Trash to Treasure DIY Serving Tray How To

An Upcycled DIY Serving Tray Tutorial from an Old Wooden Tray

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. Here is my Trash to Treasure DIY Serving Tray How To. You only need a few materials, and some time. The time will depend on if you are starting fresh with a new tray or an old one.

You can use an old tray like this:

As a serving tray
For decorative purposes in a bathroom
To organize craft or office supplies
For parties
As a table top centerpiece

Other DIY Tray Makeovers

Here are a few more simple DIY tray makeovers I have done in the past.

As you can see I like to make over trays. Ha!

Refurbishing the Old Tray

Time: 30-45 Minutes

The materials list and instructions contain helpful affiliate links for recommended products.

Materials:

Wooden Tray
Sander
Clean Cloth
Tarp
Spray Paint
Fabric
Fabric Cutter
Cutting Mat
Measuring Instrument
Pencil
Adhesive Spray

Here is the tray BEFORE; it was a little beat up!

Because I a) had little time, b) had two coats of paint on it, and c) feel like I’m getting old with arthritis, I decided to take an electric sander to it versus a hand sand block, but either works well. You can use the sand paper by itself for the corners and hard to reach areas.

Once I finished sanding it, I wiped the tray from debris with a clean cloth (aka and old t-shirt).

I laid it out on a tarp in a well-ventilated area and spray painted with Krylon Citrus Green. I used two coats.

While the tray was drying I measured and cut the fabric with my Fiskars Rotary Cutter. I have to say that this is one of my favorite tools I use. It measures and cuts up to 24 inches! I’ve used it on projects like this fabric and lace bunting and it just made it so easy to make.

I used a spray adhesive to attach the fabric. I found it easiest to spray the back of the fabric and then place it on the tray, versus spraying the tray.