Last summer I bought a couple of trays with removable bottoms meaning to do something amazing with them. You know how you have these grand ideas right? The bottom part of the trays were made out of a kind of particle board, just waiting to be altered. Of course they got pressed into service without any adjustment whatsoever!
But one day while sorting though my hoarded, ahem stored, items, I came across two tubs of fake Kapla planks, that we'd been given for Kieran. He loves playing with Kapla, but unfortuntely, these off-brand ones didn't work well, so they were sitting idly in the garage. Total lightbulb moment when I realised I could use them for crafts!
I had managed to paint the bottom of the tray before with one coat of white paint, but that as much as I'd done. Now it was time to spruce it up!
You'll need:
Wooden tray
Wood glue
Small planks - you might have some Kapla that your kids no longer play with, or you can probably pick some up at garage sales. The original Kapla planks would render a project like this too expensive! You can also check your craft store or toy store for similar planks.
Varnish, stain or other protective finish.
Paint brushes
Hacksaw and sandpaper (optional)
Step 1.
If your tray's base is removable, this simplifies the process. First, measure and mark the maximum point where you can place the planks. Then remove the base.
Step 2
Now have some fun arranging your planks in a pleasing pattern.
I played with my arrangement to make sure I had as few planks hanging over as possible.
I ended up having two edges hanging over, and used a hacksaw to trim them down. Once trimmed, I sanded the rough edges.
Step 3
Use wood glue to stick all the pieces into place.
This is the point at which you might want to listen to some music or a podcast while you work, as it takes some time to get each piece adhered.
Step 4.
Finally varnish or use a protectice finish on your planks.
Once dry, which can take 12 to 24 hours, replace the base of the tray.
Time for tea!
I absolutely love my new tray!
Bookmark this idea by pinning the image above. This technique would be good for making photo backdrops too, which I plan to do next, as I have over 300 of these planks left!
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