Remember the other day, we painted some styrofoam meat trays? 
I always have a stack of these on hand in our craft room. I just run them through the dishwasher to make sure they’ve been sterilized first.
On Monday, had the Hooligans paint them each a different colour. We used Crayola craft paint, but once dry it scratched and chipped easily so I put a clear coat of craft varnish over the paint to set it.
We’ve used acrylic craft paint before on meat trays, and it adhered better. I wasn’t sure how we were going to use the painted trays so they sat overnight until I came up with an idea: Mosaics.
Yesterday I set out the trays and a jar of scissors, and we cut the trays up into smallish irregular sized pieces.
Then they glued the pieces on to black construction paper.

Such a simple idea, and so pretty. Check out our styro-framed art creations if you’re looking for another simple and beautiful way to use meat trays!
And if you’re looking for another mosaic project, check out our Paint Chip Mosaics! It’s a simple and beautiful activity that won’t cost you a thing!



I just love this! That last picture illustrates perfectly how much fun this would be for older kids as well. I love that you repurposed what would otherwise be trash.
Fun idea! I like that you glued them on black paper. So dramatic that way.
Thanks, Katey! Yes, the black really makes those colours pop!
These are so neat! They really look like tiles. And I love that you’re using the styrofoam trays.
Try mixing some liquid soap with the paint. It helps it stick to slippery surfaces such as windows and balloons. It doesn’t take a lot but amounts vary with the paint.
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