DIY Wine Barrel Serving Platter

Zest it Up
by Zest it Up
6 Materials
$20
1 Hour
Easy
So, we have had these barrels for a while now. We love barrels! They are one of the privileges of living in wine country. We can find them pretty cheap (if not for free) and they work great for creating high-boys and bars for events.

The bummer is that if you do not routinely hose these bad boys down, then the wood staves will shrink up fiercely and your once sturdy barrel will fall like a house of cards. That moment has been the genesis of soooo many projects for us, but this time we got a little impatient. Kind of like when my kid’s tooth is wiggly, I get a hankering to give it a good tug (ok, that makes me sound a tad sadistic, but I was the same when I was pregnant…the unknown timing drove me crazy enough to try all sorts of different techniques to get labor going…I just hate waiting!)

Photo Cred: Jessica Helton

Please tell me you get me. I mean haven’t you ever gotten totally frustrated when you find that perfect gift for someone and then discover it is darn near impossible to wait for the right time to give the gift? Hahaha sometimes gifts do not even manage to get wrapped before giving in my house!






This moment is kind of like that.



This beauty was a little wiggly, so Sam and I gave it a good tug:)



Once we knocked it over, we had exactly what we wanted!!





With so much excellent raw material, there will be many projects to come. However, for today, I was eyeballing the lids.





We have always admired, or more like coveted, large platters and lazy susans made from the round lids of wine barrels. Today would be the day that we created a Zest platter.


Supplies Needed:


  • wine barrel lid
  • Gorilla glue
  • rope or motorcycle strap
  • sand paper
  • wood burner
  • spoon butter
 
My little hiccup with this relatively basic project is that while the barrel was not obliterated, the lids kind of were on their way to becoming a pile of sticks. After doing a light sanding job, I realized that many of the boards that made the lid were barely attached, if at all.




Enter Gorilla Glue. This stuff is so crazy strong that I knew it would give me the reinforcement that I needed for the lid to succeed as a platter. Probably the most important thing about using Gorilla Glue is that you make sure that both surfaces that you are gluing together are thoroughly wet with water.




Once everything was wet and glued, I used a motorcycle to secure the bond. This gnarly glue swells as it dries to roughly 4 times it’s volume.




After letting the glue cure, it is seriously easy to sand. It is so crazy how much this glue swells! Check out all that dry glue foam! Crazy but very easy.




Once it was all sanded smooth, I figured that if I was to make this a platter for Zest, it would need a little Zest. Drawing out a fanciful “Z” in pencil, I grabbed our wood burner and got cooking. It took some time, but I love how it turned out!




Especially after I coated the entire platter with some food safe “spoon butter.”




Gorgeous! I am in love with the hefty size of this platter and all that sexy grain.




This platter is zesty!




Time to start loading it up with some serious eats. I am thinking a fabulous cheeseboard. Yum!


xo,


Chanda
Suggested materials:
  • Wine barrel lid
  • Gorilla glue
  • Rope or motorcycle strap
See all materials
Zest it Up
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 7 questions
  • Leslie Chappell Leslie Chappell on May 13, 2016
    It looks like you stained the lid - what kind of stain did you use?
  • Mary Mary on Dec 12, 2018

    I'm looking to convert a couple dozen rough barrel heads into serving platters and wall decor at my restaurant. 1. Arethere any tricks to the sanding? What grade paper or recommended electric sander did you use? 2. How long did the gorilla glue take to set and dry? 3. It looks like you stained it. What stain did you use? Thanks!

  • Bom68413931 Bom68413931 on Jul 17, 2022

    I tried one of these. after a while the barrel lid bowed ie was no longer flat due to the fact the edges of the wood pieces aren’t flat but beveled . Did you have this problem?

Comments
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2 of 32 comments
  • Jill Ron Pike Jill Ron Pike on May 05, 2016
    Comiksitran...interesting, I did the same, except grew up in KY, was in MD almost 30 yrs, then back to KY. I know Maker's Mark in Louisville has whiskey barrels they SELL ..IF you take a tour, but the same here, unless you find really old ones rotting in a barn somewhere, Very Sad.
  • Susi Downs Susi Downs on May 08, 2016
    I love this . Came out great. You could also make like a lazy susan with a smaller spin disc under it. Maybe even make a stool. just saying. Looks great
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