How and from what can you make a tray with your own hands? Making a wooden tray with your own hands From a photo frame
In this article I will talk about several simple techniques with which you can give a wooden surface a slightly aged look. This makes it convenient to process any soft wood products. We will practice using the example of a tray made of pine wood. This tray is convenient to use, looks good simply as an interior item, as a background when taking photographs, and simply lifts your spirits with its brightness! And extremely easy to make!
Required materials:
A board or piece of shield made of soft wood;
Wire brush / drill attachment + drill or screwdriver;
Brush to remove dust from the surface
stain
Artistic acrylic in several colors
Bristle brushes, flute
Palette or container for mixing paints
Container with water for washing brushes
Sandpaper (60 or 80)
Acrylic primer for wooden surfaces (or acrylic varnish diluted with water 1:1)
Acrylic varnish for finishing
Handles (for example, for furniture) and screws/screws for their fastening
A few words about the basis. Ideally, I would choose a board with interesting edges. But in winter time It’s difficult to find a nice board, but in construction stores There is furniture panels and there is free cutting with purchase. The disadvantage of the shield is that it is spliced from several bars and a single relief on the surface will not work. True, when painting, about which we'll talk, this will not be noticeable on the finished product. However, if you cover the wood only with stain and refrain from painting, it will be visible. But this material is easily available at any time of the year. I chose a 30*2000 shield and sawed it right there into 4 pieces - 4 blanks for trays.
For the first stage we will need a brush / drill attachment + drill or screwdriver. At this stage, we will remove soft fibers from the wooden surface, revealing a natural relief. It is cheaper to buy a brush and use it - but this is quite a long physical work. You can buy an attachment for a drill or screwdriver; it works much more efficiently. When removing soft fibers, a lot of wood dust is produced, so I highly recommend not doing this indoors. The most convenient place is in the country: there, as a rule, there are no problems with electricity near the house and you can use a drill. In the city it is quite problematic to find electricity on the street, so I used a screwdriver. This is convenient, except that its battery charge is not enough to process the entire board and it has to be recharged. But the dusty part of the work can be done outside.
Both the brush and the nozzle need to work the same way - run along the grain, and not across it. Then the soft fibers will be thrown to the side, and the hard ones will remain in place. Exactly how much to rub is a matter of taste, I get to work quite diligently, as a result deep grooves are formed, the relief looks like old wood, as if the board had been left outside for several years. 
This is what the board looks like after processing 
Use sandpaper (or a sander - this is more effective) to sand the edges of the board, this will give it a more finished look and protect the user of the tray from scratches that could be caused by sharp corners boards: 
At the end of this stage, be sure to clean the board with an elastic brush from wood dust, cleaning it out of all the recesses. I use a slightly damp brush to avoid breathing in dust.
Now you can start painting. There are many options here, but in general the order is followed: the first step is to set the lowest, main color. The first layer must be laid with high quality and all the recesses must be painted over, it is in them that it will be visible on the finished product. I use dark stain, which is called "Old Tree", dark color will shine through and create an antique effect wooden base. In addition, the stain spreads very well over the fibers and fills all the cavities on its own, so you don’t have to worry about unpainted areas. Through testing and after a number of bottles of stains went into the trash, I chose Liberon stains. The most important advantage of these stains is their uniform distribution over the surface, without streaks or bald spots. I've come across stains that roll off the surface instead of absorbing into it and end up with unsightly stains that give away the color (when a good stain looks like the wood was that exact shade from the very beginning). There are hybrids of stain and varnish on sale; you can also use this option, in which case you can skip the next step (applying primer). I apply the stain with a flute brush (a wide bristled flat brush). 
Even if you use the best stain in the world, it is better to avoid streaking, this is a guarantee that the color will be applied evenly. 
A distinctive feature of good-quality stains is that they exhibit the texture of wood, that is, soft fibers of the fabric, due to better absorption, are colored more strongly and become darker than denser, harder fibers. At the first stage, we created a relief, which is very successfully emphasized when painted. 
After drying, the painted surface looks like this: 
To be honest, every time I fight the temptation to varnish this beauty and not do anything else with it. But this is not sporting. Therefore, we continue and before the next stage (color application), I recommend covering the entire surface with an acrylate primer (from any company, most importantly suitable specifically for wooden surfaces). Because acrylic paints water-based, if you do not lay a layer of primer, the water will wash away the stain and the paint will turn dark, its brightness will disappear. The soil allows you to avoid this. 
