DIY Picture Frame Tray

 Last summer, my mother-in-law had us up and wanted to work on these little tray projects together.  She was making some things for her quilt guild and for Christmas presents, so we had a fun day of getting all those things ready.  That is why I'm just now posting this, since she made one for her mother, who reads this blog pretty consistently from what I hear.  (Hi Janice!)  I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise!

I'm also glad I waited to post about this, because Valentines day is coming up in just a few weeks, and I think nothing says romance like a little tray that works for breakfast in bed!  If you want to bring your honey some breakfast in bed (and please make sure there's a side of coffee), then this is just the perfect thing to bring it on!  You could even make your Valentine's card be inside the frame.

For this particular tray, the one I took home, we actually used cabinet door handles.  You really have to pick the type of handles according to the type of frame you find.  Every frame is different, so they all need a different type of handle.  Since this frame was very wide and had a thick flat surface on the edges, it worked great with the handles.  My mother-in-law also did some handles that were made with wire and beads.

I didn't photograph that part, but its pretty straight forward.  Mark where the screws need to be and drill straight down.  Since the screws go up into the handle, you'll probably need to drill a larger bit just up to where the screw head will fit flat against the rest of the wood.

On the back, we attached a floor tile so that the surface would be cleanable.  

I really didn't think cleanable was a word, but it isn't turning red, so on the blog it goes!

 Since we drilled holes into the face of the frame, we went to Hobby Lobby and found some decorative wood details to glue over the screw holes.  We used three on each side to make it seem more balanced and purposeful.

And there's the end result!  I just love the little picture that was already in the frame she bought!  If you can't tell, it is metallic.  It is just quaint, and works great with my white tea set!

Do you ever do breakfast in bed at your household?  Are you the breakfast maker and taker, or the breakfast waker?