DIY Tray

This would be a great gift for a new mom. You could include a mug, a box of tea, a book, and a small journal and pen. This particular tray however, is going to make it's home on my kitchen island ensuring that the giant pile of mail doesn't slide off of the counter into the 2 day old glob of pureed carrots on the floor.

This is a quick project and its totally customizable! Have fun!

DIY after the jump...
What you need:
unfinished wooden tray (Michael's $3.99)
Wood friendly paint
decorative paper (this was from Paper Source, they have lots of beauties.)
Mod Podge
paintbrush
x-acto, cutting mat & ruler



1. Paint your wooden tray your desired color, you can leave the inside (and the bottom, if you wish) unpainted. You will likely need 2 coats. Let dry.


2. Measure the inside of your tray. I did this by laying my decorative paper in the tray and pressing the paper into the opposite corner with my fingernail to make a crease. Very technical stuff.

3. Trim paper to size. As you can see here, my paper wasn't quite wide enough so I used the piece that I trimmed from the bottom and added it to the width. It was still 1/4" shy which is why I also added the 2 strips of lime paper.


4. Remove paper from tray and apply a coat of Mod Podge to the inside bottom of your tray. Make sure that the surface is entirely & evenly covered and work quickly.

5. Starting from one side, lay your paper in the tray, pressing and smoothing as you go.

6. Apply a second layer of Mod Podge over the paper.

7. You can stop here or you can add some fun elements. A cut out initial, photos, more pretty paper, or even fabric scraps! Just a note, most home printers have water soluble ink that will run, please test images first. Anything professionally printed, magazines etc. should be fine.

8. When you're finished apply a final layer (or two) of Mod Podge to seal.

9. You may still have a few air bubbles, you can try to smooth these out but don't worry, when it dries you will hardly notice them, especially if your paper has a pattern.




I had so much fun making this that I immediately bought more trays for other rooms. A nursing station for Quinn's room, A book tray for Clare's ottomen, and just something pretty for entertaining! If you would rather purchase a tray, I am partial to these custom beauties. Aren't they gorgeous? I'll have more trays to show you next week because seriously, I'm hooked on this fun project. If you make one too, send us pics!