How to Build a Bed Tray

Bed trays allow you to eat meals in bed, usually due to raised supports that let the tray rest over you without actually touching you. You can craft your own bed tray rather than buying one, allowing you to customize your tray so it matches your other serving ware or home decor. You may even want to have breakfast, lunch and dinner in bed after completing your DIY bed tray.

Things You'll Need

• Wood frame, at least 12 inches by 14 inches
• Glass and cardboard pieces from frame
• Plywood cut to match frame dimensions
• Spray paint
• Images (optional)
• Spray adhesive
• Wood glue
• 2-by-2-inch length of wood
• 2 cabinet door handles
• Drill
• 1/4-inch diameter drill bit
• 3/4-inch paddle bit
• Dowel
• Four wood candlesticks

Instructions

1. Spray paint your frame, if you want to change its color. Paint the candlesticks a matching hue; these will be the legs of your bed tray.

2. Arrange your images, if you have them, behind your picture glass in a pleasing configuration. Remove the glass. Spray the front of your images with spray adhesive. Lay the glass back on top of the images. Allow to the adhesive to completely dry.

3. Turn your glass piece face-down. Spray paint the back of the glass with a light, thin coat of spray paint, then allow the paint to dry. Apply several more light coats of spray paint until the glass is completely opaque.

4. Set your frame face-down. Lay your glass inside the frame, also face-down, then lay the cardboard over it. Bend down the tabs of the frame to secure the layers.

5. Apply glue to the back of the frame, then lay the plywood over it, matching the plywood edges with the frame edges.

6. Cut 2-by-2-inch wood into two pieces, each as long as the shortest side of the frame. Paint them if necessary, allowing them to completely dry before proceeding. Attach each of these pieces to the short sides of the frame with wood glue. Allow the glue to dry.

7. Flip over the tray. Locate each center of the short sides of the frame and set your handles on these areas, marking the handles' screw holes.

8. Drill pilot holes where you made markings, then attach the handles using the screws that were included with the handles.

9. Flip the tray over again to reveal its underside. Drill large holes in each of the four corners using a paddle bit. Cut your dowel into four pieces, each 2 inches long. Dab a bit of wood glue on each end of each dowel and insert them into the holes you just drilled.

10. Place the candle holders top-side over the exposed glued ends of the dowels. Allow all the glue to dry.

References

• "The Big-Ass Book of Crafts"; Mark Montano; 2008
• Design Sponge: DIY Project Ashley's Picture Frame Tray
• HGTV: How to Make Your Own Bed Tray