Pinned and Tried: Chalkboard Painted Trays

You've got to be careful these days to not leave anything sitting in my path that my get painted with chalkboard paint.  I just can't help it!  It's so easy and fun.   I saw this idea on pinterest - several sources, but I also used to do it with plain old cookie sheets.   

So, I thought I'd show you the process I took to make this super cheap and fun project.

I picked up a metal tray at the Dollar Tree.  I already had the Krylon Chalkboard paint from previous projects.  I bought it at Michael's and I'm pretty positive I used a 40% off coupon.

I placed the tray in a box that I previously used for painting and I took it OUTSIDE.
You want to make sure that you are in a well ventilated area.

I made sure the paint can got a really good shaking and then I just sprayed an even coat all over the tray.  I did one side, let it dry in the box and then painted the other side.  This tray was one I did really quick and didn't bother to get the 'gummy' stuff off completely from the price tag.  However, I recommend that you do in order to have a completely smooth surface.  After making sure the paint fully covered the tray, I let it sit several hours to make sure it was really set before I wrote on it.

I took a piece of chalk and laid it on it's side and gently colored in the flat surface to 'season' the board before using it.  This step seems to be pretty crucial to being able to write smoothly on your new board.  This is with regular white chalk.

You may notice that the writing in this picture looks more 'smooth'.  That's because I've discovered a new fun item!! Chalkboard markers.  I needed to do a huge project for a wedding and knew that chalk would be almost impossible to do the job the way I wanted.  I looked around the www and guess what?  Found some great tips on how to get that perfect look on the chalkboards.  

Writes smooth, comes in several colors and wipes clean with a damp cloth. 

I am in love!!  

This pack of 4 chalkboard markers was a little over $12 at Michael's and of course, I used a coupon!

The other great thing about these trays are that they are magnetic.  So you can write a note or you can stick a note!  Whatever you like best.
This pinned and tried was a winner.  I loved this easy project and hope you'll try it too!