Home décor with a purpose of repurposing.

Tray Bien

baker tray with pantsWhen I salvaged a very large baker’s sheet pan, I had grand visions of baking many cookies all at one time. I brought the pan home to show off, and quickly realized it wouldn’t fit in my oven, so I announced to my family, “Look at this great planter-tray I found!”

To fully appreciate it though, they would have to wait for my vision to become reality. I started by sanding off all the grime and grease, then spent a couple days spraying on layers of primer and paint (and annoying my studio neighbors with the fumes). The result was a waterproof planter-tray that fit perfectly on a side table I bought at Redux.

I already had two vintage planters I’d been looking forward to using, but I needed a couple more to fill the tray. I scoured the local thrift stores for ones to coordinate and go with my find of the month: a lithograph print, circa 1960 by artist Jean Pierre Tertre.

Unfortunately, it just wasn’t the right week for cool vintage pots, so I decided to make my own by drilling a hole in the bottom of two ceramic containers, which fit perfectly in my vignette.

Drilling a hole in the bottom of a bowl sounds easy, but there are a few things to keep in mind: First, Use eye protection and keep a layer of water on the drill-sight so bad things don’t end up in your eyes or lungs. Second, use a masonry drill bit (I first tried my “everyday” drill bit, and didn’t get anywhere). Lastly, wash everything down, including your hands!

What do you say Jean Pierre Tertre…? “Tray” bien?

making planters from pots

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3 responses to “Tray Bien”

  1. jenny Thomas says:

    I’m going to do this. Thanks for the inspiration!

  2. michelle says:

    SO clever Nicky!! I like to broken pottery pieces on the tray as well.

  3. Lynn Streit says:

    C’est Bon!

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