Among the offers of modern furniture stores there are interesting coffee tables with a soft tabletop, if you can call it that. They look interesting in the interior, but they are never practical. Juice or coffee stains on them are not as easy to wipe off as from a regular wooden or glass countertop. For all owners of such a miracle and simply those who love breakfast in bed, we suggest making such a tray. It is stylish in appearance and not expensive in cost.
Materials
Before making a tray with your own hands, make sure you have:
- boards from a pallet or box;
- hardwood boards;
- white paints;
- polyurethane-based varnish;
- masking tape;
- saws;
- sandpaper;
- brushes;
- chisels;
- clamps;
- wood glue;
- roulette;
- self-tapping screws;
- drills;
- screwdriver or screwdriver;
- pencil.
Step 1. Decide on the dimensions of the tray and, based on this, cut the boards you have from the box or pallet to length. IN in this case I wanted the boards to look like one after gluing, without joints, seams or other irregularities. To do this, the boards had to be adjusted to each other and in thickness.
Step 2. Using clamps and wood glue, all the boards should be glued together, carefully pressing them together so that none of them gets out of line. After the workpiece has dried, all excess glue should be removed and the surfaces thoroughly sanded.
Step 3. You will need to make the sides of the tray from boards of light wood. In this case, poplar was taken.
When cutting wood, base it on the perimeter of the base and the height you want for the tray.
On the side edges, be sure to mark the cutouts for the handles. Also take into account the height at which the base will be attached so that the slots do not extend onto the bottom.
Step 4. After cutting out the holes, sand them thoroughly. They must be perfectly smooth.
Step 5. Using wood glue and clamps, glue the sides to the base.
Step 6. You can use self-tapping screws as additional fastenings.
Step 7. After the glue has dried, remove any excess. Cover the holes formed by the fasteners with wood putty. Let it dry and level the surface. sandpaper or a grinding machine.
Step 8. Seal the bottom of the tray masking tape. Apply two layers of paint to the sides. After it dries, remove the tape and leave everything until the surface is completely dry.
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;
- power 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 paint on water based;
- 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. Cork backing glue 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.
This is an elegant and functional item you can make in a couple of weekends. Wood with beautiful design, such as wavy maple, will add extra interest to the tray.
First make the handles
1. From a 25mm cherry board, cut four blanks of the specified length for the halves of the arms A (Fig. 1 And photo A)(read the “Tip of the Craftsman” below to correctly orient the workpieces relative to the direction of the grain of the wood). If you keep the original parallelogram shape of the workpieces, the next step will be easier.
Mark the handle blank as shown so that the grain of the wood is oriented diagonally. We oriented the squares at a 30° angle, but the angle may be different depending on the width of the board and the direction of the grain in it.
The temples will be strong if the fibers meet at the top. Distribute the blanks for the halves of the arms A in pairs and choose the most attractive combinations. Orient the fibers in each pair so that at the junction they form a triangle, the apex of which is directed upward, as on the left arch. Mark each pair by placing appropriate marks at the joint to ensure alignment when final gluing. The right bow is glued together from halves, the fibers of which meet at the bottom. Such a bow will be fragile, since the fibers are directed across the cross-section in several places, and it may break during assembly or when using the tray.
It is difficult to saw end grain, so grooves with a depth of 51 mm are best made in several passes. Press the workpiece firmly with the pusher against the longitudinal stop of the machine.
2. Install in sawing machine groove disk 10 mm thick and make halves at one of the ends of each workpiece A groove (Fig. 1 And photo B). To reliably support the workpieces, attach a high wooden pad to the longitudinal (parallel) stop of the machine. Having cut out the grooves, file the workpieces until square shape with a side of 114 mm.
3. From wood of a contrasting color (we chose wavy maple), cut a 114x305 mm blank for the dowels IN, two blanks 51×483 mm for longitudinal walls WITH and two blanks 51×330 mm for the end walls D. Plan these blanks to planer, adjusting their thickness to the width of the grooves cut into the blanks of the arch halves (Fig. 1 And 2). Set the wall blanks aside and cut out the dowels of the specified sizes. Glue two blank handles, connecting each pair of halves A using a key inserted into the grooves.
Laying the workpiece flat, lift saw blade so that it passes only through the inner wall of the tongue, without touching the other wall.
4. Once the glue has dried, carefully align the bottom edge of each piece A/B and in four passes cut out a tongue and groove with a cross-section of 10×51 mm (Fig. 1a). Saw off part of the tongue wall from the inside to a width of 12 mm (photo C).
5. Using a compass, mark on the workpieces A/B outer and inner radii (Fig. 1). Also mark the centers of the screw holes on outside each workpiece. Make counterbores with mounting hole in the outer wall of the tongues. Band saw or using a jigsaw, carefully cut out the handles along the contour, sand them to the final shape, and then mill 6-mm curves on the ribs. Finish sand the handles with 220-grit sandpaper.
Making a tray
1. Take the blanks of the longitudinal and end walls that were cut earlier and planed to the required thickness C, D. Arrange them as they will be glued together and mark each one for later processing and final assembly. Cut a tongue at the bottom edge of each workpiece from the inside, the width of which corresponds to the thickness F (Fig. 2).
