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Writer's pictureSimply Jelly Jam

Acrylic Pour TV Tray

Refreshing a TV tray tabletop with fluid art and an epoxy resin topcoat.

I wanted to makeover my Mom's old, nasty looking TV tray. Instead of replacing the dingy tabletop board, I decided to paint over it instead.


Supplies and Stuff


These are the items I used to makeover the TV tray tabletop board:

  • TV tray tabletop board

  • Paint and primer

  • Tarp

  • Acrylic and/or tempera paints

  • Cups

  • Stir tools

  • Water

  • Floetrol

  • Epoxy resin

  • Measuring/mixing cup

  • Gloves

  • Torch


Prepping the TV Tray

Old TV Tray with Vinyl Top
Old TV Tray with Vinyl Top

The TV tray showed its age. I believe it's older than my fifteen-year-old senior dog!

Stained Underside of TV Tray
Stained Underside of TV Tray

The tabletop board was recovered in a faux wood vinyl that faded over the years. Water stains showed through the bottom of the tabletop board. The wood frame was scuffed up from regular use in my Mom's house.


I disassembled the TV tray and peeled the wood vinyl off the tabletop board. I didn't believe it needed sanding since it was already rough with layers missing from the original board.

Paint and Primer
Paint and Primer

I sprayed the tabletop top board with several coats of white paint and primer. I left the tabletop board to dry for a couple days before attempting the acrylic pour.


Acrylic Pour

Cups of Paint
Cups of Paint

I laid a tarp over an old outdoor table I didn't mind getting paint onto. I placed several small cups on the table to elevate the tabletop board I wanted to pour over.


I set aside five cups, four different acrylic or tempera paints, a few craft stick for stirring, some water, and a bottle of Floetrol.


I used a mix of acrylic and tempera paints. I bought them cheap from my local Walmart, so I'm indifferent to which type of paints I use for an acrylic pour (also known as "fluid art"). I poured each color into a separate cup.


The water thins the paint to a more fluid state, hence the other name this craft is often called. Acrylic paints are thicker than tempera paints and may require more water mixed in.

Bottle of Floetrol
Bottle of Floetrol

Floetrol creates a smooth flow of paints during the pour and tilting of the surface, or so I've heard. Although Floetrol is white, it doesn't change the colors of the paints I chose to work with.


I'm still unsure of the best amount of water and Floetrol to mix into the paint colors. If the paint's too thick, it wouldn't flow well when the surface is tilted. If the paint's too thin, the paint colors would run off leaving little on the surface.


Since I'm still figuring things out for myself, I tend to go with thinner paints. I figured if the paint's too thin, I could always try again over the same surface without having to sand down any paint lumps first.

Pouring Paint into a Cup
Pouring Paint into a Cup

After I mixed water and Floetrol into the cups of paints, I randomly poured each cup into a separate single clean cup. I realized the mixtures were too thin because the colors blended instead of sitting on top of one another in the order I poured them.

White Paint on Tabletop Board
White Paint on Tabletop Board

I poured some extra mixed paint onto the tabletop board and spread it with my gloved hands. I learned from watching other content creators that a base coat of mixed paint ensures a smooth flow.

Upside Down Cup of Paint
Upside Down Cup of Paint

I lifted the tabletop board and placed over the cup containing the multiple paints. Once the board was placed, I flipped everything upside down. It's a technique I've seen other content creators do, so I tend to do the same thing as I'm learning this craft.

Tilted Tabletop Board and Paint Flow
Tilted Tabletop Board and Paint Flow

I removed the cup to release the paint. I then tilted the tabletop board in all direction until the entire surface was covered with paint.

Initial Finished Acrylic Pour
Initial Finished Acrylic Pour

The initial pour turned out well, but I wasn't completely happy with the results. I wanted to see more gold, but it seemed like there was little to none in the design.


I took a risk and splattered white, gold, and red onto the surface. I thought the splattered design looked great!

Tilted Tabletop Pour and Final Paint Flow
Tilted Tabletop Pour and Final Paint Flow

However, I knew my Mom didn't care for a splattered look so I went ahead and tilted the tabletop board to let the paint flow into a faux marbled look.


I left the acrylic pour to dry for several days.


Epoxy Resin Topcoat

Poured Epoxy Resin Over Tabletop Board
Poured Epoxy Resin Over Tabletop Board

I used two-part epoxy resin that's mixed in a one-to-one ratio. In case you're interested, I mixed eight fluid ounces of epoxy resin, but I didn't use it all on the tabletop board. I poured the excess into small resin molds I had set off to the side.

Spreading Epoxy Resin Over Tabletop Board
Spreading Epoxy Resin Over Tabletop Board

I poured the epoxy resin onto the tabletop board and used my gloved hand to spread it evenly across the surface. I wanted to keep the amount thin so the tabletop board would easily fit back into the wood frame.

Torching Bubbles Over Tabletop Board
Torching Bubbles Over Tabletop Board

When the epoxy resin was spread evenly and sat for about ten minutes, I used a torch to pop the surface bubbles. I personally prefer using a torch because I have one, but a heat gun would work just as well if preferred.


I left the epoxy resin cure for a full week before reattaching it to the wood frame. This was one of my Christmas gifts to my Mom, so I wanted to be absolutely certain everything was completely cured before it went back to her house.


Painting the Frame

Disassembled Wood Frame
Disassembled Wood Frame

I initially intended to sand and stain the wood frame to a darker color that matched my Mom's wood furniture. Unfortunately, I've never stained wood before and therefore messed up.


To keep things simple for myself, I used white paint and primer on the wooden legs and base. I then used purple paint and primer on the wooden frame that went over the tabletop board. These were the only spray paint colors I had that came close to matching the colors of the acrylic pour.


My Thoughts

Finished TV Tray Tabletop Board
Finished TV Tray Tabletop Board

In the end, I loved the finished product! While I didn't originally plan to paint the wood frame, I believed the white and purple colors complemented the acrylic pour on the tabletop board.


But what did my Mom think about this makeover when I showed it to her on Christmas?

Finished TV Tray Makeover
Finished TV Tray Makeover

To my surprise, she loved it! The colors of the acrylic pour matched much of the floral prints around her house. I worried she'd believe the purple and white wood frame were eye sores, but she said she liked how it stood out and contrasted against her dark wood panel walls and furniture.


If she's happy, I'm happy. In fact, she later gave me a cheap TV tray to do this craft again.


What's Next?


On Thursday, I'll share my journal design for January 2022. Can you believe we're about done with 2021?! Check back on or after Thursday to see the journal design. Check back next week to see what else I share in the new year.


Would you have used epoxy resin as a tabletop topcoat? Login and Sign up to share what you would've done differently if you completed a makeover on an old TV tray.


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Thanks, and have a great day!

Simply Jelly Jam

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