DIY Geometric Tray

Confession: I used to think trays were an unnecessary part of decor. Unless they were truly used to carry items, I saw them as impractical. But when I created a tray for my last bedroom makeover, I became a convert. I discovered trays are much more practical than I'd once thought and I now have four in my home.

Trays are a wonderful decor item as they help corral loose items and can be used to showcase other decor, like part of a vignette. My main purpose in creating one was to add color and pattern that complements my living room makeover. Read along to check out how I created my tray and how you can do the same!

A tutorial really isn’t necessary for this project, since the process is pretty self-explanatory: paint and seal the tray, screw in the drawer pulls. The awesome thing about creating your own tray is you can customize the colors and design to your room. I painted mine in a variety of blues and gray to match my living room’s color palette.

The total cost for the tray was about $20 for the handles and basswood canvas (with a coupon from Michael’s). There are cheaper wood trays available at craft stores, but I wanted something sturdier. This canvas can be found in the woodworking section.

The “handles” are actually drawer pulls. They were about $6 each, so they were more than I like to spend on drawer pulls but I really liked their design. I wanted something to complement the geometric pattern and these modern drawer pulls do just that.

I used both acrylic craft paint and latex house paint that I already had on hand. The triangles were painted with a variety of blues and gray; the frame of the tray was painted in Midnight Dream by Behr.

Decor Guru Tip: if you’re looking for a paint color that isn’t available at your craft store, head to your home improvement store for a sample pot of latex paint. You’ll have a much larger variety of colors or you can get a custom color made. The sample pots run about $3 so they cost a bit more than a tube of craft paint, but the cost per ounce is actually cheaper. Most importantly, you don’t have to settle for a less than perfect shade nor mix up your own color!

Have you decorated with trays in your home? Do you prefer to create your own tray or purchase one from your favorite retailer? Are you a fan of the geometric trend?

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