Quick and Easy DIY Present Idea for Mother's Day

by Engineer Your Space

2 Materials

$10

2 Hours

Easy

I love making gifts instead of buying them and with Mother's Day right around the corner, I wanted to make something special for my mom, but also something that could be useful.

I got the idea for my gift when I spotted these plain Jane wood trays at JoANN's - they are a nice size ( 14" x 11" x 2.5") and cost only $8 (and by using a coupon, I ended up paying just $5).

I also had this gorgeous handmade and hand painted paper from another project and I had just enough to cover the bottom of the tray! I got this paper at World Market and though I don't think they have this specific design anymore, they do have lots of other beautiful papers to choose from.

I started by staining the the sides of the tray in a couple of coats of a semi-transparent exterior wood stain in a dark brown color (I had this left over from another project as well - it's from Behr and is in a color called coffee and a sample 8 oz size is more than enough to do this project).

I taped the sides of the tray to protect the sides with painter's tape and covered the bottom of the tray with a coat of Mod Podge (satin finish), placed the paper on top and then sealed it with 2-3 coats of Mod Podge.

To coordinate with the old gold tones in the paper, I finished the edges of the tray with a gold sharpie - I love these metallic Sharpie pens so much! So much easier to work with than paint and they come in many different tones, like silver and copper.

This was such a simple project that I ended up buying a few more of those trays and I plan to personalize them to give as gifts to friends. I think they make the perfect gift: pretty & useful (who can't use a cute tray around the house?!). But this one is going to my mom, hope she likes it!

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2 questions

Vonnie on Dec 26, 2018

This turned out beautiful, just love it. My question is can you wipe the tray down with a damp cloth if it gets dirty. I have one I want to do this with, but I use my trays all the time and want to be able to wipe it with a damp cloth if I spilled anything on it like coffee, food, etc. Thanks and great job.

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Barb on Oct 11, 2023

I love this. For those using vintage fabric or paper. mount it to the tray. Then using glass or plexi glass cover your tray bottom and seal around the edges with caulk or clear glue. Then you can wipe the bottom clean and your vintage fabric or paper are protected.

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4 of 6 comments

Sara McCollum on Jan 11, 2021

I can’t wait to try this this. Thanks

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Trish on Dec 02, 2021

I realize this is a few years old but hope someone sees this to answer.... I love this idea ! My question is can you use fabric instead of paper? I would think you can poly over it , it might take an extra layer ?? I have some small pieces of my great grandmothers sewing fabric that would be perfect for this !! Thanks in advance if someone sees this...

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- Pat Manookian on Dec 05, 2021
  
  You can. Google decoupage fabric to wood to give you the basics. Be mindful of your fabric. If it is light colored and thin, use a light stain under it or it will show through. Hope this helps!
  
  1
- DMC the bartender on Sep 13, 2022
  
  Here is an idea as well. Now I have not tried it mind you, but when I read your question in my head I saw material and then about a half inch to an inch looking inwards towards the center there was an uneven line where the material was folded over so no loose threads could be seen. Yet at one corner some areas the material was climbing the sides and other areas the material didn't reach the sides (at least that is the way the one that I made in my head looked, But the stain on the raw wood was right on perfect and won awards!). What if you attached the material to a piece of cardboard cut to fit the bottom of the tray using painter's or masking tape? Once you verified the fit to the tray, you could give the first coat of Mod Podge to both sides allowing it to dry completely before placing it back in the tray and then using a poly sealant. I would also try the sealant on the material first just to see the reaction. You mentioned your great grandmother's fabric. The sealant may discolor it producing a yellowing or it cause flaws in the original dyeing of the fabric.
  
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