use over time.
Supplies:
- TSP Degreaser
- Rag
- Chalk paint
- Paint brushes
- Water
- Napkins
- Plastic garbage bag
- Foam paint brush
Start by cleaning the piece. Wipe it down with TSP, a degreaser, to remove any grease. Chalk paint will stick to virtually any surface, except a greasy surface. So be sure to clean off the piece before painting it.
Once you have cleaned off the piece paint it with 2-3 thin coats of chalk paint. Chalk paint is much thicker than ordinary latex paint. You will get the best results with 2-3 thin coats rather than 1 thick coat of paint.
1st coat 
2nd coat
Once the paint has completely dried it’s time for the fun part, decoupaging the piece. You will need images, paint brushes, Mod Podge and water to decoupage.
Napkins are the perfect medium for decoupage. They are inexpensive and you can find them in a variety of lovely patterns and images. I found these darling bird themed napkins at a specialty home decor boutique. We have loads of birds that visit Nature Way so when I saw these adorable bird themed napkins, I scooped them right up!
You will also need two paint brushes. A smaller tipped brush and a wide flat 1 inch brush for applying the Mod Podge.
Start by separating the two layers of the napkin. Gently pull the two layers apart. Discard bottom white layer.
Instead of cutting out the images on the napkin, dip a small paint brush in water and draw an outline with water around the portion of the napkin you want to use.
Gently tear the napkin along the water outline. It will tear easily along the water outline and you will end up with soft torn edges. The torn edge will look much nicer on your piece instead of harsh straight edges that you will get if you cut out the images with a pair of scissors. The torn edges will feather out onto your piece, blending onto the surface better.
Decide where you want to attach the torn out image. Paint on a thin layer of Mod Podge onto the surface of your piece and then gently press the image onto the wet surface with your fingers. Use a plastic garbage bag to gently rub the image onto the surface and make sure it sticks. The plastic bag won’t stick to the Mod Podge or the napkin so it won’t tear the delicate tissue. Just apply gently pressure, gently feathering out any bubbles from the center of the image out to the edges.
Repeat the process with additional torn out images until you are pleased with how the piece looks. Allow the Mod Podge to dry completely before proceeding. If you try to add more Mod Podge to seal the piece before the tissue is completely dry, the tissue may tear. Practice patience and let everything dry.
I set the piece out in the sun to help it dry faster.
Once the Mod Podge and tissue is completely dry coat the entire piece with a thin coat of Mod Podge using a foam paint brush.
Use care when coating the tissue to avoid tearing it.
Allow the piece to dry completely overnight.
Once piece is dry use it for serving breakfast in bed or as a lovely platform on your bed to display a vignette that enhances your bedroom decor.
Learn the easy steps for creating Vignettes, The Secret “Wow” Factor to your home. Vignettes will take your home from ho-hum to designer fabulous in just a few minutes. Best of all, you can use what you already have to create them.
I can hardly wait to give this to Christine for her birthday! I’m so very pleased with how this project turned out. I hope she loves it! Good thing I already have a bed tray or I might be tempted to keep it for myself…LOL!
Let your creativity loose and give decoupage a try. I think you will love, not only how easy it is to do, but it’s an extremely affordable way to update an old, dated piece, and the results are beautiful! It’s easy to create something that is uniquely you and a one of a kind piece. You are only limited by your imagination!
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Great Article Barbi! The tray came out beautifully…and Christina is so fortunate to have such a artistic friend!
You were my inspiration! When you showed me the beautiful tiles you created I knew I had to give decoupage a try.