Organizing With Trays

Trays are one of my favorite organizing tools.  They are pretty and they can serve so many purposes.  Some of my favorite ways to use them are; to hold remotes on the coffee table, by the door to hold keys and phones, corral papers on your desk or even to use to serve snacks in the living room.

Here I’m going to show you how to make a super easy tray that’s customized to your style and decor. It’s easy and you can even get the kids involved in this one!

Here’s what you’ll need…

Mod Podge-I used matte.  Check here to see all of the options available!

Paint-Any choice of color you want!

Foam Brush

Wood Tray-Click here to see all the sizes available.  (Tray is courtesy of Blick Art Materials.)

Vinyl in your choice of color

Silhouette Machine

Blue painter’s tape (not pictured)

Start by putting the painter’s tape anywhere you don’t want to paint.  I taped all around the edges.

Then, just paint the bottom of the tray.  I used Martha Stewart Chalkboard paint because I like the way it dried to a matte finish.

Let the tray dry completely before you move forward. I suggest leaving it alone overnight.

I used my Silhouette to cut out a phrase I really like and contact paper to transfer it to the tray.

If you don’t have a Silhouette machine you could simply cut out pieces of vinyl or use paint to design the bottom of the tray. Paint KEYS or REMOTES onto the tray so everyone knows what belongs there.  Or, have your kids put their hand prints onto the tray as a snapshot in time.

Once I applied the vinyl decal, I coated with with Mod Podge to seal it in and protect it.

Okay so what do you want your tray to say?  Tell me how you would use this in the comments below!