Vintage Embossed Aluminum Tray Makeover

I’ve had this $1 vintage embossed aluminum tray in my stash for quite some time. I just never knew what I was going to do with it. It has an amazing embossed design of leaves, flowers, and fruits all over it; and I just couldn’t resist it.

With lots of scrapes and scratches and wear in some places, its surface was not in great shape at all. I could still see it’s beauty, but I wanted to see much more of it.

Using the colors of the flowers outside as my inspiration, I decided to give this tray a happy and colorful makeover.

Supplies needed for this aluminum tray makeover

• Vintage embossed aluminum tray
• white spray paint
• oil paint pens
• spray polyurethane

Here are a couple of close ups of the embossed designs just so you can see what I’m working with.

This is the bottom of the tray. The embossing is done from the bottom, and the designs on the top are slightly raised.

I gave the front and back of the tray three light coats of a white paint and primer combo spray paint. You can hardly see the embossed design now, but it’s still there.

You can see it a little better on the back.

To give my aluminum tray its makeover, I’m using a variety of oil paint pens.

It doesn’t really matter where you start, you just go for it and start somewhere. I decided to start with some leaves. I used the embossed design as a guide; outlining first and then filling in.

Then I starting filling is some fruits and flowers.

I’d fill in an area and then go do something else for ten or fifteen minutes, just so I didn’t cause any smudging. These paint pens are so much fun to work with, and it’s so tempting to just keep going and going.

There’s no right or wrong in what colors you use. I just winged it as I went. This is what it looked with one layer of paint. Some coverage was great, and other areas needed a second layer of color.

At this point I decided I wanted a more graphic look for my tray. So I started outlining everything in black, and adding black details as well. Love that butterfly!

Here’s another look at the before of my vintage embossed aluminum tray.

And here’s the fun and funky after. I honestly can’t believe the transformation. It’s so happy and colorful.

Is it perfect? No.

Does it have to be? No.

Does it make me happy? Yes!!!

And that’s all that matters. This aluminum tray makeover was such a fun and relaxing project, and you don’t have to be an artist to do something like this.

I gave it two coats of a spray poly for some protection. You could certainly use it as a tray but I’ll probably hang it on my door like a wreath, or it could lean at the back of a shelf as well. I really don’t want to cover up all those flowers.

I left the back white for now, but at some point I might give it a completely different look than the front. A dark background maybe. Or maybe not. Who knows. lol.

I hope this project has inspired you to just go for it, whatever it is.

If you enjoyed this project you might also enjoy these other tray projects.

Easy Thrift Store Tray Makeover

Owl Wind Chime from Silver Tray

Decoupaged Silver Tray Map Table

DIY Owl Wreath from Metal Tray