Small Stenciled Coastal Snack Trays

The small white trays came in a pack of 3 from the craft store. 

The trays have small strips of wood on each side perfect for a handle. 

I will also show you an easy tip for adding a handle where there wasn't one before!

I'm using a cute pack of stencils that have shells, coral, and a seahorse in it by DecoArt Americana. 

I'm also using DecoArt chalky paint for this project. 

It is easy to stencil and I am not trying to get this too perfect because I like the distressed look for this project and I plan on sanding the images when I'm finished. 

I applied the paint with a foam pouncer with a very light coat of paint. 

Once the stenciling was finished I left the boards to dry for a few hours. 

If you're in a hurry like I usually am, you can use a small fan to dry the paint. 

Once the paint was dry I gave the stenciled area a quick sanding with the electric sander to distress the image then sealed it with a spray sealer. 

I think it looks more beachy that way. 

Now it's time to add handles. 

A while back I was lucky enough to get a call from a friend about a kitchen cabinet store that was closing. 

I was the lucky recipient of a car full of cabinet doors to repurpose and all kinds of sample handles and knobs. 

Today I will show you a little trick to adding handles where there are no holes. 

I dipped the ends of the handles into a small bit of paint and printed the holes onto the board. 

The next step was to drill the holes where the paint spot showed me to put them. 

This trick works perfectly every time! 

It was easy to add the handles and I used a different set on each board. 

These little trays are just perfect for a snacks or drinks or just leaving out as decoration for the summer months. 

I love the way they look individually or as a set. 

These will make a great summer party hostess gift too! 

I guess everyone else thought so too because they all sold at the local craft fair! 

Here are a few more DIY trays you may like. 

Click on the bold links to be taken to the tutorials: 

Repurposed Cork Tray.

Industrial Metal Tray.

Vintage Cabinet Door Tray.

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Disclosure: I received paint for doing this post with product. However, all the opinions stated here are my own. I only use products I love and would recommend to my viewers.