DIY Easy Concrete Tray

by Kelli @CraftShackChronicles

$4.00

Easy

Making concrete decor is very popular right now. If you haven't tried it yet, you should! It's so much easier than you might think.
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I wanted a small tray for the top of a cabinet. A catch all tray for loose change, keys, and other random pocket treasures. You can buy concrete trays, but for $60+ that was just too much. It isn't that hard to make your own!

First you need a mold for your tray. You don't have to make it, you can use an old tupperware container, or anything else you can find that's about the shape you want. You will need something for an outer mold, and something to press down inside to create the inside shape on the tray. I decided to make mine.

I cut my cardboard pieces into the shapes here, so I could fold them up and tape them to have my tray shape.

Using duct tape , tape the joints well. This is what will stop your concrete from seeping out.

I made two molds. One just smaller than the other, for the inside shape. I taped them both well so they were sturdy.

Next mix your concrete. Follow the instructions on the bag, mix it until it's a thick, rocky pudding consistency. Pour in your mold. You won't need much, just a few cups of the dry concrete mix should do it! An 80 lbs bag of quickcrete is just around $4.00 and you will only use a fraction of it!

Jiggle your tray full of concrete to help the bubbles escape and the mix settle, then fill your top mold with rocks and press it down into the wet concrete. I taped the sides of my cardboard mold to give it just a little more stability while it dried. Let the concrete cure at least a day before you remove the mold.

after you take off the mold, use a piece of sandpaper to smooth out the rough areas, then rinse the dust off and let it dry again. You could be finished here, or you could add some character to your tray now.

I used a gold spray paint and added a fun little dusting of gold to the rim of my tray!

Concrete has been so fun to play with! I made a cute little concrete tea light too! Visit my blog for more pictures and info!

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3 of 60 comments

Debbie Tidler on Aug 24, 2016
Love the rustic, rough look!!

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Pat F on Sep 15, 2016
Hypertufa is MUCH lighter than concrete...recipes are online.

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- Pat F on Sep 15, 2016
  Sorry....I LOVE the tray and the idea! I have a hypertufa one already made that would work!!
  
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