
Have you ever spotted a discarded pallet on a curb? Why not adopt it and transform it into something beautiful and useful? When we picked-up some old pallets several months ago, my mind began racing as to what we could build with it. Our first project was this chic rustic tray made entirely from pallet wood.
We love it! Last month it was a centerpiece for my Thanksgiving tablescape. Today, it gets used often to serve hot chocolate or tea.
SIZE:
- 13.5 by 26 inches
NEEDED SUPPLIES:
- A wooden pallet
- A skill saw
- Small nails
- Wood glue
- A hammer
- Drawer handles (2)
- Two small strips of felt or fabric
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Disassemble the pallet. I really recommend cutting the wood rather than trying to remove the strips by taking out the nails. They are TOUGH to get out! A skill saw made the removal incredibly easier.
2) Cut the boards into four 18-inch strips and four 8-inch strips. Also cut an additional two 10-inch boards for the cross-joints on the bottom of the tray (so 10 pieces total)
3) Lay-out the tray on a flat surface according to the diagram below.

4). Place the 2 cross joints (10 inch boards) perpendicular to the other boards as shown in the diagram. The center of each cross board should be 8 inches from the outside edge of the tray.
5) Place wood glue on the cross joints and nail them in place.
6) Stain seal the tray to your taste.
7) Attach the handles and glue felt or some sort of fabric to the bottom of the cross joints. This will keep the nail heads from scratching surfaces when you use the tray.
There you have it! A beautifully made rustic tray. Enjoy it for tea!

Linked up here:
Transformation Thursday, 733 blog, Whatever Goes Wednesday, A Bowl Full of Lemons, All Things With Purpose, Embracing Change
SIZE:
- 13.5 by 26 inches
NEEDED SUPPLIES:
- A wooden pallet
- A skill saw
- Small nails
- Wood glue
- A hammer
- Drawer handles (2)
- Two small strips of felt or fabric
INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Disassemble the pallet. I really recommend cutting the wood rather than trying to remove the strips by taking out the nails. They are TOUGH to get out! A skill saw made the removal incredibly easier.
2) Cut the boards into four 18-inch strips and four 8-inch strips. Also cut an additional two 10-inch boards for the cross-joints on the bottom of the tray (so 10 pieces total)
3) Lay-out the tray on a flat surface according to the diagram below.

4). Place the 2 cross joints (10 inch boards) perpendicular to the other boards as shown in the diagram. The center of each cross board should be 8 inches from the outside edge of the tray.
Note: I also placed extra thin strips of wood closer
to the edges to give the tray a little more sturdiness.
5) Place wood glue on the cross joints and nail them in place.
6) Stain seal the tray to your taste.
7) Attach the handles and glue felt or some sort of fabric to the bottom of the cross joints. This will keep the nail heads from scratching surfaces when you use the tray.
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My tray is tinted with this Rust-Oleum golden mahogany stain applied with a rag. I then sealed the tray with a satin varnish. |
There you have it! A beautifully made rustic tray. Enjoy it for tea!

Linked up here:
Transformation Thursday, 733 blog, Whatever Goes Wednesday, A Bowl Full of Lemons, All Things With Purpose, Embracing Change
Such a beautiful and useful project! yay for pallet wood!!
ReplyDeleteNew follower, visiting from Transformation Thursdays..love the pallet tray. I just picked my first pallet and have been looking for creative things to do with it. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteWow. I really need to find some pallets soon!
ReplyDeleteand my hubby told me yesterday not to go pu the birch pallet for free...uummm
ReplyDeleteyours is Lovely
thank you for sharing this idea
How depressing to find this AFTER a local PALLET MANUFACTURER went out of business!! But I'll keep looking!
ReplyDeleteLeslie
Mother Robin's Notes from the Nest
What a great idea! I'm a new follower ;)
ReplyDeleteI love how your tray turned out! Pretty and very simple to do.
ReplyDeleteSaw you featured at Transformation Thursdays
Debbie :)
Thank you Debbie!
DeleteI have a pallett sitting outside my garage that I sent my husband to get in a hurry over a month ago and I couldn't think what to do with it. This is a great starter project, thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOops I forgot to say that I love your blog and am now following.
ReplyDeleteAdorable results! Sharing at www.facebook.com/recreatedesigncompany
ReplyDeletehow can the tray be 14.5 inches when you use 8 inch and 18 inch boards
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, thank you for catching this. Definitely an error. It is 13.5 by 26 inches. I have made the correction in the post.
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