How to Paint the Lip of a Food Tray

After you paint the body of your food tray, it' s time to move on to the lip. Though it's the most exacting part of the painting job, it is also your chance to personalize your food tray and add some pizazz. Read on to learn how to pain the lip for a food tray.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pencil
• Acrylic paint
• Paintbrushes, varying sizes
• Clear-coat varnish spray

1. Sketch a design onto the lip with a pencil. Make it as simple or as complex as you choose.

2. Get the bristles of your paintbrush wet to help spread the paint more easily. To prevent the fresh paint from dripping down the sides, only dab a small amount of paint onto your brush.

3. Apply the paint all the way around the lip of the tray. Cover it completely.

4. Spray on a clear coat of varnish when the paint has completely dried to protect your beautiful work.

Tips & Warnings

• Add some texture to the lip of the food tray by adding a small amount of sand to your paint before applying it to the tray.
• Stripes add dimension. Paint stripes on your food tray by alternating the sides of the brush. Use the wide side for fat stripes and the narrow side for skinny stripes.
• A simple vine motif is a great way to dress up your tray. Simply use a thin brush, dipped in green paint, to create a thin, wavy line around the lip. Add a few simple leaf shapes, and you're done.
• Don't use a pen or a marker to sketch the designs on the lip of your food tray, as the ink can bleed through the paint.