Funny story- throughout the past year, I found one plastic Christmas tray after another- some vintage-y, some less so. They were cheap and festive, so I bought several with no actual project ideas in mind. That is, until I found this kitschy Santa Claus tray- he had great vintage style, was round, and would make for a perfect retro Christmas wreath.
What a cutie!
I had a clear vision in mind- center my upcycled food try underneath a plain artificial evergreen wreath, decorate the wreath with kitschy vintage Christmas decorations, and hang! This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience.
Making a Retro Christmas Wreath with an Upcycled Food Tray
First things first, I used my power drill to create a small hole at the top of my vintage food tray. This would be where I would ultimately add a loop of ribbon for hanging. Then, using low-grit (rough) sandpaper, I gently sanded the flat rim of the tray.
Just a little hole for hanging…
Why sand it? To rough up the surface where I would adhere a wreath form, making it a better surface for glue to adhere to.
BUT, finding the perfect wreath form proved difficult. I tried 20”, 22”, 24” wreaths and so on- but it was a Goldilocks situation…too big, too small, etc. FINALLY, I resorted to plain wreath-making garland so that I could have my “just right” wreath.
Fingers crossed!
With wire cutters and my hot glue gun on standby, I created a perfectly (or near perfectly) sized “wreath” that framed my kitschy Santa tray. I used basic hot glue to attach the wreath to the tray edge.
Not perfect, but it’ll do!
NOW for the fun decorating part. I was sure that I’d find all kinds of classic plastic Christmas “bits” while thrifting, but I came up short. So, I turned to one of my favorite Instagram sellers, Vintage Junk in My Trunk, and purchased a huge box of Christmas bits from her.
Happy Mail from Vintage Junk in My Trunk!
First, I “floofed” up my wreath garland, moving the little branches/arms around to create a relatively “flat” surface” for my kitschy decor bits. Then, I arranged several of the vintage decor pieces from Vintage Junk in My Trunk on my retro Christmas wreath. When I was finally satisfied, I again hot glued them in place.
A little bit here…a little bit there…
Doesn’t that look fabulous?? Perfectly kitschy, perfectly retro Christmas…in fact, you could say it was a “Kitschmas Wreath”.
Ok, this is looking FABULOUS…
There was just one more thing to do- knot off a loop of ribbon to slip through the pre-drilled hole in my retro Christmas wreath! (The greenery hides the large knot.)
Last step for me, but you could totally do this earlier in the process!
And that was it- my retro Christmas wreath was ready to hang. It’s super lightweight, but everything felt sturdy and secure with just the hot glue.
I mean…I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!
I mean, c’mon…isn’t that the cutest thing? It joins a long line of upcycled Christmas wreaths in my arsenal.
Be sure to check out my entire collection of repurposed Christmas projects here before you go- for even more crafty inspiration!
Craft on and Merry Kitschmas!
S
Want to be notified when I publish my next upcycling project tutorial?
Join me on Social Media:
PIN ME!
Omygoodness – I was just looking at the exact. same. tray. that I have and wondering what to do with it. Now I know – how cute is this idea! Thank you very much for the inspiration!
What are the chances??? But also a wonderful coincidence- happy crafting, Karen!
What a great upcycle idea! Love it!
Thank you, Cecilia!
Cute, cute idea. I have a few trays. You are an inspiration.
Thank you so very much, Tonia!
You knocked this one out of the park! I really love that – I see those sort of trays all the time. You have inspired me once again – thanks!
I’m so glad, Beverly- and thank you!!
Cute wreath!
Thanks, Nancy!
this so reminds me of my childhood growing up in the late 60’s early 70’s, i love it thanks for the memories.
Love hearing that, Kelly!!
Adorable, this turned out perfect!
Thanks, Molly!
That’s fantastic! Love it 🙂
Thank you!
Love this vintage Santa wreath!!! I’ve loved vintage all my life. When I was young, everything was about Santa Claus with the big beard and cherry cheeks; just like this tray. I’ll have to try and find some. I love this project. You are soooo talented and I love your blog site. Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas.
jean
Thank you so very much, Jean!!! He’s irresistible, I agree. 🙂