If you’ve been reading here for awhile, you’ll already know my (apparent) passion for TV trays…
Oh yes. It is indeed a thing! I devour them every chance I get from local thrift stores and such, because they are SO easy to customize and SO handy to have for everything under the sun.
I mostly use them for what they were intended for though… they are the perfect sofa companion at the perfect height, especially if you have an Ikea Ektorp 3.5 monster!
Which brought me back to this houndstooth cutie.
I really loved it… but I wanted to try a new pattern on something flat. And after I dug around in my stash, I knew I had to redo this (because I didn’t have another).
So the top got sanded down until it reached…
… pretty much bare wood. Perfect!
I was slightly concerned that the blotchiness of the remaining stain would affect the new design, but I need not have worried. It helped to age the piece which is something I hold near and dear to my own heart anyway!
Ok… so let’s make a funky stenciled Argyle TV tray!
Argyle is a super cool new 2-piece pattern stencil from Funky Junk’s Old Sign Stencils which comes in 2 sizes.
The diamonds get stenciled first, then the lines are layered on top to achieve a true argyle effect!
And boy does it work well!
So I’ll first show you how I made this stenciled argyle TV tray, then I’ll share a few room shots with it.
Stenciled Argyle TV Tray
(this post includes some affiliate links)
Supplies I used:
Argyle Stencil in Large from Funky Junk’s Old Sign Stencils HERE
Fusion Mineral Paint’s paint in Coal Black, Casement, Pebble
Fusion’s Stain & Finishing Oil in my own custom mix of Golden Pine and Cappuccino
(find a local Fusion merchant from HERE)
Page protector with a exacto knife (I like stainless steel Olpha)
How-to:
1 Create a diamond template by placing a page protector on top of a diamond, then trace it slightly larger with an exacto knife.
Because I desired to rotate the colours of the diamonds side-by-side, this template helped avoid paint bleed from one diamond onto another.
This is completely optional and you may find something else that works even better. I may even offer a template for this at some point. However this did work!
2. The template was placed over each diamond, then every other diamond was stenciled in Fusion’s Coal Black rotating with Casement.
Isn’t this harlequin pattern cute as is?! You could totally leave this look, however I desired the full meal deal with this tray so I continued.
3. Place the thin lines stencil sheet on top of the diamonds, and align by placing the two sideways registration marks over top of two outer painted diamonds for the perfect alignment.
Get the Argyle stencil from HERE
4. Stencil with a medium grey. (I used Fusion’s Pebble)
It worked so sharp! This was my first time using the real deal stencil so it felt a little like Christmas morning to me.
5. After the paint cures, apply stain, then wipe off.
6. Allow to dry, then lightly sand with a very high grit sandpaper to make it butter smooth.
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I rushed the process and ended up smearing the paint a little, so it pays to wait.
The stain I used was Golden Pine with a little Cappuccino added.
You can read more about this amazing stain in THIS shelf post.
Get the Argyle stencil from HERE
SO. IN. LOVE! Isn’t that just a stunner?
I started designing the Argyle stencil nearly a year ago to this day but never did finish it. Then I forgot how to draw it! So I started all over again and got it done.
It was a long wait but I’m happy it’s finally available now. This is gonna be fun!
Can you imagine for Christmas? Or fall? Or even spring tones?! Can’t wait to experiment more.
However, I really REALLY desired this colour combo on stain for this look for my first round. And it looks good anywhere in the house! Especially in the guest room.
And really, that’s the whole point of DIY. You customize to suit.
Yep! This one is a total win.
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Click above to watch the entire process in this short video.
And now, time for coffee in bed with a kitty cat cuddle and try it all out.
What would you use Argyle on?
Find all the stencil projects HERE
Check out more TV tray makeovers HERE
I’ve always been crazy about argyle! So glad you created this stencil 🙂 Now to find something to use it on!
Glad you’re diggin’ it Sara! I in particular am fond of patterns that appear hard to create but can now have them on wood pieces in particular. I’m happy to report, this one works really slick!
I LOVE how that turned out! I’m sitting in the garage at our garage sale and just told my husband that if our little TV table doesn’t sell, I’m keeping it and doing this with it! Brilliant!
No no…. pull it back in now! Haha! If it’s solid wood, it’s a total game changing project. You won’t mind experimenting on it because it’s small and less intimidating. Plus… you’ll probably use it if it’s cute! 😀
It has been pulled! LOL! And you’re so right that if it’s cute, I’ll use it!
I love this tray! Thanks for the tutorials. I recently retired and look forward to making my own TV tray sometime soon. You make it look so easy.
Thanks Linda! This one is SO easy… hopefully the video proves that! 😀 And a BIG congrats on your retirement… hope you’ll be busier than ever in all the creative ways possible! Whoop!
Wow! The argyle stencil is fabulous! I was excited when I saw the houndstooth stencil but this one is even better! The colors you used are just right and are a terrific combination. A great way to use many colors in one stencil. It is a little masculine, too. Good for a piece in a den or study. Thank you!
Thanks Laura! This one will be so fun to play with! I can’t wait to try for some lighter tones for a summer feel too!
Great new stencil design! It would be perfect for a desk in a den or study. The colors you used turned out beautifully. Can’t wait to try it!
Love this project! So cool!?