DIY
How to make a rustic bath tray with some wood, wax, and a bit of hammering
With a laminated wood board and batten, you can make a convenient bath tray that’s perfect for lounging in the tub. Following these instructions by Maria Meder from the blog Diagnoosi sisustusmania (‘Diagnosis: Interior Mania’), you can give your tray a decades-old look.
Bath tray—materials
- laminated wood board
- batten (1–2 cm thick)
- jigsaw with fine finish blade
- cordless drill
- sandpaper
- various tools for creating a distressed look
- old sock or piece of fabric
- small brush for applying wax
- wood wax (e.g., Osmo Color in shade Antiikkitammi)
- rubber gloves
You’ll need a laminated wood board (20 cm wide and 1.8 cm thick) and a batten about 1–2 cm thick. Round the board’s corners with a saw and sand all sharp edges.
Attach the battens to the underside for keeping the tray in place on the bathtub edges.
By distressing and waxing, you can give the new wood an aged appearance.
Finally, applying wax highlights the dents and dings, giving the tray an aged look.
Bath tray—instructions
- Measure the width of your bathtub, and cut the wood board so it extends comfortably beyond the edges.
- Use a mug or coaster to trace rounded corners onto the board, then cut them out with a jigsaw.
- Saw two 20 cm pieces from the batten.
- Sand all cut edges as well as the long sides and the ends of both the board and battens so that they are rounder and smooth to the touch.
- Measure the inner width of the tub, and attach the battens as runners to the underside of the board with screws. The runners will help keep the tray securely in place over the tub’s sides.
- Now it’s time to add some patina! Use tools like a hammer, chain, knife, or chisel to distress the board. Create irregularities along the edges, poke small holes to mimic wormholes, and generally distress here and there with various tools to add age and patina to your board. Hammer the tray all over to give the surface some soft shapes.
- Finally, generously apply wood wax to the surface, working on a small area at a time. Use a small brush to work the wax into dents and holes to darken them. Wipe off any excess wax. One coat is sufficient.
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