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Dukes and Duchesses

Dallas Fort Worth Creative Lifestyle Blogger

building creative projects thrifty treasures · Written by Randi Dukes

DIY Rustic Wooden Tray with Leather Handles

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Remember the thrift store challenge I told you about a couple of weeks ago?  Today is the big reveal!  I transformed some of my leather pieces into a project I love: two versions of a DIY rustic wooden tray with leather handles!  Check out all the details of this Williams-Sonoma knock-off and then be sure to click on all the links at the end of the post to see the other thrift store transformations!

DIY rustic wooden tray with leather handles

I was inspired by these gorgeous wooden trays from Williams-Sonoma and decided it would be really fun to use the leather pieces from the thrift store challenge to create my own version.

lazy-susan-with-leather-stitching-c

I started with my scraps of leather and rounded up a couple of pieces of scrap wood from my lumber bin.

DIY rustic wooden tray with leather handles

I sanded the wood with an electric sander to get rid of rough areas but didn’t worry about getting the edges perfect since I wanted a rustic look.  Using Minwax stain cloths in dark mahogany {affiliate link}, I stained both boards.  The small stain cloths are perfect for a job like this but be sure to wear gloves to keep your hands from getting stained as well.

To make the leather handles, I trimmed the leather into strips, four pieces for each tray.  I cut the strips one inch wide and about eight or nine inches long {the length will depend on the size of the wood being used}.  I used a sanding block to rough the leather up a bit and wiped the pieces down with a stain cloth as well.  The color was a bit too light for my liking and I wanted to give the leather a bit of an aged appearance.

DIY rustic wooden tray with leather handles

Once the stain had dried, I placed two pieces of leather, wrong sides together, and used my sewing machine to stitch around the edges.  To keep the leather from sliding during sewing, I held it together with a tiny bit of hot glue down the middle of the strips.  If you do that, be careful not to glue anywhere near where you plan to sew.

DIY rustic wooden tray with leather handles

Hold the straps in place and drill a small pilot through the leather into the wood then attach the leather handles to the trays.  I used bronze screws to match the aged appearance I was going for.

I attached the screws to the end of one of the trays and the top of another one to give them a bit of variety.

DIY rustic wooden tray with leather handles

The trays turned out exactly as I had envisioned and I love them!

DIY rustic wooden tray with leather handles

Since I didn’t use a food-safe finish on them, I won’t place food items directly on the trays but they’re perfect for an at-home date night …

DIY rustic wooden tray with leather handles

… or a quick happy hour.

DIY rustic wooden tray with leather handles

Add your favorite treats and carry them to a sweet spot for two or set out a few of the trays to create a rustic tablescape.

DIY rustic wooden tray with leather handles

And if you want some variety, instead of staining the trays, paint them in bold colors, use thicker wood, or use a different color of leather to create an entirely different look.

DIY rustic wooden tray with leather handles

However you choose to create them, these trays are the perfect practical accessory for entertaining!  How would you alter your wooden tray?

DIY rustic wooden tray with leather handles

Pin this wooden tray tutorial and then check out the other trash to treasure projects from the thrift store challenge!  Just click through on the links below!

 

trash to treasure DIY projects

Salvage Sister and Mister :: Chalkboard Divider and Numbered Sign

My Life From Home :: Sunglasses Holder, Hoop Art, and Wooden Paddle

Refurbish 360 Blog :: Mini Succulent Pots and Address Plaque

Rachel Teodoro :: Embroidery Hoop Chandelier

Lovely Etc :: Jewelry Holder

Shop at Blu :: Time Out Chair

One Mile Home Style :: Accent Table

All Things New Again :: Wall Art, Cell Phone Charging Station, Toy Box, Ornaments

Sweet Pea :: Chalkboard Sign

Paint Yourself a Smile ::

Shepherds and Chardonnay :: Bushel Basket Lampshade and Upcycled Tiered Tray

Farmhouse 40 :: Thrifted Vignette

One More Time Events :: Thrift Store Vignette

3 Little Greenwoods ::  Back to School Teacher Gift


27 Comments

About Randi Dukes

I’m Randi, a Dallas-based mom of five kids, ranging from third grade to college and including a set of twins. I love strong coffee, craft and DIY projects, my planner, and my big ol’ family. When I’m not creating something for my blog, I can be found in the car, running kids from one place to another. I’m the one knitting at the red light. Connect with me on google+ | twitter | facebook

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Comments

  1. carol says

    July 25, 2016 at 7:13 am

    Great job on the trays. My fav is the larger one with the handles on the sides. I didn’t realize you could sew leather on a home machine; love the stitching detail! Perfect for sunset cocktails on the deck!

    Reply
  2. Courtney @ All Things New Again says

    July 25, 2016 at 7:36 am

    What a great idea! Your trays are so cool. Thank you for the tutorial. I’m thinking you could do the same thing with an old leather belt. Have a great week! ~Courtney

    Reply
  3. Deborah says

    July 25, 2016 at 9:31 am

    BRAVO!!!!! I adore these trays!!!!

    Reply
  4. BonBon says

    July 25, 2016 at 10:57 am

    I absolutely love these trays. Great job

    Reply
  5. Paula@SweetPea says

    July 25, 2016 at 12:38 pm

    These look awesome, Randi! I’ll bet that you could sell them in a heart beat if you tried.

