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    Home » Decor

    November 3, 2020

    How to make a wood pedestal tray - Farmhouse Christmas

    Farmhouse style wood pedestal tray decorated for Christmas

    Wood pedestal tray, footed tray, table style tray, whatever you call them, these pretty farmhouse style risers are useful in so many ways and are fabulous for making your décor stand out. Style them up as table centrepieces for parties or weddings. Use them as dessert or drink stands. Turn one into a coffee station for your kitchen, or even a cool desk accessory for your office. Wood pedestal trays are really inexpensive if you 'do it yourself'.

    This DIY is so easy, you could have it finished in one day. (Unless you are filming and taking photos of the process, then it will probably take you two!) I wanted to make a step-by-step tutorial of the process to make it easier for you!

    A QUICK REMINDER: When attempting any DIY project, please take care to undertake the necessary safety precautions. You should always follow the manufacturer’s safety recommendations when using any product or tool. When following my instructions for a DIY project, you are doing so at your own risk.

    Gold candles in the shape of a Christmas tree, standing on a wood pedestal tray

    THE DIY CHALLENGE

    I joined up with some amazing bloggers for this DIY challenge. The brief was to build a wood pedestal tray from scratch and style it for the holidays.

    For me, the challenge was not in the actual building of it but in deciding how to style it but we'll get to that later.

    Are you thinking of building a farmhouse style riser or are you just looking for ideas to style it for the holidays? Either way, I've got you covered. This is my interpretation of a footed tray but don't forget to check out all my friend's posts for more amazing inspiration. (See below for more details).

    Pin for later

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    Farmhouse style wood pedestal tray decorated for Christmas

    What is a pedestal tray?

    It's basically a tray on legs! You could make a wood pedestal tray by adding legs to a tray you already have or even by transforming a cutting board into a footed tray. You can make them in any length you want. I wanted my pedestal tray to display Christmas décor as a centrepiece on my table and that's why I made it so long. You could just as easily make a smaller version if you don't need it to be as long as mine.

    For this challenge, the idea was to make a wood pedestal tray from scratch and it was much easier than I thought it would be.

    Because this footed tray turned out to be so simple to make, it's given me the confidence to try more woodworking projects in the future!

    After you've read this post, you will also be able to make one of these pretty footed trays for yourself because I'm giving you the step-by-step tutorial of the process!

    How to distress wood

    If you are using new store-bought wood to make this pedestal tray then you might want to distress it a bit first so it doesn't look too new.

    I had fun jumping up and down on my wood pretending to be a snowboarder haha!

    I just put the wood down on our gravel driveway and literally jumped all over it!

    I've seen some people hit the wood with a hammer or scratch it with nails and chains. All I did was jump up and down on it and it had a lightly distressed look afterwards.

    Do whatever you want to the wood, I mean, it's supposed to look distressed so you can't spoil it, can you?

    Materials

    • Wood L=80cm/31" W=20cm/8" D=2cm/0.8"
    • Wood trim 2x L=80cm/31" 1cm/0.40" thick
    • Wood trim 2x L=18cm/7" 1cm/0.40" thick
    • Wood finials x 4
    • Dowel (optional)
    • Wood Glue
    • Woodstain | USA | EU |
    • clear wax
    • white wax
    • Chalk paint

    Tools

    • Googles
    • Sanding mask
    • Sandpaper or
    • Electric sander
    • Paintbrush
    • Wood Saw
    • Pencil
    Showing supplies needed for making a wood pedestal tray

    Step 1 Cut the wood trim

    The trim I bought was so thin that you could easily use a hand saw to cut the pieces. I used a circular cutting saw because it was just sitting there and I'm all about making my life easier!

    Cut two long pieces for each long side, the length of the base. Then cut two pieces for the short sides taking into account the size of the trim on the long sides. The short pieces will fit inside the longer pieces.

    Pieces of wood and trim needed for making a wood pedestal tray

    Step 2 Sand

    Give all the pieces a light sanding with 120-grade sandpaper. Wipe the pieces down with a damp cloth or use a tack to clean away the sanding dust.

    A person using sandpaper on a piece of wood

    Step 3 Stain

    If your wood is as light as mine was, it's a good idea to stain it first. We're going to be distressing the paint later and it's nice to have a darker colour showing through the paint. I loved the look of the bathroom stool I made a while ago and I wanted to achieve a similar finish on my pedestal tray so I just followed the same steps.

    Give all the wood pieces two coats of wood stain, I used a walnut coloured stain for this (see the materials list above for the details). This is a good time to go and get lunch because you need to wait for the stain to dry.

