DIY: Corral Your Boots With This Handy Entryway Tray
Follow along to make this easy and chic tray to protect your floors when it’s soggy outside
With winter snow season in full swing and April showers right around the corner, boots are getting a lot of use. Having a sturdy boot tray will protect your floors from all the outside dirt, salt and water you can track in. This wooden boot tray is filled with a layer of small stones and embellished with a rainy day quote painted on the front for a bit of extra character.
Tools and Materials
Note: Be sure to pick wood that isn’t warped so the pieces will butt up against one another without gaps.
- Quote printout (see step 1)
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Transparent tape
- 2 pieces of ¾-inch-thick wood, 3 by 25½ inches, for the long sides
- Small paintbrush
- Black acrylic paint
- Wood glue
- 1 piece of ½-inch-thick wood, 13 by 24 inches, for the base
- 2 pieces of ¾-inch-thick wood, 3 by 13 inches, for the short sides
- Large paintbrush
- Thompson’s WaterSeal
- Small decorative stones
Note: Be sure to pick wood that isn’t warped so the pieces will butt up against one another without gaps.
Instructions
1. Print out the phrase “rain rain go away” on a letter-size sheet of paper in your favorite font, with “rain rain” on the top line and “go away” on the bottom line. Make the font size slightly smaller than 3 inches (216 points) so it will fit on the side of the tray.
Cut the lines apart with scissors and rub the edge of the pencil lead across the backs of both pieces of paper.
1. Print out the phrase “rain rain go away” on a letter-size sheet of paper in your favorite font, with “rain rain” on the top line and “go away” on the bottom line. Make the font size slightly smaller than 3 inches (216 points) so it will fit on the side of the tray.
Cut the lines apart with scissors and rub the edge of the pencil lead across the backs of both pieces of paper.
2. Tape the two pieces of the quote on one of the 25½-inch-long pieces of wood so they are evenly spaced and centered. Firmly outline each letter in pencil. Doing this will transfer pencil lead from the back of the paper to the wood.
3. Remove the paper and, using a small paintbrush, fill in the letters with black acrylic paint. Let the paint dry thoroughly.
4. Apply wood glue to all four edges of the large wooden base as well as the ends of the two 13-inch-long pieces of wood. Set the base on your work surface and, with the quote facing outward, arrange the side pieces around it so they fit perfectly. You may want to place a couple of heavy books on each side to hold the side pieces in place so they adhere tightly.
5. Once the glue is dry, use a large paintbrush to apply a coat of Thompson’s WaterSeal to the base to protect the wood from moisture. This should be done in a very well-ventilated area, ideally outside. Let the sealer dry outside for a few hours (sunlight is thought to help it cure).
6. Line the bottom with a layer of small stones. These are mainly decorative, but they do spread out the water a bit so it will evaporate quickly. Then place the tray next to the door.
This project can be customized to fit your needs. You can try extending the length of the tray to hold more boots or paint the tray a different color to fit with your decor.
Your floors will benefit from this easy upgrade, and your entryway will look tidier once your boots are corralled in one place.
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