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I love shopping at the Dollar Tree and finding items that I can make crafts with. There are tons of ideas out there on the web but a lot of those ideas have more of a farmhouse vibe. I like farmhouse, but I feel like that is all everyone does these days. I really prefer to decorate in more of a modern boho style in my home with just a touch of coastal since I live in Florida.
I have used the Tumbling Tower Game pieces from Dollar Tree for other DIYs in my home and I bought a little more than I should have the last time I was there shopping (because they don't always have them) so I was trying to find a way to put them to good use. I played around with them for a good two weeks before I landed on an idea for a tray.
It was relatively easy to make once I figured it all out and I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I have it in my kitchen and placed my knife block, wine cork holder, a wine bottle we have as decor and a cute succulent planter I thrifted in it.
I may decide to change how it is currently being used, but for now I like the natural wood tones it brings to the dark counter tops in the kitchen.
Want to make one for your own home? Read on for step by step instructions!
Supplies needed:
- (6) Tumbling Tower Game from Dollar Tree ** I used a few that had darker brown pieces in them, but that is optional. You could also paint a few of the pieces**
- (2) Wood Craft Dowel from Dollar Tree
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks (or wood glue / E6000 / Gorilla Clear Glue)
- Ruler
Begin by creating your design for the bottom of the tray. Group 3 blocks together and then place them on
your work surface. Continue making groups of 3 until you have used a total of 120 blocks. For my tray, I staggered the brown blocks sporadically to create a design that was to my liking. **Note that I chose to alternate the direction of each 3-block grouping so they were vertical and then horizontal and not going the same way for any grouping next to each other.**
Once you have determined your final design, grab your ruler and use it as a straight edge guide. Glue together each 3 block grouping and place back on the work surface in the location of the pattern you wish for it to be located in. Repeat this step until you end up with 15 completed groupings.
Next, beginning on the left or right of the design, glue together a vertical line of 5 groupings using a ruler to ensure a straight edge. Repeat this step 7 more times so you have a total of 8 vertical lines.
From there, glue each vertical line together to create one large piece that will serve as the bottom of the tray. Set aside.
To create the sides and handles of the tray, begin by gluing 24 blocks together along a straight edge. **I used all of the same color blocks for this step** Repeat one more time to create the two long sides of the tray.
Next, glue together 6 blocks together. Repeat this step 3 more times so you have a total of 4 groups of 6 blocks. From there, glue one craft dowel to the top of 2 groups of six as shown below. Repeat this step one more time to create the two smaller ends of the tray with handles. You want to ensure you have some space in between the two groups of 6 blocks. I placed mine just past 2 blocks in on each end.
Now you're ready to assemble the tray! Begin by gluing each long end to the tray. Once this is completed, you can add short sides/handle. The ends of the short side should overlap the long edge of the last blocks on each side of the tray. Note that since the blocks are not perfectly shaped, you may have some uneven areas. I just added a little extra hot glue in those areas so there were no gaps.
A few things to note about this tray - it is not super sturdy. It is more of a decor piece than an actual tray you can carry items with. If you were to reinforce the bottom with a piece of cardboard or thin wood, you could certainly use it more like a try you can carry. The handle would need to be made with a sturdier material as well or glued with E6000 or wood glue for a very firm hold.
Well, that's it! I hope this idea inspires you to create a tray of your own.
~Katie
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