Cheap & Easy Trash to Treasure DIY Tray Makeovers

Going about my daily routine the other day, I noticed that I have done several tray makeovers. I have them in my kitchen, on my bedside table, on my vanity, in my dining room… everywhere! I use them for décor, my kids use them, or I use them for parties. One thing all these trays have in common is that they were all once trash (or headed to the trash), until I transformed them. So today, I thought I’d share some trash to treasure DIY tray makeovers I have done.

DIY Serving Tray Makeovers

Upcycled Thrift Store Tray

I found an ugly brown beat up tray at Savers, a discount store in our area, for $3.99. I gave t a little TLC, paint, and a rope accent, and not it sits on my nightstand and holds a candle, and my jewelry and books.

Old Serving Tray Makeover

One of my best friends gave me this tray that she was about to throw away. It was actually from a bridal shower we gave many many years ago! I decided to keep it and bring some new life to it with bright fabric and paint.

This was actually made over a second time where I upcycled old CD’s and turned it into a mirrored mosaic tray. Here is the You Tube video:

Repurposed Serving Tray

This great mirror was found for five dollars at a local thrift store. I loved the long hexagonal shape and immediately thought I would repurpose it and make the perfect DIY serving tray for entertaining.

Upcycled Tray with Flooring Planks

For this one, I removed a broken mirror from the base of the tray and replaced it with laminate flooring.

Other Types of Trays

Here is a table that turns into a tray. I upcycled it with pennies. Watch the YouTube video here:

Chalkboard Activity Tray

When I went on a hunt thrift store shopping I was so happy I found this durable wooden activity tray for $6.00 and added a chalkboard top.

DIY Thrift Store Pedestal Trays

These were made from several thrift store items. I have used them for different things including in my bathroom, walk in closet, and craft room.

TV Tray Table Upcycle

These 20 year old trays needed a little oomph, so I painted them with stencils to make them more colorful.

Two-Tiered Upcycled Tray

Lastly, I made these for Halloween for a party, but you can use the tutorial for any two-tired tray. This one in particular is great because I lined it with leftover wallpaper scraps.