DIY Trivet Tray IKEA Hack

I’m back with a brand new IKEA hack! This time, I tried my hand at a design concept that’s a little new to me—that is, simple. This DIY heat-resistant trivet tray is just about as neutral and easy-going as it gets around these parts, what with its lack of pink, glitter, and pom-poms, but I think we can all agree that sometimes “simple” really is best. Read on for the 30-minute tutorial and chime in with your thoughts on my slightly out-of-character instinct to go quieter with my handmade design this go around.

• IKEA PS 2014 Tray
• E6000 glue (or your own personal favorite super hold adhesive)
• Scissors
• Rope

Start by uncurling your rope so that you have enough slack to work with. Although you’ll be working in small batches, having slack rope at the ready will allow you to work quickly so that the adhesive doesn’t dry on you.

Next, squeeze a single circular line of glue along the furthest outside edge of your wooden tray, right up against the inside of the rim but on the “floor” of the tray. When you get back to where you started, set the glue aside and gently press the rope into place along the glue line. Rather than laying the rope down tight, you’ll want a little looseness so that you don’t inadvertently pull the laid rope out of place as you work your way around.

Continue gluing in circular batches, one ring at a time, working your way towards the center of the tray. Once you reach the middle, glue the last bit of rope in place and then trim it with a pair of sharp scissors. If at any point during the process you run out of rope, simply start gluing a new piece of rope right where you left off. It won’t be noticeable in the end—in fact, I even ran out of rope at one point towards the bottom right of the tray in the photo above, and you can only just barely make out the transition. Oh, and as for that hole in the tray? Just run rope right over it without gluing it in place. It will sit evenly in the end without trouble.

 

To finish, grab a heavy box or stack of books and place it on top of the roped tray. This will help the rope to stick securely to the adhesive. Allow the tray to dry overnight and then remove the books or box—you’re done! A note if you happen to use E6000 glue like I did—it worked like a charm, but was a little fumey for my taste, so I would suggest doing this project outdoors or maybe use a hot glue gun or other type of super hold glue instead.

Truth be told, I had initially been planning to add a colorful detail or pattern to my trivet tray IKEA hack, but once it was done, it looked just fine on its own. I’m starting to learn that not everything needs to be bold and embellished to get a sophisticated point across, and this pulled back, neutral tray was my first attempt at fully embracing that aesthetic. What do you think? Could it use a little something more? What would you have done? I’m all ears and ready to soak up your creative inspiration. After that you can just enjoy your creation and treat yourself with a good foot massager, in case you don’t own one, you can find one yourself with the Top 9 Rated review.

P.S. In case you haven’t entered, the Glidden $50 giveaway is still going strong! Click through here to enter, and you’ll also notice that we added a BONUS entry, so pop back to the post in case you want yet another chance to win. Good luck!