This is what happened - it could have been left in this form! What could be more beautiful than warmth? natural wood.
But let's continue! For the next layer we will need acrylic paint and bristle brushes, as well as sandpaper. The whole principle of painting is a cycle of actions “paint - skin”, these actions must be repeated until you like the result. By adding new shades that are close to the previous ones, the color can be made more complex and voluminous, achieving the feeling that the board has been painted several times over many years and the lower layers of paint are visible through the rubbed areas in the upper layers.
I advise you to choose a color for painting that is present in your interior as a primary or secondary color (depending on the background on which this element will subsequently be located). This color needs to be divided into two or three tones (the color present in the interior and two colors, lighter and darker in tone than the first), you can select and subsequently perform a couple of bright strokes. It is better to apply the most first light shade. Although acrylic paint is opaque, in some places a thin layer of paint will still show through. And a color laid over white or light paint will look brighter than the same color laid over a dark base. Thus, by applying a light shade first, we prepare the basis for a bright and rich second and subsequent layers. A little about acrylic paints: these are very easy to use water-based paints. They are odorless, dry within an hour, depending on the thickness of the layer, which allows you to work with them without interruptions. They have bright, rich shades in palettes different manufacturers, which can also be mixed with each other to obtain any shades. Thickened paint can be diluted with water. Brushes should be washed immediately after use under running water. If the paint dries on the brush, it will not wash off. You can choose acrylic paints from any manufacturer, but it is best to take art acrylic - it has a dense consistency and is well applied to the surface. Interior paints that can be tinted are also suitable. I do not recommend using cheap acrylic from office supply stores for children's creativity, it often comes across as slimy and rolls off the surface, making it completely impossible to work with. In my arsenal I have acrylic paints from Maimeri Acrilico and art acrylic from Ladoga and Gamma. The light blue shade is already in the Maimeri Acrilico palette, it suits me quite well, so I’ll start with it. 
To work, I take a bristle brush with hard bristles. It is important not to wet the brush in water before work, otherwise the bristles will become soft and will follow any curve on the surface, when, as for me, it is important to preserve the darker, original color in the recesses of the relief. When painting a relief, hold the brush perpendicular to the stroke you are making (as in the photo); in this case, individual bristles will not fall into the recesses and, accordingly, paint them. The paint should be thick; if it is fresh, then there is definitely no need to dilute it with water. Squeeze out required quantity paints on the palette, if necessary, mix several colors to obtain the desired shade. There should not be a lot of paint on the brush, it should be semi-dry. When applying paint, do not press hard on the brush; strokes should be made with light movements, lightly touching the bristles to the surface.
1st side of the board: 
2nd side of the board: 
Add acrylic colors as desired. We sand and paint as much as your soul and your taste require: 
A few strokes of white: 
After that I decide enough is enough. Finally, the board must be varnished - preferably acrylic too. They come in matte, semi-matte and glossy, and are sold both in art stores in small volumes and in hardware stores in liters. Acrylic varnishes do not change the shades of the base, also dry quickly and are odorless. I usually choose a matte or semi-matte polish.
After the varnish has dried, you will have to solve the most difficult question: which side will be the front. You can buy handles that can be easily screwed to the side of the board, and not through it, then you can turn the board over according to your mood. My version has a through mount, so you have to think hard about choosing the front side. 
We can easily afford breakfast in bed or a cup of coffee on the veranda if we create an elegant wooden tray with our own hands. A wooden tray is an indispensable item in the household; you can make it if you have the necessary tools and wooden materials. This type tray - convenient, practical and aesthetically pleasing, useful everywhere: in an apartment, in a country house or in country house. You will need some plywood, a cork backing and some tips from the tutorial.
To work you will need:
- wooden plywood 5 mm thick;
- wooden board 2 cm thick;
- square for measuring and marking;
- electric saw or bow saw - a sharp saw with guides for miter cuts;
- end plane;
- vice;
- drill;
- pencil;
- grinding machine;
- dispersion glue for wood;
- hammer;
- small nails;
- matte water-based paint;
- brush.
Let's get to work by preparing the above materials. Wood plywood Cut 5 mm thick into a rectangle 35 by 50 cm. Wooden board cut into 4 parts: 2 sides and 2 handles of corresponding sizes. On a board 31 by 7 cm using a ruler we draw the future handle.
