Father's Day DIY Desk Tray | Rebecca Propes Design & DIY

Looking to corral all of the hubby’s odds and ends that end up on the bathroom counter, nightstand or dresser? Better yet, why not use it as a serving tray too??!! Well, we have the perfect solution and it is just in time for Father’s Day or any other occasion. Here is a fun DIY for a valet tray or as we call it around here a MAN TRAY!!

Here is a quick overview how you can make one too!!

You will need the following supplies:

1/4″ craft plywood base (we found ours at Joanns and used a 12″x12″ precut piece)

2″H x 1/4″ thick craft plywood pieces cut to fit the ends of the base

Wood Glue

Fabric

Leather Cuffs

Screws

Corner brackets

Spray Paint

Misc. Supplies – scissors, drill, saw, sanding block, screwdriver

I started with the wood base and traced the shape onto the backside of this AWESOME Nate Berkus Fabric I score on sale at Joanns and cut it our a little smaller that the outline. Once it was cut out, I used spray adhesive to secure the fabric to the wood base.

Next, I cut down the sides to fit and then I painted them with Rustoleum spray paint. Once they were dry, I also spray painted the corner brackets and used them to measure holes that needed to be pre-drilled.

Once I had all of the sides pre-drilled, I started to assemble the tray’s frame using wood glue and the corner brackets to secure them. Since the wood pieces are only 1/4″ thick, I opted for a 1/2″ machine style screw with a nut so there were not any pokey ends. Once the four sides of the frame were secured, I attached the base of the tray using my Ryobi Airstrike Nailer with 5/8″ nails.

Next, came this super cool idea…I found leather cuffs at Joanns and cut them down to use as the handles for the tray. It adds the perfect amount of awesome! I eyeballed the placement and secured using the same screws and nuts as I did for the corner brackets.

We are pretty stoked about how this turned out!!! Pretty awesome, huh?!!!!

Now, here are two ways that your main squeeze can utilize his new & fabulous MAN TRAY!!!

OPTION #1 This makes the perfect snack tray!! Oh yes! Your dude will be super happy if you stock his lil’ ole tray with his favorite frosty beverages and yummy snacks.