2. Tilt the saw blade at an angle of 45° and file the bevels at the ends of the longitudinal WITH and end D walls, giving them their final length (Fig. 2).
When cutting narrow grooves on the bevels, guide the wall workpiece with a transverse (angular) stop, and longitudinal stop will serve as a limiter. This operation is safe, since the cut will not be through.
3. Without changing the position of the saw blade, make bevels of the longitudinal and end walls C, D 5 mm deep cuts for dowels (Fig. 2, photoD).
Quick tip! Alya these narrow ones keyways it is better to use a combination saw blade with 50 teeth, which have a variable oblique sharpening, as well as teeth with a flat tip, forming flat bottom cut, which does not require additional processing.
4. From cherry wood, make a blank measuring 51x305 mm for the dowels E and sharpen it to a thickness of 3 mm, adjusting it to the width of the cuts in the walls C, D. Saw off the dowels to the required length so that they fit snugly into the corresponding cuts. (Fig. 2).
5. Saw out the bottom F and file down its corners so that you can insert the dowels E (Fig. 3). Assemble the tray dry C-F to check and adjust all connections. Finish sanding internal sides walls C, D and both sides of the bottom F sandpaper No. 220.
6. Assemble the tray C-F, applying glue to the keyways, bevels and tongues for inserting the bottom. Once thoroughly dry, sand the edges and exterior surfaces with 220-grit sandpaper.
Final assembly
1. Apply thin layer glue on the inner walls of the tongues of one of the handle-bars A and put it on the end wall D, aligned exactly in the middle. Drill 1.6 x 20 mm pilot holes for the screws, gluing a masking tape flag to the drill to serve as a depth limiter. Then secure the bow with screws (Fig. 2). Wipe off excess glue with a damp cloth. Install the second handle in the same way.
2. Using a 6mm plug drill, make maple plugs and glue them into the counterbores to cover the screw heads. Once the glue has dried, trim the protruding parts of the plugs flush and sand smooth.
3. Apply finishing coating. We used a natural compound (called Danish oil) to enhance the iridescent pattern of the wavy maple, and then applied three coats of semi-matte polyurethane varnish water-based, which will provide reliable protection from moisture and dirt.
Among the offerings of modern furniture stores there are interesting coffee tables with a soft top, if you can call it that. They look interesting in the interior, but they are never practical. Juice or coffee stains on them are not as easy to wipe off as from a regular wooden or glass countertop. For all owners of such a miracle and simply those who love breakfast in bed, we suggest making such a tray. It is stylish in appearance and not expensive in cost.
Materials
Before making a tray with your own hands, make sure you have:
- boards from a pallet or box;
- hardwood boards;
- white paints;
- polyurethane-based varnish;
- masking tape;
- saws;
- sandpaper;
- brushes;
- chisels;
- clamps;
- wood glue;
- roulette;
- self-tapping screws;
- drills;
- screwdriver or screwdriver;
- pencil.
Step 1. Decide on the dimensions of the tray and, based on this, cut the boards you have from the box or pallet to length. In this case, I wanted the boards to look like one after gluing, without joints, seams or other irregularities. To do this, the boards had to be adjusted to each other and in thickness.
Step 2. Using clamps and wood glue, all the boards should be glued together, carefully pressing them together so that none of them gets out of line. After the workpiece has dried, all excess glue should be removed and the surfaces thoroughly sanded.
Step 3. You will need to make the sides of the tray from boards of light wood. In this case, poplar was taken.
When cutting wood, base it on the perimeter of the base and the height you want for the tray.
On the side edges, be sure to mark the cutouts for the handles. Also take into account the height at which the base will be attached so that the slots do not extend onto the bottom.
Step 4. After cutting out the holes, sand them thoroughly. They must be perfectly smooth.
Step 5. Using wood glue and clamps, glue the sides to the base.
Step 6. You can use self-tapping screws as additional fastenings.
Step 7. After the glue has dried, remove any excess. Cover the holes formed by the fasteners with wood putty. After letting it dry, level the surface with sandpaper or a sander.
Step 8. Cover the bottom of the tray with masking tape. Apply two layers of paint to the sides. After it dries, remove the tape and leave everything until the surface is completely dry.
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. Quality store-bought products, even if they are classic options, are expensive. But by spending a little time and effort, you can easily make a tray with your own hands, thereby obtaining an original product that 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 malleable, 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 are 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. A structure that is too heavy 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, an exact drawing is created that shows 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 source materials.
- Places for attaching fittings and decorative elements.
- Attachment points for legs and docking units.
Drawings for such portable tables are drawn 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 design. 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 the 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 general interior premises, 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 each;
- 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. Decorated sheet The front side of the plywood is varnished, 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 of a suitable size with a plywood base; if this is not available, you will have to remake a regular 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 furniture store you can find a large number of interesting details intended 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. Making such kitchen utensils is 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 (glass, ceramic, metal) or 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 extraordinarily 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. The image, taking into account the size of the 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 individual piece is 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. The volumetric part can 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. Alternatively, the simplest ones plastic handles wrap with thick twine. For decorative legs to make 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. 
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