Baking Tray Wall Art

I love quirky things, and this is definitely one of them! Eden is 19 months, and our fridge is already cluttered with her artwork - I'm just such a proud Mum and love to display the finished articles of fun painting and art sessions that we do together. As she gets older, I'm sure the volume of paintings will only increase as she brings home her school artwork.

I think it's so important to display children's artwork, to affirm their efforts and promote self esteem in their abilities - encouraging the thinking that 'Mummy thinks it's good enough to put on display at home'.

I came across a site the other day called Budget Wise Home, and found a great idea for displaying kids' paintings - using the humble baking tray! Not only does it tick the box for displaying children's artwork, it's also really fun, still looks pretty funky on it's own without the art, and brightens up a dull corner in our dining room. Don't believe me? Here's a photo....

So why use a baking tray? For it's magnetic value! The baking tray frames the paintings wonderfully, and as the painting is held there by magnets, you can change them as often as you like.

Method
You'll need a selection of baking trays (I went to Wilkinsons and spent around £4 for the 3. Tip: Take a magnet with you to check they are actually magnetic before you purchase). You'll also need some spray paint (again Wilkinsons have a good range at a reasonable price).

I did 2 layers of spray paint on the top side only, allowing it to touch-dry in-between layers. I was going to spray the bottom side too but didn't think it would be worth it in the end, and up on the wall you can't tell.

Once dry, after roughly 3 hours, you can attach them to the wall. I used 'Command' small picture hanging strips, basically double sided tape but designed to come off the wall without leaving any marks. B and Q sell packs of 12 for a couple of pounds, and I used 4 on each baking tray. I was surprised at how well they stick to the wall, and its a bonus that they won't leave any marks if/when I decide to take them off.

I left the baking trays for 24 hours before attaching magnets and pictures to be certain that the paint was fully dry. Here's the finished results:

This was a really fun and easy project to do at home with great results! We have them in our dining room, but if you have wall space in the kitchen, being baking trays they fit perfectly with the kitchen-theme!