Wanted to make a grouping of toleware trays for a bare wall in my cottage style kitchen - but gee are those vintage handpainted trays ever pricey. So I heard my local Goodwill calling my name!

Bought all 10 of these "oh-so-unimpressive" trays at Goodwill for $7.56 total - rust and all!

Painted them with a good primer (I use Kilz water based primer - blocks stain and rust and will stick to ANYTHING - even glass)

After the primer dried,  I put on a base coat of creamy white.

See instructions, shortcuts, and tips for painting in my other guides:

Trash to Treasure with Decals: Shabby Chic Home Decor

Easy Cheap Crackle Finishes: Shabby Chic Furniture

Confessions of a Lazy Painter: How To Paint Stuff QUICK

Top 10 Furniture Painting Shortcuts & Tips

Shabby Chic: How to Distress Painted Furniture

After the basecoat of creamy white I blended in a different, brighter white with a sea sponge, to give it more of an aged look. Then added a border of sage green or pink to each tray.

Once that was dry, I added the decals and got an instant collection of tole trays - all for a super inexpensive price!

Here are some tricks for applying water-slide decals like a pro:

--> Prepare the surface you're applying them to with a glossy clear coat (like Delta Ceramcoat - you can get this at Michael's) This will allow you to slide the decals around until you get them just where you want them.

--> Use warm water to soak the decal (I just figured this out - have been using decals for 4 years now - duh) And give it plenty of time to soak - this will make it slide off the decal's paper backing more smoothly onto your item

--> Put a couple of drops of water on the item's surface before you slide the decals on, this will help them slide around better and will make it easier for you to get any air bubbles out.

--> After you put the decal in place, use a wet tissue or napkin to press out any bubbles or creases.

--> After the decal is dry, topcoat it with Delta Ceramcoat - use matte if the rest of your painted item has a matte finish, or glossy if your item is glossy. Then your decal will look hand painted, rather than having a finish that doesn't match.

Over 100 decal designs reproduced from hand painted antiques can be found in my eBay store:

Cozy Cottage Decor

View more guides by cosycottage here!