    A person painting a piece of wood with walnut woodstain

    Step 4 Paint

    Once the wood stain is dry (about one hour), paint the pieces with whichever colour paint you want your pedestal tray to be. I used Rustoleum Chalk Paint in Antique White. After about twenty minutes, you can give the pieces a second coat – yup, chalk paint is very quick to dry!

    A person painting a piece of wood with white chalk paint

    Step 5 Distress the paint

    I started off sanding by hand but then switched to my handy palm sander. Be warned, chalk paint creates a lot of dust when you are sanding it so don't forget to wear your mask and make sure you are outside when you do this step. Something crazy came over me when I was working on my media stand makeover and I started sanding the chalk paint inside. Take a look at that post, if you want to see the result – oops!

    A person using an electric sander to remove white chalk paint on a piece of wood

    Step 6 Wax and buff

    Use a wax brush or cloth to add a layer of clear wax over the top of the paint. Take a look at my coffee table makeover if you need a detailed tutorial on how to use chalk paint wax on furniture.

    I added a layer of white wax over the top of the clear wax.

    A person rubbing white way into a piece of painted wood

    Step 7 Assemble the tray

    Here's where the magic happens.

    Use some wood glue to glue all the pieces of your trim to the pedestal tray base.

    A person applying wood glue to the wood trim of a pedestal tray

    If you have them, it's a good idea to tighten clamps to the wood pieces after glueing. My wood glue only needed five minutes to dry so because I only had two clamps, I attached each section of the trim separately.

    Two clamps holding down some wood trim after glueing

    Step 8 Attach the legs

    I used curtain pole finials for the legs. The finials were hollow inside and I was worried that there would not be enough surface wood on them to glue them to the base of the pedestal tray.

    Four wooden finials

    I had some dowelling leftover from another project and decided to cut some short lengths to fit inside the finials. I used wood glue to fix them in place inside the finials.

    A person glueing some dowel into a hollow finial

    If you can't get finials you could just use large wooden ball knobs for legs instead. You can usually find them at the craft store. You could even make your own legs by cutting a thick piece of wood dowel or even an old spindle if you have some going spare.

    Decide where on your pedestal tray you want to attach the legs. Rub some sandpaper over that area so that you have a wax-free area for glueing.

    Once you are ready to attach the legs, measure 1cm in from the corner of the pedestal tray base on both sides.

    A person marking out the place for the feet on a wood pedestal tray

    Draw a circle around the legs so you know where you need to attach them.

    A person drawing around the feet of a wood pedestal tray

    Apply wood glue to the legs and fix them to the base of the pedestal tray. Use a clamp to press them tightly to the wood and leave them to dry.

    Clamps holding down the feet of a pedestal tray

    Remove the clamps and attach small round furniture pads to the bottom of the feet to prevent them from scratching your table. You can also buy ready-made, sticky-back felt buttons for furniture.

    A person applying rubber pads to the legs of a wood pedestal tray

    Pedestal tray assembly finished

    Now you have your very own display tray on legs! Wasn't that an easy DIY? The best bit is, you can use your footed tray all through the year for seasonal displays. See below for how I styled my pedestal tray for Christmas.

    A painted wood pedestal tray with oak legs.

    How can you use a pedestal tray?

    Here are a few ideas on how to use your footed tray around the house:

    • Wood pedestal trays make great plant stands. Use them to elevate plants on shelves. You could even add some wheels instead of legs so you can more easily move your plants around.
    • Use them to hold condiments on your kitchen counter.
    • Wood pedestal trays look great as farmhouse risers and would be perfect for any farmhouse buffet.
    • Decorate your tray with seasonal displays in your kitchen.
    • Add handles on each side instead of wood trim.
    • Footed trays are perfect for adding extra height to wedding and birthday party table set-ups.
    • Your wood pedestal tray would make a useful coffee table centrepiece. Remotes and other small items can be hidden out of sight underneath, and essentials or decor can be displayed on top.
    • Wood pedestal trays make fabulous desk risers for accessories or even to elevate your monitor if you make it wide enough.

    DIY Pedestal trays are extremely customizable and you can make them, to match your aesthetic and style.

    Decorating a Pedestal Tray for Christmas

    Here's how I decorated my wood pedestal tray for Christmas.

    A Christmas display of white and gold candles and evergreens on a wood pedestal tray

    You can find lovely Christmas tree candles here.

    A Christmas display on a wood pedestal tray . white and gold candles, silver baubles and gold stars.

    I added some silver baubles for a bit of sparkle!

    White wood pedestal tray with contrasting oak legs decorated for Christmas

    I added lots of natural Christmas decor. You can find gorgeous natural decor here.

    A Christmas display of white and gold candles on a wood pedestal tray

    Below, you can see my table with lovely wood pedestal tray all set for Christmas!

