WWF DIY tray....you asked for it, you got it!

The WWF Tray....

I enjoy playing Words with Friends (most of the time)! Last year when my friend Nancy moved to LA, we kept in contact almost daily through the wonderful world of  WWF on our phones and iPads.  Last Christmas I made a 'Words with Friends' tray for my dear Nancy.  It was a hit with several people, so I made one for my sister on her birthday and took a few photos for details. 

Begin by laying out your tiles on the tray.  I should have cut out a piece of cardboard to fit the tray! Learn from my mistake,  I had to disassemble and reassemble!  In this case I also had to remove the brass circle from the center of the tray to level the surface. 

Measure your layout to find the center point. Layout tiles centered on the tray before gluing in place.

I applied a small amount of mastic, a tile adhesive, to the back of each tile.  I am sure there are other adhesive products you could use, but I had this on hand. ALLOW TO DRY.  I placed the stones before the tiles were dry and the stones pushed a few tiles out of balance.

I used pebbles as a background filler.  This tray was made for my sister who lives on the lake and it looks great in her house!  You need to consider the height of the tiles and the edge of the tray when selecting your background filler. 

Use a level surface before pouring the glaze.  I used butcher paper to protect my countertop. (which I assumed was level!)  Parks Super Glaze is easy to work with 'if' you follow all directions.

You use equal parts of the epoxy and mix until clear.  I used one half of a solo cup of each, and mixed with a plastic spoon until clear.  Pour mixture over tray, filling the entire space as evenly as possible.  As the epoxy settles, air bubbles will rise to the surface.  I tapped the bubbles with a wooden skewer to pop them, or you can just blow on them!

Finished project:

Cindy loves her tray!  The words represent dogs, children, her real estate business, and don't even ask me to explain COSMOPSYCHO!

Go make a wonderful personalized gift!

Cathy

BTW, the cute Owl family on my counter is for sale in my ETSY store itsWONDERFULlife, they are super cute!