HOW TO: DIY AGED RISER TRAYS

DIY

August 14, 2020

DIY aged riser trays / weathered wood pedestal tray by Nadine Stay | How to make antique stands for less than $20

I’ve been seeing old rustic riser trays in so many designer’s homes for months now and I love them! They’re the perfect elevated element and “antique” addition for the kitchen, table top, open shelving…whatever! I contemplated buying a couple for myself but then I had a thought… “I could totally just make these myself!”

So for less than $20 and a few hours in the garage, I made 4 pedestal trays in 4 different shapes cause why not!?

Here’s how I made mine –

MATERIALS NEEDED:

Pine Lumber in the size of your choice (mine was 2”x12”x8’)
2”x2” Furring Strip in the length of your choice (Optional)
Any objects that will “weather” the wood
Screws
Wood glue
2” paint brush
Stain (Optional) – I used Dark Walnut, Provincial, and Puritan Pine
Polycrylic

TOOLS NEEDED:

STEP 1 // Cut out the shape of your trays

I drew 4 different shapes onto my 2x12x8 wood with a pencil. I traced a clock and bowl to get perfect circles and I eyeballed the other shapes. Then I used a scroll saw to cut out the shapes. If you don’t have a scroll saw, a jigsaw should do the job too! I didn’t worry about cutting along the lines too perfectly because I knew I was going for a very raw, weathered look.

STEP 2 // Cut the legs

This step is fairly simple! Figure out how tall you want your risers and cut your furring strip (or in my case, the leftover wood from my 2×12) to create the legs. I tried a few different leg styles including trestle style (2 long boards on either end) and slightly angled out legs.

I decided on 2” tall legs for two of my trays and 4” tall legs for the other two trays that had handles. I also wanted the legs on the paddle trays to angle out slightly so I cut the legs at a 10° angle on each end. (As shown below.)

STEP 3 // Rough em up!

This is where your creativity comes into play. For a weathered look, rough up the wood using whatever objects you have lying around. I used my jigsaw to put “cuts” along the edges, a hammer, a wire wheel brush that attached to my drill (this created somewhat of a rippled effect in the wood) , and a wood file to create a naturally worn look. Once you’re done, give it all a light sanding with your power sander and 220 grit sandpaper.

STEP 4 // Stain (Optional)

If you prefer a little color on your wood, grab an old rag or a t-shirt and wipe on a layer or two of stain. I used Provincial, Puritan Pine, and Dark Walnut for 3 of my trays and I left the 4th tray natural. (NOTE: with the wood so roughed up, the stain will go on pretty dark!)

STEP 6 // Apply a top coat

To preserve the wood and to make them easier to dust, I applied two coats of Polycrylic with a 2” paint brush. The matte sheen gave it a smoother finish without taking away that raw unfinished look.

STEP 5 // Attach the legs

Figure out the placement of your legs and mark them on the bottom of your trays. For the legs that I cut at an angle, I used a Kreg jig to drill a hole on the inside of my legs. Then I drilled another small pilot hole with a 5/64” drill bit into the bottom of the trays where the screw would go into. I added a dab of wood glue and screwed each leg on tight!

For the short 2” legs that were not cut at an angle, I attached them with screws through the bottom of the legs. To do this I flipped the legs over so the bottom sides faced up and I drilled a 3/8” hole half way through the wood. Then with my smaller 5/64” drill bit, I drilled another hole the rest of the way through the wood. Then I marked where the legs sat on the tray and drilled a small pilot hole with my 5/64” drill bit into the bottom of the trays where my screws would go.

I put a dab of wood glue on the end of each leg and drilled a screw into the legs until they were all tight.

And that’s it! Style them and scatter them throughout your home! If you give this fun and easy DIY a try, I’d love to see your riser trays! Tag me on instagram @nadine_stay to show off your work!