    Christmas table setting/tablescape using a wood pedestal tray

    Where to buy online

    If you love the look of these lovely footed trays but don't want to make your own, here are a few that you can buy online:

    Chunky Farmhouse Riser

    Chippy Farmhouse Pedestal Tray

    These beautiful Farmhouse Risers with Cow motive (very pretty)

    More wood pedestal tray Inspiration from the Blogger DIY Challenge participants!

    Want to see more lovely pedestal trays and gorgeous Christmas styling? Well then, that's great because you are in for a treat.

    Below, you will find links to the posts from all my blogger friends who took part in this challenge. Click the links to go straight to their posts. ENJOY!

    American School of Charm - How to Use Scandinavian Decor as Holiday Table Inspiration

    Shop At Blu - How to make a table riser

    MTB Home Living - How to build a farmhouse footed tray

    From Farmhouse To Florida - Quick easy way to make a footed tray

    The Ponds Farmhouse - Easy to make DIY Farmhouse table riser

    Mrs Coleman - How to make a footed tray the super easy way

    J Dubby Design - DIY unique footed tray for holiday decor and entertaining

    Modern On Monticello - DIY wood footed tray

    Cottage on Bunker Hill - Christmas Tray DIY

    Cottage In The Mitten - How to make a footed tray

    Sydney & Co - DIY Decorative tray

    Sonya Burgess - How to use scrap wood to make a pedestal tray

    Feet under my table

    Faith and Farmhouse - How to make an easy footed tray


    These posts are good too!

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    How to make fresh evergreen wreaths for Christmas
    How to make calming, scented soy candles by chalkingupsuccess dot com. Free printable labels when you sign up for the weekly newsletter
    DIY Scented Soy Candles
    Printable wall art withThanksgiving quotes
    Free 'Thankful' Printables

    WAIT!

    This post was shared and/or featured at these link parties.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Jennifer Williams says

      November 03, 2020 at 2:48 pm

      Beautiful tray! Love how you styled it too.

      Reply
    2. Allison O'Dell says

      November 03, 2020 at 3:22 pm

      This came out SOOO pretty. You are re-affirming my Christmas list to get more tools! So smart how you put the dowel into the finials. Brilliant!!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 03, 2020 at 4:46 pm

        Thank you so much, Allison! More tools are on my Christmas list too! A girl can never have too many right? 😉

        Reply
    3. Sandra Smith says

      November 03, 2020 at 3:37 pm

      No photos of your work appeared and the only dimensions provided were metric! Not helpful! Frustrating experience all around.

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 03, 2020 at 4:43 pm

        Hi Sandra, sorry to hear that. My images are 'lazy loading' to ensure a faster connection to my website. It could be that you scrolled too fast through the post thereby not allowing time for the photos to load. I see this on a lot of websites and usually find that refreshing the screen brings the photos up faster. As for the metric measurements, I'm in Europe so I'm used to metric but it's not a problem for me to edit the post to include Imperial measurements too. Thanks so much for your comment. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Linda says

      November 03, 2020 at 4:26 pm

      I love how you made your tray! The styling is absolutely gorgeous!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 03, 2020 at 4:35 pm

        Thank you so much Linda!

        Reply
    5. Donna @ Modern on Monticello says

      November 03, 2020 at 6:39 pm

      This is gorgeous! Both the tray and your decorations. You did a great job on this challenge. So glad I participated with you. Pinned!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 03, 2020 at 8:29 pm

        Thank you, Donna, it was so lovely to be in this challenge with you!

        Reply
    6. Rachel Harper says

      November 03, 2020 at 8:13 pm

      Jayne,
      Your tray is so cute. I love how you styled it.

      Rachel

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 03, 2020 at 8:28 pm

        Thanks so much Rachel! Loved being in this challenge with you!

        Reply
    7. Sue at Blu says

      November 03, 2020 at 10:50 pm

      Jayne I absolutely love the side of your creation. And the greens and whites are just lovely! So woodsy and festive. This was a great challenge!

      Reply
      • Sue at Blu says

        November 03, 2020 at 10:51 pm

        oops...size! I love the size of your creation! lol

        Reply
        • Jayne Westerholt says

          November 05, 2020 at 5:14 pm

          Thanks, Sue! It was a great challenge, looking forward to doing more of these with you!

          Reply
    8. Renee Barton says

      November 04, 2020 at 12:23 am

      I love this! What a great way to make it look distressed. I love the blend of stained feet and white tray.

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 05, 2020 at 5:13 pm

        Thanks so much, Renee!