Using a drill and a round bit, drill holes with a diameter of 2.5 cm, take a jigsaw to cut a hole and bevels on the top side of the tray handle.
We apply the finished pen to the board and trace it with a pencil, this is necessary so that the second pen turns out to be the same size and shape. Sides size: 50 by 4 cm.
Finished parts must be sanded with fine sandpaper. We glue the parts of the tray with dispersion wood glue.
We clamp it with a vice and remove excess glue with a dry cloth. Cut out the bottom and other parts from the cork backing.
We hammer together the bottom and sides with small nails. We glue the cork backing with the same dispersion glue.
We put the tray under the press, it could be plastic bottles or a bucket filled with water. The final stage of work is covering the tray matte paint water-based in two layers.
A beautiful tray is a multifunctional thing; at the very least, it is a stylish interior accessory and a kitchen item for conveniently carrying food and drinks. High-quality store-bought products, even if they are classic options, are expensive. But after spending a little time and effort, you can quite easily make a tray with your own hands, and at the same time get original product, which can become a priceless family heirloom. Creating it is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance.
You can make a homemade tray from wood, plywood, glass and decorative elements. It is worth understanding that not every type of wood is suitable for making kitchen trays. Experts recommend using:
- birch;
- linden;
- cherry;
- mulberries;
- alder;
- maple;
Resinous tree species (pine, spruce) are not suitable for making kitchen utensils, as the food will quickly absorb the pine smell.
The tray is quite simple design. A flat bottom, framed on four sides by sides, can be easily made from old things, for example:
- picture frames;
- doors from a broken kitchen table;
- regular thick boards and slats.
Using plywood to make a tray is not always rational. On the one hand, the material is extremely pliable, allowing you to easily bring almost any idea to life, on the other hand, a tray made of plywood will not be particularly durable, and therefore impractical. Therefore, it is only suitable for interior decoration.
To make an accessory, you need to select the appropriate equipment. The number of tools depends on the complexity of the product. Before starting all the manipulations to create a tray, you need to prepare:
- jigsaw;
- screwdriver;
- glue gun with plastic rods;
- furniture stapler;
- sandpaper;
- a simple pencil;
- grinder saw;
- ruler.
All necessary tools conditionally divided into groups. Some are designed for taking measurements and drawing. Others are needed for drilling and sawing material. The third group of devices is required for fastening parts.
Drawing up a drawing
Before making any item, including a tray, a sketch is first drawn. There are two ways to create a project. In the first case, the master starts from the material at hand that he has available. In the second, an imaginary tray is depicted in the drawing, after which only the necessary raw materials are purchased.
The parameters of the future product are preliminarily measured. The tray should be comfortable and light. Too much heavy construction It will be difficult to move from the kitchen to the room. Next, you need to decide what functions the tray should perform. It can be equipped with removable or folding legs or have the form of a rectangular flat plate with sides. If necessary, this model can be used as a lightweight portable bedside table.
The implementation of an idea begins with design. Based on the sketch and selected dimensions, a exact drawing, which displays required parameters and proposed fastening points. Drawings of plywood plates for transfer include:
- Thickness of materials (base, sides).
- Width, length of the base.
- Hardware attachment points.
Complex products are made of wood using various fastening units, legs, and parts that impart rigidity to the structure. The drawing must indicate:
- Thickness of all starting materials.
- Places for attaching fittings and decorative elements.
- Attachment points for legs and docking units.
Drawings for such portable tables built in three-dimensional projection.
Manufacturing stages based on the model
Make your own wooden tray using a drawn drawing. The master prepares fasteners and other joining elements. The simplest models, which are a flat board with sides and handles, are made according to a simplified scheme. To make them it is enough:
- Cut out the base rectangular shape the right size.
- Prepare a frame that matches the dimensions of the base.
- Attach handles to the frame.
- Decorate the bottom.
- Connect the base to the frame.
Complex portable mini-tables are made in the same way. The difference is that the attachment points for the legs are additionally fixed to the base. Holders and decorative handles are purchased at furniture stores. Decorate the product upon completion of work. The decoration method is chosen at the request of the master, based on the overall interior of the room and the material from which the tray will be made. At the end of the work, the surface should be varnished or painted. A water-repellent coating will protect your portable device from liquids.
