How to Turn a Thrifted Metal Tray Into an Elegant Champagne Serving Tray
That random thrift-store piece you keep passing over might be exactly what your next project needs.
In this tutorial, Debi takes a $3.99 Goodwill find and completely reinvents it as an elevated champagne serving tray perfect for entertaining, a bar area, cocktail hour or a buffet display.
You’ll start by learning one of the most important steps when painting metal: using a bonding and stain-blocking primer. Metal finishes can scrape easily, and dyes from the original finish can sometimes bleed through new paint, so proper preparation makes a huge difference.
Then you’ll create a custom painted background using Pueblo, bright orange and antique gold, with darker shading around the outside and around the bottle placement to make the focal image stand out.
A printed champagne bottle is fussy-cut from mulberry paper and decoupaged onto the painted surface. Because mulberry paper is translucent, the painted colors underneath become part of the finished image. Debi also compares it with rice paper and shares what she discovers about working with its delicate fibers.
From there, an IOD wine transfer is layered over the image to create the aged, Old World typography that makes this project so distinctive. The surface is sealed before the transfer is applied — an important step for getting a clean transfer without damaging the decoupage underneath.
And then come the details.
Red paint effects, metallic gold outlines, subtle gold along the raised ribs and carefully placed cabochons take the piece from a simple craft project to finished decor.
You’ll also see the creative decision-making that happens in real time: trying an idea, deciding it’s too much, painting over it and moving forward. Because sometimes the biggest thing standing between you and a finished project is simply overthinking it.
The final result is an elegant champagne tray that looks nothing like the inexpensive thrift-store piece it started as — and the same techniques can be adapted to wine trays, cocktail trays, lazy Susans, buffet risers and countless other thrifted finds.
Supply List
Some links may be affiliate links — thank you for supporting Studio MDAZ!
• Mulberry Paper — https://amzn.to/4xlG1iq
• Rice Paper — https://amzn.to/3TPggZi
• Gold Paint — https://amzn.to/4gadRQu
• Thrifted metal tray, tart pan or flan pan
• Wooden candlestick/pedestal
• Dixie Belle Bonding BOSS Gray
• White base-coat paint
• Mod Podge Multi
• Liquitex High Gloss Varnish
• IOD wine-themed transfer
• FolkArt Pueblo paint
• DecoArt Antique Gold
• DecoArt Bright Orange
• Red craft paint
• Gold cabochons
• Soft paintbrush
• Fine detail brush
• Deli sheet
• Sanding block/emery board, optional
• Multi-surface adhesive
• Hot glue, optional
• Resin, optional
