Texture is one of the ways to add interest to your spaces, and so I look for surfaces that will do just that. I was strolling around Hobby Lobby and saw bags of little white stones in the floral section and thought those would be a cool material to craft with, then I spied a plain wood tray and thought I would combine the two to see if I could make this tray more interesting using those little stones.
I brought them home and got to work, using some leftover tile adhesive and grout I had in my garage. With a little patience piecing it together and some white paint to finish it off, the tray came to life. Here it is, my handmade white stone wall decorative (or serving) tray.
The supplies you will need to recreate this tray: one bag of white river rocks; wood round tray or a circle wood sign (what I used); tile adhesive; white grout; painter’s tape; kitchen sponge; white paint & paintbrush.
Step One: Cover base of tray/sign to protect surface, paint interior with one coat of white paint (or save the paint step to the end).
Step Two: Using a small amount of tile adhesive, attach the little stones individually to the sides and top of the tray one at a time.
You have to play with the stones to get their irregular shapes to fit together but it’s part of the fun. 🙂
Allow the adhesive and stones to set at least five or six hours.
Step Three: Apply the grout between the stones, I tried piping it in with a plastic bag but that got messy so then I just used my fingers to wedge the grout between the rocks. Apply the grout about 1/3 around the tray then gently press it in between them then wipe away the grout from the top of the stones with a kitchen sponge.
I used the rough side of the sponge to rinse the grout off the surface of the rocks, making my way around the tray. Keep sponging the rocks so the grout doesn’t dry on top of them and only between them.
Allow the tray to dry fully, I left it outside in the sun for a day. The inside of the tray had water spots from the grout process so I painted over them with white paint and the interior sides too.
The tray has a coastal vibe and can be used for decorative purposes or as a serving tray.
Use it indoors or out (although I wouldn’t let it get wet). Share your pics if you recreate!