        Reply
    9. Danielle says

      November 04, 2020 at 12:41 am

      I love the size of yours, and those dainty feet! SO pretty! You are now a carpentry queen!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 05, 2020 at 5:12 pm

        lol, Danielle, a carpentry queen I am not but I have to admit that making this footed tray has encouraged me to do more with wood!

        Reply
    10. Kim Waldorf says

      November 04, 2020 at 12:53 am

      I love your tray and the length you made it. It is styled beautifully for Christmas. What a great job!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 05, 2020 at 5:09 pm

        Thanks so much Kim! I loved yours too!

        Reply
    11. Sonya says

      November 04, 2020 at 12:54 am

      So happy to be part of the challenge with you and love your tray and how you styled it.

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 05, 2020 at 5:08 pm

        Thank you so much Sonya! It was lovely to be in this challenge with you!

        Reply
    12. Elizabeth says

      November 04, 2020 at 2:40 am

      This is gorgeous, and you make it look so easy!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 05, 2020 at 5:05 pm

        Oh but it is! At least, this project was anyway 😉 Thanks for the lovely comment!

        Reply
    13. Sharon Rexroad says

      November 04, 2020 at 4:10 pm

      Jayne - love how your tray came out. And your hint about adding a piece of dowel inside the finials? Brilliant!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 05, 2020 at 4:59 pm

        Thanks Sharon! We missed you in the challenge!

        Reply
    14. Cristele says

      November 04, 2020 at 11:11 pm

      Hello Jayne,

      My Name is Cristele, joining in from Charming Homes & Gardens Link party. My links are 46-48. I enjoyed your Farmhouse Wood Pedestal Tray. It looks very elegant! My favorite part about the tray is the length. I also love risers and elevating decorative elements on a tray, it gives the items a sense of presence.

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 05, 2020 at 4:58 pm

        Hello Cristele, I'm so glad you liked my pedestal tray, it was so much fun to make!

        Reply
    15. Leslie Watkins says

      November 05, 2020 at 4:36 pm

      Jayne! I love this project! I love the tray underneath and the wood feet with the white tray...stunning! I have pinned this more than once I love it soooo much! Great job, friend!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 05, 2020 at 4:55 pm

        Thank you so much, Lesley, you are a star!

        Reply
    16. Carol@BlueskyatHome says

      November 08, 2020 at 1:01 am

      Jayne, You are quite the woodworker. I'm so impressed with your skills. The tray turned out so pretty. It will make a great addition to styling vignettes any time of year, but I love how you styled it for the holidays. Thanks for sharing at Tuesday Turn About Link Party.

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 08, 2020 at 9:15 pm

        Thank you, Carol! I'm looking forward to using this footed tray all around the house after Christmas! Always great fun partying at Tuesday Turn About!

        Reply
    17. rachelle says

      November 08, 2020 at 8:16 pm

      Jayne, this has to be the most beautiful diy raised tray I've seen. You have a great attention to detail and the finished results plus the way you styled it is lovely. I want to visit the rest of the hop, but first pin your picture. I am unable to pin anything from this post 🙁
      RR

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 08, 2020 at 9:13 pm

        Thank you Rachelle for your lovely comment. I'm not sure what's going on with the pins but I will check that - thanks so much for letting me know!

        Reply
    18. Cecilia says

      November 09, 2020 at 3:10 am

      This is such a great tutorial, Jayne & you styled it beautifully! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 13, 2020 at 6:48 pm

        You're welcome, Cecilia! Thanks so much for your lovely comment!

        Reply
    19. Rachel Harper says

      November 09, 2020 at 5:30 pm

      Jayne,
      I'm so excited that we are featuring your beautiful tray on Charming Homes & Gardens on Wednesday!

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 13, 2020 at 6:47 pm

        Thanks so much for the feature Rachel. I love linking up with Charming Homes & Gardens!

        Reply
    20. Kim | Shiplap and Shells says

      November 10, 2020 at 11:26 pm

      I loved everything about this riser Jayne. It is so cute! I am featuring you at Charming Homes and Gardens tomorrow.

      Reply
      • Jayne Westerholt says

        November 13, 2020 at 6:45 pm

        Thank you so much Kim!

        Reply
      • Cindy says

        July 29, 2021 at 2:48 am

        This try is so pretty. Love the way you have it styled too.

        Pinned

        Reply
        • Jayne Westerholt says

          July 29, 2021 at 1:26 pm

          Thanks so much, Cindy!

          Reply

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    Farmhouse style wood pedestal tray decorated for Christmas
    Jayne Westerholt profile image.

    Welcome friend! I'm Jayne, a home, DIY, Lifestyle blogger with a passion for chalk painting furniture, beautiful home decor and creating an organic home.

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