    Reply
  6. Rachel says

    July 25, 2016 at 12:39 pm

    I’m in love! What a great makeover! The leather handles are perfect and the tray will be a real show stopper. well done!

    Reply
  7. Jeannee@shepherdsandchardonnay says

    July 25, 2016 at 1:45 pm

    Randi,
    You did such a beautiful job with the leather bits! Incredible how classic and well made they turned out! You should be very proud! #Impressed !
    Jeannee

    Reply
  8. Sue at Blu says

    July 25, 2016 at 3:24 pm

    Absolutely love those trays! Yours was one project I was anxious to see! I’m not sure that I could have been so creative! Way to go!

    Reply
  9. Ashley ~ 3 Little Greenwoods says

    July 26, 2016 at 6:21 am

    Don’t you just love it when you can recreate an expensive piece for pennies? Love your wooden trays! I’ve got a little bit of leather stashed away too. Thanks for the project inspiration!

    Reply
  10. Jenny Kavanagh says

    July 26, 2016 at 1:42 pm

    That is a really fun use of the leather pieces. It looks so good. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Amy @ My Life From Home says

    July 27, 2016 at 6:03 pm

    These are absolutely fantastic! I have always wanted to do a project with leather, but wasn’t sure how to go about it. This is the perfect project. Great job on the challenge!

    Reply
  12. Stephanie says

    July 29, 2016 at 1:58 pm

    I love how these turned out!! Such an awesome idea, and an easy DIY!

    Reply
  13. gigi says

    July 30, 2016 at 10:39 am

    I never heard of Minwax Wipes— what a genius product! Okay,…that takes staining to a whole new level. I’m always intimidated by staining. I love your tray. I would love to have one like that to serve on. I bet you could even use metal drawer handles for the handles if you didn’t have leather,…that would probably work too. I feel like I might have to make this! Thank you for the inspiration!

    Reply
  14. Christine says

    July 31, 2016 at 3:42 pm

    I am loving this idea! What a great way to amp up a simple bread and cheese board. I’d love it if you could share this with me and my co-hosts over at the Dishing It & Digging It Link Party, I think our followers would love it. It goes live at 4 pm est today.

    If not, I am still glad I found your blog, going to go pop around some of your other posts! Have a great week!

    Reply
  15. Mary Beth says

    August 1, 2016 at 7:25 pm

    Oh my goodness, Randi! As soon as I saw this I had to stop over. I love everything about these – such a perfect upcycle! Thanks for sharing at Project Inspire{d}.

    Reply
  16. Crystal says

    August 1, 2016 at 7:39 pm

    Gorgeous serving trays! It’s amazing how simple the design it, but it looks so elegant. Great job!

    Reply
  17. Valerie says

    August 2, 2016 at 11:32 am

    What beautiful trays! I just love how simple and easy it looks to design.

    Reply
  18. Carole @TootSweet4Two says

    August 2, 2016 at 12:08 pm

    What a great job! They look fantastic!

    Reply
  19. Heidi says

    August 2, 2016 at 5:26 pm

    A very classy, rustic look to your trays, love it!

    Reply
  20. Theresa @DearCreatives says

    August 4, 2016 at 1:36 am

    Love this DIY. It’s heading right onto my fall to do list. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Pinned & shared.

    Reply
  21. Kate says

    August 4, 2016 at 7:10 am

    I love this! It’s looks really easy too! I love easy projects!
    Kate | The Organized Dream

    Reply
  22. Sabrina says

    August 4, 2016 at 7:18 pm

    I love those trays, they look so amazing. I can’t believe how easy you make these projects look like. Thank you so much for sharing Randi.

    Reply
  23. Nicki says

    August 8, 2016 at 7:52 pm

    These wooden trays are just perfection! Thanks for sharing with us at Totally Terrific Tuesday! I have chosen this project to feature this week! Hope to see you back again for this week’s party!

    Reply
  24. Nici says

    August 10, 2016 at 6:29 pm

    This is such a cool project! I love how it turned out! Thanks so much for sharing it at my Creative Ways Link Party! Hope you’ll be back this week!
    Blessings,
    Nici

    Reply
  25. Debra C. says

    August 11, 2016 at 8:04 am

    Oh my gosh these are gorgeous! And just think of all the money you’ve saved!! They turned out beautiful, I want one!! I wanted to pop by and let you know I’ll be featuring your GREAT project on #FoodieFriDIY today – come by and link up!!

    Reply
  26. Louise Adkins says

    October 20, 2017 at 11:21 am

    Idea…Use old belts for the handle pieces. That way you do not have to glue or stitch. We used an old belt of my husbands and made pull handles for built in stair drawers on our “tiny” weekend house.
    Worked great.

    Reply
  27. Ivory says

    January 11, 2021 at 8:47 pm

    Wow! Wow! Wow! I love these. Gotta get off my butt and give this a try. Wow! Will be joining your site

    Reply

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Welcome to Dukes & Duchesses!

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I’m Randi, a mom of five living in Dallas. I love strong coffee, long lists, bright colors, thrift stores, repurposed junk, and power tools.

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