A serving tray {from doilies to art deco}

I found this cute boudoir tray at my favorite consignment shop a few weeks ago and was instantly drawn to its classic style. I’ve wanted a serving tray for some time, so I decided to pick this one up and give it  a few updates.

Though probably once quite pretty, this stained lace has seen better days.

First, I removed the felt backing.

Next, I used a butter knife to  pry the interspersed finishing nails upward so I could slide the wood and glass out of the frame.

Then, I removed the handles and took them apart so I could paint each piece silver. I used Martha Stewart’s silver gilding liquid.

After the individual pieces dried, I put them back together and reattached the handles to the tray.

I cut 3  1/16″ circles from a roll of wallpaper designed at my friend’s textile firm and then backed them with slightly larger circles cut from orange card stock to create a pop with the color contrast. 

The large circles act as “coasters” on the tray and help define its purpose. If you read Reupholstery – A little fabric goes a long way, you may notice that the backing on this tray is actually a remnant from the fabric I used on my dining room chairs.