4th of July Decor: DIY Button Flag Tray

It is that time of year y’all.  You can break out the red, white, and blue for a festive 4th of July party.  This 4th of July decor button flag tray is the perfect addition to the center of your holiday table.  Or make a large version of this 4th of July decor tray to serve up patriotic desserts or drinks.  Either way this 4th of July decor tray looks extremely cool and complicated to make.  The buttons almost look like they are floating inside plastic or even glass.  However you can make this 4th of July decor at home by following the easy tutorial below.

Supplies needed to make your own 4th of July decor flag tray:

• Unfinished Wood Tray
• DecoArt Bright Red Paint
• Assorted Red, White & Blue Buttons
• Hot Glue Gun & Glue
• Silver Holographic Star Sticker or Silver Foam Star
• EasyCast Clear Epoxy
• Heat Gun or Lighter
• Wax Paper
• Disposable Plastic Mixing Cups (at least two – ones with measurements on the side work best)
• Stir Sticks (large wood craft sticks also work great)
• Craft Knife

Start by painting your plain wood tray red with a few coats of the paint from DecoArt.  Be sure to paint the tray inside and out and allow to dry completely between coats.  After the tray is painted and has dried, start laying out a flag like pattern with buttons.

Do not use any glue or anything to hold them down right now.  Just get the pattern in place for now to make sure everything looks good.  This actually did not take as long as I expected.

However adding the hot glue and making sure each button is secure did take me quite a while.  I actually did it in sections over a few nights.  Lift each button, add hot glue, and secure to the tray.  It is okay if your 4th of July decor pattern changes slightly just make sure it still looks similar to a flag when you are done.  Also when you are done, you might be left with a mess like the picture below.

Those are hot glue strings and they seemed to be everywhere.  I used a blow dryer to make them disappear (that trick really does work!!).

Place wax paper under your tray. Now it is time for epoxy.  Don’t be scared.  This is simple and I am going to show you how.  The most critical part is following the directions in the package.  A few tips and tricks:

• You need an exact 1 to 1 ratio so measure each part first in your disposable measuring cups.
• Protect your work surface with the wax paper and wear gloves to protect your hands.  Have plenty of rags on hand as well.
• Pour the two parts together and mix with craft sticks.  Again these are disposable.
• Follow the mixing instructions exactly.  So if it says mix for 2 full minutes do so.
• When pouring, spread out as much as possible and be sure to get all areas even the corners.

After you pour your epoxy your 4th of July decor tray will look a little like the image below.  Boy all of those bubbles sure do mess things up right?  The epoxy is formulated so that those bubbles will rise up to the top.  Now it is time to pop them.

Wave a lighter over the surface being cautious not to actually touch the epoxy.  As the bubble heats, it will pop and you will be left with a smooth surface.  Use a craft stick to pop any bubbles around the edges.   You will have to repeat this process several times during the first 30 minutes or so of drying time.

Now not every craft project is perfect y’all.  I learned a little something during this one.  Always protect your work surface as sometimes you look down and realize that your tray has small holes in the corners apparently.

Whoops.  I used a rag to clean up several times and changed my wax paper once.  Eventually the epoxy stopped coming out and all was fine.  The next morning I did have two corners that looked a little like the below.

Just cut that away with a craft knife and all will be great again.  Allow your 4th of July decor tray to cure a full 24 hours before actually using it  however.

What will you add to this gorgeous 4th of July decor flag button tray?  Candles?  Sweets?  Drinks?  Any other ideas?

Your 4th of July decor will be amazing with the addition of this fun tray.  Just give this one a try.  I promise that the epoxy is way more forgiving then it sounds.  You will be searching your home for other things that need an epoxy treatment.

Angie Holden

Angie blogs at The Country Chic Cottage where you can find creative crafts, vintage finds, home decor, and DIY all with a little farmhouse flair. Angie has been blogging for over 2 years and is married with three kids. Stop by her blog where you will find everything from small, quick crafts to major furniture and home makeovers.