Mother’s Day DIY: A Modern-Glam Serving Tray
Make a chic personalized tray for Mom to corral her favorite things
Trays are one of the most versatile pieces in any home decor arsenal, thanks to their ability to corral clutter or transport items from room to room. Follow along to learn how to make this glamorous acrylic serving tray using an inexpensive box frame. You can even personalize it as a gift for mom this year.
Materials and Tools
- Waxed paper
- Painters tape
- Scissors
- Ruler (not pictured)
- Pen or pencil (not pictured)
- One small piece of cardboard (not pictured)
- Half-inch-thick wood — one piece measuring 21 by 12 inches, and two pieces measuring 12 by 1½ inches each. Note: At a craft store, I bought wood that measured 24 by 12 inches, which I then cut with a saw. Alternatively, you could have these sizes cut for you at a hardware store.
- White latex paint (not pictured)
- Paintbrush
- Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
- Two 3-inch acrylic bar pull handles (see more)
- One piece of scrap wood (not pictured)
- Electric drill with a bit that matches the handle screws
- Screwdriver
- One acrylic box frame measuring 14 by 11 inches, available at craft stores
Create the Design
To make the geometric shape on the surface of the tray, you’ll need to make a stencil using waxed paper and painters tape. For this tray, I made a triangle design, but you can experiment with your own creative pattern.
1. Tear off a piece of waxed paper about 16 inches long. Cover the surface with painters tape, making sure to overlap each piece.
To make the geometric shape on the surface of the tray, you’ll need to make a stencil using waxed paper and painters tape. For this tray, I made a triangle design, but you can experiment with your own creative pattern.
1. Tear off a piece of waxed paper about 16 inches long. Cover the surface with painters tape, making sure to overlap each piece.
2. Next, use scissors, a ruler and a pen to make a small equilateral triangle out of cardboard; use the piece from your box frame if it came with one. Each side of the triangle should be 3 inches long.
Start at one end of the waxed paper and trace around the triangle. Move your triangle up about an inch, overlapping the first triangle, as shown above. Continue this process until you have a finished design that’s the length you need.
Repeat the process to make a second stencil.
Start at one end of the waxed paper and trace around the triangle. Move your triangle up about an inch, overlapping the first triangle, as shown above. Continue this process until you have a finished design that’s the length you need.
Repeat the process to make a second stencil.
3. Cut out the two stencils.
4. Carefully remove the waxed paper. If you have trouble peeling the paper from the tape, use a pin or needle to get it started.
Center the stencils in the middle of the large piece of wood. I placed my stencils so that they pointed in opposite directions to add more design interest. Press the tape down and run your fingers along all the edges to be sure they are firmly in place.
Center the stencils in the middle of the large piece of wood. I placed my stencils so that they pointed in opposite directions to add more design interest. Press the tape down and run your fingers along all the edges to be sure they are firmly in place.
5. Paint the entire top surface and the edges of the wood using a paintbrush. I used white paint, but you can choose any color.
Paint all sides of the two small pieces of wood as well.
Note: Do two coats if necessary.
Carefully remove the tape before the paint dries to avoid any paint peeling. Let the paint dry completely before continuing.
Paint all sides of the two small pieces of wood as well.
Note: Do two coats if necessary.
Carefully remove the tape before the paint dries to avoid any paint peeling. Let the paint dry completely before continuing.
Attach the Handles
1. Use the hot-glue gun to attach the small wood pieces to the short ends of the wood tray, making sure they are flush with the outer edges of the tray. Let the glue dry completely.
2. Mark where your handles should be attached on top of each of these pieces. For a 3-inch-long pull, I found the exact center of the board. I then determined how far the holes were from the center of the pull and marked them accordingly.
Another option is to mark the center point, determine where the ends of the pull will be based on that, then measure from those ends to where the holes would be placed.
3. Before drilling, place a piece of scrap wood underneath the tray as a base to drill into. Use an electric drill with a bit that matches the screws that come with your handles to drill a hole at each mark. Drill all the way through the two painted pieces of wood.
1. Use the hot-glue gun to attach the small wood pieces to the short ends of the wood tray, making sure they are flush with the outer edges of the tray. Let the glue dry completely.
2. Mark where your handles should be attached on top of each of these pieces. For a 3-inch-long pull, I found the exact center of the board. I then determined how far the holes were from the center of the pull and marked them accordingly.
Another option is to mark the center point, determine where the ends of the pull will be based on that, then measure from those ends to where the holes would be placed.
3. Before drilling, place a piece of scrap wood underneath the tray as a base to drill into. Use an electric drill with a bit that matches the screws that come with your handles to drill a hole at each mark. Drill all the way through the two painted pieces of wood.
4. Flip the tray upside down and insert the screws. Put the first one all the way through, and leave the second one out a bit so that it doesn’t poke through the other side.
5. Flip the tray right side up and twist the handle onto the screw that is poking through the other side. Position it so that it is tight against the wood, and the other side is directly over the other hole. Flip the tray over again and insert the screw the rest of the way into the handle, making sure that side is also tight against the wood.
Repeat the process at the other end of the tray for the second handle.
Repeat the process at the other end of the tray for the second handle.
Attach the Box Frame
1. As the last step, glue the acrylic box frame to the wooden portion of the tray. Put a small dot of glue in each corner of the underside of the tray and then center it within the wooden base.
2. Press it firmly on each corner so that each dot becomes flattened and the box frame lies flush to the wood. You’ll want to work quickly so that the glue doesn’t dry before you attach it.
1. As the last step, glue the acrylic box frame to the wooden portion of the tray. Put a small dot of glue in each corner of the underside of the tray and then center it within the wooden base.
2. Press it firmly on each corner so that each dot becomes flattened and the box frame lies flush to the wood. You’ll want to work quickly so that the glue doesn’t dry before you attach it.
This tray adds sparkle to a coffee table, and it also functions well as a carrying tray for breakfast in bed. It would make a great gift too.