Turn A Simple Frame Into A Beautiful Decorative Tray With A Clever DIY

Finding the right decorative tray that perfectly blends with your home's decor can either feel downright tricky or unexpectedly expensive. But, thanks to this clever hack from Instagram user @monicadecorr, you can DIY your dream decorative tray with something you already have hanging around your home: a picture frame. Plus, it's a great way to use up extra pieces of your favorite wallpaper or bring a little texture into your space with a bamboo placemat. All you need to get started is the frame, whatever textiles you'd like to showcase, a hot glue gun, and four wooden balls — or whatever you'd like to use as legs for your tray.

First, remove the photo backing from the frame and measure it. Cut your textile as necessary to fit the measurement or, if you're using fabric you'd rather not cut, arrange it over the frame's glass. Replace the backing and bend the fasteners down to secure it to the frame. Grab your hot glue gun and apply a bead of glue on each wooden ball, then attach it to the corner of each tray. Let dry, then style your tray!

One of our favorite things about this DIY — besides its simplicity — is its versatility. Spray paint the frame before assembling (make sure to remove the glass beforehand) to make sure it perfectly matches your room's decor. You can also change up what textile you put between the glass and the photo backing. This is a great place to showcase that heirloom scarf, old letters or photos, postcards from your travels, or even pressed flowers. In other words, you can make this tray into whatever you want it to be!

Rather have handles on your tray? Pick up two drawer pulls from your local hardware store (or repurpose the spare ones hanging out in your garage), flip your finished tray so the top side is facing up, and hot glue them to the short edges of the frame. If you spray-painted your frame, make sure to spray-paint the handles and let them dry before gluing.