Poor old Susan. She doesn’t have the best reputation with this name does she? And yet she’s so helpful around the house!! I’ve actually got a few lazy Susan trays. Like in our kitchen cupboard – I got fed up with having to move everything out of the way every time I needed to get something. Which of course would be aaall the way at the back of the cupboard .. who knows what I’m talking about?! So, this is the solution ..
Why didn’t I think of this 20 years ago?! You can get it here. Seriously, it’s a game changer and it keeps our cupboard so much tidier!
Anyway, back to poor old lazy Susan. This particular one is actually a “Lazy Snudda”, from Ikea for £6.50. I think it’s a pretty good price as it’s a large one too at 39 cm. I actually managed to pick it up on Facebook MarketPlace for £3 (boy, do I know how to treat myself?!) BUT, she doesn’t look particularly inspiring does she?
Turns out though, she is just perfect to create a gorgeous unique tray for your home.
here’s what i did
I started off with sanding down the top and sides as I wanted to give the whole item a bit of a darker stain. I rubbed it down and stained it with a walnut stain and whitewashed it to make it look like this.
It was OK, but let’s be honest, it’s a bit ‘blah” and not quite what I had in mind. Our table and worktops (where the tray would be “living” most of the time) are wood and I didn’t feel it would be enough of a contrast for it to really “pop” and stand out. So, .. I decided that painting the whole thing was the best option.
I used my “go to” neutral paint. It’s a Valspar paint for wood and metal and we originally had it mixed at B&Q to match our kitchen units. I’s a great paint with excellent coverage and it matches most things so I use it as the background for most of my signs. So, more rubbing down to get things smooth and a few layers of paint later, it looked like this:
OK, so it’s not going to set the world on fire, but it’s perfect as a blank canvas to work with.
the perfect quote
I’ve seen some pretty nice trays with quotes (and you know I love a good quote or quirky sign!) and had been looking for the perfect one for this lazy Susan. Then I came across this one on Pinterest.
Yes!! It’s perfect, although I decided to take out the words “fun” and “love” as I didn’t want to overcrowd the tray. And I left out the little leafy things (technical term!) because of the handles. I bought the svg file on Etsy here and downloaded it.
Now, I’m fortunate enough to have a Silhouette Cameo machine which allows me to cut vinyl, create stencils and all the pretty things. If you’ve not heard of it .. it’s brilliant and I absolutely love it! If you’re a bit of a self confessed organising freak like me you will LOVE it for making labels to organise your home, adding quotes to your jars etc.
get a handle on it
Finally, I wanted to add some handles. I picked up a piece of furniture aaaages ago but it was beyond saving. Or so my husband told me, AFTER he’d disposed of it (anyone know if this is grounds for divorce?.. let me know!) Fortunately for him, he saved the drawers as they had some pretty great handles on it, so I forgave him. Just about. This is a close up of one of the (pretty dusty) handles. Pretty cool detail, right?!
I wanted the handles to match the black writing on the tray. I opted for a black metal paint in satin finish to give the handles their own little make-over. I’m loving how they look now!
The Final result
And after sealing the whole thing with a clear polyurethane spray to protect it, here’s the finished article.
Not such a lazy Susan now is she?! Can you tell I am so chuffed with how this has turned out?
Pin me for later!
By the way, I know I used a vinyl transfer on this and am very aware that not everyone will have access to a Silhouette machine. (Although I seriously recommend you get one to make your own awesome creations! 🙂 ) But, check out Etsy for various companies that do online decals here. Or of course alternatively you can add your own stencil or writing.
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