Easy DIY Wooden Tray

Easy DIY Wooden Tray 

Are you guys ready for another easy and quick DIY? This one is the quickest DIY we have EVER done. I have been seeing these wood trays all over my Instagram. I'm obsessed. They are not only so adorable, but they can serve so many purposes. You could use it as a bedroom tray, a "breakfast in bed" tray, a stool, etc. This was originally a DIY project for our bedroom but love the way it looks in one of our guest bedrooms, so looks like we need to make another.

Shopping List:
Wood Slab 2x12x8- $12.09 (or if you made our DIY bench, you could use the leftover wood like we did)
Wood Turned Legs- 6"- $3.93x4= $15.72 (we used these ones from Home Depot- http://www.homedepot.com/p/Waddell-2406-6-in-Solid-Pine-Traditional-Furniture-Leg-10001525/205977487)
Wood Stain (we used Miniwax Special Walnut)- $7.77
*Polyurethane (optional)-$12.67
Total- $23.50-$48.25

Tools:
Drill
1/4" Drill Bit
Saw (to cut wood, if you don't have one Lowe's or HD will cut for you)

Ok, so let's get started.

1. Cut the wood to the size you want the tray (if you don't have a saw, HD or Lowe's will cut for you). We decided 16" would be perfect, not too big but big enough if we want to do a breakfast in bed spread.

2. Sand the wood and the legs. Because they are both different woods, there's a chance you may have to put a second coat of stain on one or the other to make them look more uniform. Sanding will help with this. Luckily ours looked close enough, only one coat of stain was needed or everything.
3. Measure and drill the holes to screw the legs in. Use the 1/4" drill bit to drill holes into the wood at 2" from each edge. *Make sure not to drill all the way through the wood.

4. Once you have the holes drilled, you can start staining. We prefer to use a rag over a paint brush when staining, but you can do either. If you are going to use a rag- make sure to wear gloves or your hands will look like you just went digging in the mud. We always forget this part until it's too late. Stain the wood and legs and wipe off all excess stain. Let the stain dry completely.

5. This step is optional. If you intend to use the tray often, we would highly recommend a polyurethane to finish off the piece (at least on the top), It will help with wear and tear. If you don't plan on using it often, you can skip this step. We used a satin poly so that it wouldn't add a ton of shine to the wood. Just one coat was enough for us and we only applied it to the top (where dishes MAY be- if we were ever nice enough to give the other person breakfast in bed).  Let the poly dry completely before moving onto the next step.
6. This is the fun part- screw the legs in, flip it over and start using!

This whole project was done on a Sunday afternoon and took about an hour (not including drying time). We had another project going on at the same time, so while the stain was drying we were able to work on some other things and come back to it.


Here is it styled with dishes, so you can see how great it will look with some breakfast on it.

We hope you enjoyed this tutorial and next week we have another fun tutorial planned, a shiplap wall sign *heart eyes*. As always, let us see your version of the DIY Wooden Tray. Tag us on Facebook and Instagram and #ourwoodennest.