DIY Tufted Serving Tray

Let’s get crafty! 

Wow, it’s been a while since I wrote about a craft. Honestly, it’s been a while since I’ve completed a craft. Busy days with the new home and job. And craft supplies up North are painfully scarce. I can’t even buy E6000! Though I have been talking to some of the locals about teaching me some Native crafts, so that would be super awesome. 

This is an archived craft I completed in Southern Ontario, which is now sitting in storage with all of my other worldly possessions. This is my tufted serving tray: 

This project started out with a $2 garage sale find 

The frame really caught my eye because of the faux wood texture 

I took out the painting (which I kept because it’s actually pretty nice) and marked where the tufts would be located on the backing of the frame. 

There are multiple marks because I mapped out where I thought the tufts should be, then changed my mind and re-mapped them. I used the “x” marks, not the tick marks. I then used my power drill to drill holes in the backing where the x’s were located. 

The stuffing for the fabric was a 1.5” foam slab purchased form Walmart for about $5. I cut it to size, then used a meat thermometer to poke the tufted holes through it as well. 

With some spray adhesive, I affixed the foam to the backing. Then it was a matter of adding the fabric and tufting. 

The fabric was some spare fabric I had lying around. I cut it about 12” wider and longer than the backing which was more than enough to wrap and secure it to the backing. Using a button kit from Walmart that was about $3, I made the buttons out of the same fabric as the rest of the fabric. 

Lay the loose fabric over the foam and use a long needle to affix the buttons to the front of the tray. I used the butt end of a hammer to push the buttons tight through the foam to the backing, and secured them on the back with a piece of wooden skewer. 

Starting from the center, work your way to the outside of the fabric in order to ensure a smooth finish 

Once all the buttons are attached, flip over the whole thing and staple the fabric to the back of the backing and trim the excess fabric. 

I had given my frame a healthy coat of silver metallic spray paint, so at this point I added an aging look to the paint. I combined a few drops of black acrylic craft paint with a mat clear liquid gloss. I brushed the black gloss onto the frame with a foam brush, and immediately wiped it off with a lint-free cloth, leaving black colouring in the frame’s grooves. 

After assembling the tray, I finished the back by simply gluing black poster board to the backing (with a hot glue gun), and adding cute little silver feet that I found at Canadian Tire for about $4. I also attached handles to the sides of the frame. These handles were found in the fencing hardware section of Rona and cost $1 each. 

And that is how I made my lovely tufted serving tray for the low, low price of about $16! 

 

If only I had a place to serve my friends and family. Oh, life in the North. Here’s a Northern picture for your enjoyment: 

See you next week!