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DIY Small Serving Tray

January 8, 2021DIY Home Decor, Small Wooden DIYs

I love using wooden trays for containing loose items in my kitchen such as salt and pepper, or soap dispensers. Did you know there is so much you can do to turn unfinished wood from craft stores into beautiful decor pieces?

Check out how we made this DIY small serving tray from an unfinished rectangle plaque or wood from Michaels. What a great DIY home decor project for beginners!

Related: 3 DIY Farmhouse Trays to Make

This DIY small serving tray is made from an inexpensive unfinished wood plaque. Check out how easy this beginner woodworking project really is! #diyhomedecor  #wood trays #beginnerwoodworking #farmhousedecor

DIY Small Serving Tray

This small rectangle tray was the first DIY tray I made, and I couldn’t believe just how easily I turned this $3 wooden piece into a lovely little tray for my soaps in the kitchen.

Stain and hardware can go a long way in making an inexpensive piece of wood look really great. This project doesn’t require any cutting or power tools!

This DIY small serving tray is made from an inexpensive unfinished wood plaque. Check out how easy this beginner woodworking project really is! #diyhomedecor  #wood trays #beginnerwoodworking #farmhousedecor

What you need to make the small serving tray:

You can find wooden pieces like this at craft stores such as Michaels or Hobby Lobby. If you have any stain in your craft supplies, this will be a very budget-friendly piece of home decor that you will love.

  • rectangle wooden plaque ($3 at Michaels with 40% off coupon)
  • Rustoleum Early American wood stain
  • 2 jute wrapped drawer pulls ($6.50 for both from Hobby Lobby using one 40% off coupon)
  • Modpodge acrylic sealer spray

Because I had the sealer and the stain in my craft supplies already, this DIY serving tray cost me under $10 to make, and the bulk of that is hardware.

This DIY small serving tray is made from an inexpensive unfinished wood plaque. Check out how easy this beginner woodworking project really is! #diyhomedecor  #wood trays #beginnerwoodworking #farmhousedecor

How to make the DIY serving tray

Begin by staining the wood plaque and let dry.

Apply the stain with a foam brush, and wipe with an old rag or old t-shirt.

Go along with the grain of the wood when rubbing in, and work quickly before the stain dries.

This DIY small serving tray is made from an inexpensive unfinished wood plaque. Check out how easy this beginner woodworking project really is! #diyhomedecor  #wood trays #beginnerwoodworking #farmhousedecor
This DIY small serving tray is made from an inexpensive unfinished wood plaque. Check out how easy this beginner woodworking project really is! #diyhomedecor  #wood trays #beginnerwoodworking #farmhousedecor

Once the tray is dry, attach the hardware as handles on each side.

Spray with acrylic sealer spray or other polyurethane sealer if there is a risk of the tray getting wet. If you want to be able to wipe it down often, this is an essential step.

And that’s it! What a simple little DIY serving tray!

We have actually used this in a few different places in the kitchen. It has held soap dispensers, coffee pods and splenda packets, and has been a hot chocolate bar!

This DIY small serving tray is made from an inexpensive unfinished wood plaque. Check out how easy this beginner woodworking project really is! #diyhomedecor  #wood trays #beginnerwoodworking #farmhousedecor

If you like this, check out our round DIY farmhouse single tray (it’s gorgeous) and our tiered tray as well!

Previous Post: « Round DIY Farmhouse Tray
Next Post: DIY Tiered Tray for Home Decor »

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  1. Round DIY Farmhouse Tray says:
    January 8, 2021 at 10:39 pm

    […] you like this DIY farmhouse tray, check out our DIY mini serving tray and DIY tiered tray tutorials as […]

    Reply
  2. DIY Tiered Tray for Home Decor says:
    January 8, 2021 at 11:15 pm

    […] out our DIY small serving tray and DIY round single tray with handles as […]

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Find inspiration for DIY home projects and crafts on a budget! You can usually find me with either a hot glue gun or a can of spray paint in hand 🙂

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