For breakfast in bed
It is quite difficult to make a model of a tray with legs for breakfast in bed; the master must at least be able to use the tools correctly. A portable mini-table can be created from a suitable rectangular piece of plywood or board. The list of materials depends on the model and design of the structure. To make a breakfast tray, you need to prepare:
- 40x70 cm board or thick plywood (any wood will do except pine and spruce);
- 4 metal tubes 1 meter long;
- corners with a diameter of 15 mm - 8 pieces;
- tees - 4 pieces;
- gaskets with a diameter of 15 mm - 4 pieces;
- varnish or stain.
The mini-table is convenient because it does not need to be placed on your knees; it is easily fixed on the surface of the bed. Detailed steps will tell you how to do useful thing on one's own:
- Metal tubes are cut into several pieces with a pipe cutter or grinder, the edges should remain smooth and without dents. In total you should get:
- 4 pieces of 25 cm;
- 2 pieces of 58 cm;
- 4 pieces of 19 cm;
- 4 tubes 6 cm each.
- Install handles. Two tubes 25 cm long are connected at the ends with six-centimeter sections using angles and plastic glue. The finished handles are applied to the surface of the board and the attachment points are marked. In the designated areas, holes are drilled equal to the diameter of the tubes (16 mm). The surface of the board is sanded on both sides. After the surface of the wood becomes sufficiently smooth, it is covered with stain or varnished. O-rings are placed on the holes and secured plastic glue. The handles are inserted into the holes. The legs (stand) are attached to the prepared tabletop:
- using tees, connect 2 pipes of 58 cm each (located horizontally under the tray) and 4 racks of 19 cm each (legs);
- the upper sections of the legs are inserted into the holes and secured with mounting glue;
- using the remaining corners, connect the legs of the tray in pairs with two 25 cm tubes.
If these parts are not secured with glue, they will easily detach from the main fabric of the accessory. A tray with folding legs is made according to the same principle as that of clamshells. The elements themselves are attached to the base using rotary mechanisms, and stop them with hooks or loops.
Cut copper tubes
Install handles
Drill the board
Process wooden surface
Apply silicone gaskets
Build a stand
Pin it to the board
From an old painting
It is very easy to make a wooden tray from an old painting. All that is needed for this is the picture itself in the frame, suitable tools. This tray does not require additional decor. To make kitchen utensils you will need:
- two decorative door handles;
- a piece of plywood;
- self-tapping screws;
- screwdriver
Door handles are screwed to the sides of the frame. The picture itself is taken out, and the base is cut out of plywood according to its size. The canvas with the image is glued to the surface of the prepared plywood. The decorated sheet of plywood is varnished on the front side, allowed to dry, then screwed to the frame with self-tapping screws. The tray is ready.
Any novice craftsman can make a tray from a photo frame. In the store they choose a frame suitable size with a plywood base, if there is none, you will have to remake the usual one with a cardboard bottom. The work is carried out like this:
- The cardboard base and glass are separated from the frame.
- Holes are drilled in the frame on both sides, and then furniture handles are attached to it with self-tapping screws.
- A plywood base is cut to the size of the cardboard.
- Cardboard can be decorated with any in an accessible way, then glue it to the plywood using PVA wood glue.
- The base and glass are attached to the frame with a furniture stapler.
The sides and bottom of the converted product are painted or decorated decorative elements. In a furniture store you can find a large number interesting details designed for decorating kitchen furniture. They decorate the resulting portable plate.
We take out the cardboard and leave only the glass
Finishing cardboard with fabric
Place the cardboard on the glass and secure it
We fasten furniture handles
With a slate board
On a tray with slate board you can write romantic messages to your loved one. Make one like this kitchen utensils very simple. All you have to do is buy slate paint at the store and paint the bottom of the tray with it.
For this purpose, a purchased product (glass, ceramic, metal) or a home-made product is suitable. The main thing is that the bottom surface is suitable for painting.
Instead of slate paint, it is advisable to use chalk wallpaper. Both manufacturing methods result in the same effect.
With mosaic
Creating a pattern on a tray using mosaic requires patience. However, wooden utensils decorated with similar patterns look extremely beautiful. Classic mosaic is made from ceramic elements or glass pieces. In everyday life they use the most unexpected materials at hand.
A sketch is first drawn, on the basis of which a sketch is developed. Image based on size finished product is also created in color. The mosaic is made from any suitable material:
- small colored shells;
- flat pieces of broken glass;
- colored pebbles;
- painted eggshells;
- tiles broken into small fragments;
- cut colored paper.
