Build: personalized serving tray
A wedding gift for a newly married couple.
A friend asked if I would come up with gift incorporating the map that was part of their invitations:
I made a wood serving tray with handles:
and personalized it with the couples names and the map:
Everything is sealed under clear lacquer to protect from liquid and spills, you can the shiny protective layer in this picture below:
Here’s how I made the wood serving tray:
1. Cut the #2 pine boards:
3 – 1×5 @ 19″
2 – 1×3 @ 19″
2 – 1×3 @ 15″
2. I used pocket holes to connect the pieces, both the tray portion and the side pieces.
Then cut a 1/4″ plywood piece to fit the bottom.
Glue and secure with 3/4″ finish nails.
3. Make a template for the handle cut outs and trace at center on both short ends:
4. Begin by drilling circular holes with spade bit:
5. Then jigsaw remaining middle portion:
6. Prime and paint two coats Behr swiss coffee:
7. Paint on red strip detail then distress:
8. Stain entire tray to age:
9. Secure map (shown below is a wedding invitation from a similar tray) with matte mod podge on front and back:
10. Print out lettering to fit space:
11. Line up and trace outline of letter with ballpoint pen:
12. Paint on and inside the indent left behind by the pen:
13. Repeat process for names:
14. To seal map and personalization, paint on multiple layers of Americana DuraClear gloss varnish on flat serving surface:
15. Finally seal the entire tray, sides inside and outside with Minwax clear gloss spray poly.
You are so talented! Love it 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving
Debbie
I LOVE IT! Such a great job! Thanks for the step by step. I may give this a shot.
🙂 Cait @ MyHouseMyCanvas.com
Look at you go with that drill! This is a most attractive and practical gift…..I could use a couple of these myself 🙂
Hi 🙂 what kind of brush did you use for this and what size is the brush? Is it script or round? Thanks 🙂