How to Make a Simple and Stylish Cane Tray

March 28,2024

Create a simple and stylish cane tray that will elevate your living space effortlessly.

Ready to add a touch of charm to your living space?

Today’s idea starts with a simple wooden thrift store tray and with a little finesse, a cast off piece becomes a treasure.

Yes, we scored another amazing thrift store find and with leftover cane it now looks like a chic tray you may find and Serena and Lily.

Certainly this cane tray is perfect to corral items on the bathroom counter, kitchen counter, dresser or table.

I believe the casual coastal look will go with so many styles and become your favorite summer accessory.

So, roll up your sleeves and let’s get started with a quick and easy project that will leave you feeling like a decor pro in no time!

In this post . . .

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Gather Supplies to Create a Cane Tray

First you’ll want to gather a few supplies to craft this trendy cane tray.

Supplies to make a wood and cane tray: wood tray, cane, wood beads.

You’ll need a tray with sides, a piece of cane large enough to cover the bottom of the tray, natural wood beads, wood glue, scissors and a piece of glass cut to fit the top of the tray.

On one of our recent thrifting adventures, we came across 2 wooden trays.

They’re just a basic wooden tray, nothing fancy.

But if you can’t find a tray that will work, a simple wooden picture frame will also work.

We used wood beads for the feet which were left over from Ellie’s French Country-Boho chandelier and the rattan was left over from Gavin’s dresser makeover.

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Pinterest image, simple cane and wood tray with in process images of making this easy DIY tray.

Attach Feet

I believe any tray looks more substantial if it has feet and for our tray we’re using natural wood beads.

Our beads are about 1″ in diameter, which is perfect for the size of my tray.

Attach 4 wood beads to each corner of the wooden tray with wood glue.

To attach the beads, place a small about of wood glue near each of the four corners and then position each bead.

Set the tray aside while the glue completely cures.

I let mine sit overnight.

If you don’t have beads, try using small knobs, a small spool or a wood candle cup.

Get creative and see what’s lying around your house!

Recently I was making a pedestal for a cloche and decided to cut small sections from spindles from an old chair as the feet for my pedestal.

If you’d like to see more thrift flips like this cloche, take a look at our latest Goodwill Home Decor Haul YouTube video.

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Apply a Protective Finish

If you’re planning on using your tray in the bathroom or kitchen I believe applying a protective top coat is a good idea.

I plan to use my cane tray in the bathroom and want to protect it from water spots or damage.

A protective top coat is applied to the wooden tray with bead feet.

Once again, I just used what I had on hand and coated both the top and bottom of the tray, including the bead feet with a water based top coat.

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Prepare Caning Material for Tray

Next, flatten out your caning material and cut it to fit inside the top of your tray.

Usually when working with cane, you need to soak it in water to flatten it out, but since we’re topping it with a piece of glass there was no need.

Cane webbing is easy to cut with household scissors.

Place cane that's cut to size in the wooden tray.

Finally, place the cane inside the top of the tray.

Glass Top

Have a piece of glass cut to fit inside the top of the tray.

Place a piece of glass over the cane on the wood tray.

I had mine cut at Lowes.

Because of the size of the glass and the size I needed, I was able to get 2 pieces of glass cut to fit both trays for the price I would have paid for one.

Now place the glass on top of the rattan piece.

Completed cane tray on a bathroom marble counter with a blue and white hand towel.

That’s it!

It’s finished and ready to style in any room of your home.

Shop This Project

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Styled cane tray in a bathroom with navy and white hand towel. liquid soap dispenser, aqua candle, small potted plant and two perfume bottles.

Now you can step back and admire your work!

You can take pride in your handiwork and enjoy this stunning piece for years to come.

So where will you place your cane tray in your home?

Is this a project you’d like to add to your home?

Love flipping thrifted items? Then take a look at even more ideas:

Thanks for spending some time with us today, we hope you’ve been inspired to repurpose thrift store finds and create your own treasure!

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