Each separate part glued to the wooden surface of the bottom of the tray. Transparent “Moment” is used as an adhesive. You can also use melted plastic. After the mosaic is ready, it is filled with transparent furniture varnish.
Craftsmen with basic drawing skills can paint the product to their own taste. The sides and bottom of the tray are covered with ornaments. Decorative drawing is performed in any style and direction. Oil and acrylic painting is covered with a layer of varnish at the end of the work.
It is much easier and faster to decorate a tray using a photo from a magazine or a poster of a suitable size. The wooden bottom is pasted over with a picture, and then filled with several layers of varnish. The product is left to dry and only then used in everyday life.
A tray decorated with a photograph and rose petals looks interesting. A life-size photo of a flower is glued to the bottom. Then several petals are laid out on it so that they do not rise too much above the plane. Volumetric part may rise at the edges within 2-3 mm. Transparent and colored beads are poured around the flower and on its petals. The entire composition is filled with transparent varnish.
The most unexpected material can be chosen for decoration. The main thing is a little imagination and adherence to technology. The bottom of the tray is usually decorated with:
- mosaic of multi-colored flat buttons and woolen threads;
- applique of patches or golden coins;
- a collage of pieces of postcards;
- dry leaves, flowers;
- straw ornament;
- mat.
Handles for the tray can also be made unusual. For example, instead of ready-made store fittings, weave them from newspaper tubes, build them from glued wine corks or a piece of wide leather belt. As an option, wrap the simplest plastic handles with thick twine. For decorative legs of a tray with your own hands, use a piece of PVC pipe painted in any desired color or wooden dowel. With wood carving skills, this piece can be made into any shape.
It doesn’t matter which of the proposed options is chosen, a hand-made tray will in any case become a vivid embodiment of an individual artistic design. An experienced craftsman can create a complex multifunctional design, and novice home creators will at least be able to remake a boring picture or poster in a frame. 
Video
Many of us like to have a snack while sitting in front of the TV while watching some interesting movie, but without a tray you can’t bring a lot of goodies at once, and crumbs on the furniture and floor can cost you quite a bit from your better half)) It’s also convenient to bring breakfast to bed on a tray, waking up your loved one with the pleasant aroma of freshly brewed coffee. In general, the device is useful in home use.
Making a tray from wood is quite simple, for which you need to take boards from a pallet or wooden box, plan and sand them. Using wood glue and clamps, glue it into one whole board, and then make sides from poplar or aspen boards. The resulting surface is coated with polyurethane-based varnish, and the sides are painted with white paint.
So, let's look at what exactly is needed to make a tray?
Materials
1. boards from a pallet or wooden box
2. wood glue
3. screws
4. wood putty
5. polyurethane based varnish
6. white paint in a can
Tools
1. hacksaw
2. plane
3. grinder
4. screwdriver
5. brush
6. clamp
7. sandpaper
8. ruler
9. pencil
10 masking tape
Step-by-step instructions for making a tray from natural wood with your own hands.
As already mentioned above, the first step is to prepare the planks by disassembling the pallet or wooden box. Saw to the same size, process with a plane and sand.
Then the resulting blanks should be glued together into a single whole; this can be done using wood glue and clamps. The edges of each board are coated with glue and placed next to each other, when everything is assembled and coated, everything is tightened with clamps.
The boards should remain in this position until the glue dries completely, which is at least 24 hours, after which the clamps are slowly loosened and removed, and excess glue is removed from the surface using a chisel.
Then the surface is thoroughly sanded using grinder or regular sandpaper.
We remove all excess with a chisel and level it.
Then we carefully sand it with sandpaper so that there are no burrs left.
This box is twisted with clamps and remains in this position until the glue dries.
If you used self-tapping screws to assemble the structure, then the caps should be recessed in advance into the cavity of the wood by countersinking the holes, and then the screw heads should be filled with wood putty. This putty can be prepared independently, for which you will need carpenter glue and sawdust after sanding (fine ones) mixed with glue and brought to a homogeneous mass, it should turn out thick semolina porridge)) and then we simply apply the prepared composition to the desired place and level it. No worse than the store-bought equivalent)
Excess glue is removed with a chisel and the surface is sanded with a grinding machine.
After which the tray must be painted and varnished, the master seals the lower part masking tape so that when applying paint from a spray can no paint gets on it.
Painting work is best done in a well-ventilated area; if there is none, just go outside and paint. Don’t forget about basic protective equipment (respirator, gloves)
