Scrap Wood Buffalo Check Tray

Psssst… this post *might* contain affiliate links: see my disclosure here.

Leftover Scrapwood Tray

I used old scrapwood to make this tray

One of the benefits of being a rookie in the woodworking departments is that I generate loooooots of scrap wood. Lots. So when my friend Jen invited me to participate in her scrap wood challenge, I was thrilled! Make sure you check out all the other participants (list at the end of the post) to see what creativity abounds!

Lots and lots of scrapwood

Shop my favorites!

Step 1. Cut Squares

My project isn’t the most inventive, but… we love to eat dinner out on the patio which means transporting 5+ plates of food and cups of milk need to get from point A to point B so a tray is kind of exactly what we needed! I decided to work with some of my wood that was TRULY scrap wood and wouldn’t be useful for anything else. These 1/4 cuts from either side of a 2×4 should have been tossed but for some reason I still had a handful of them so I started by cutting them all down into squares.

I cut the end pieces of my end cuts into squares

Step 2. Sand the Squares

The squares were all slightly different heights because of how the 2x4s were trimmed down, but I still gave them each a light sanding on the cut edges to remove any splinters or tear out.

lightly sanding the squares of end cut 2x4s

Step 3. Sort and Paint Squares

To make a buffalo check pattern, I needed 4 colors, so I divided my squares into four piles. One would be the green, one a turquoise, one a mixtures of the green and turquoise and the last one just raw wood.

Sort and paint the squares

Step 4. Cut plywood for tray base

To build the tray, I used some leftover plywood cuts. I tried to find the ones with the straightest edges and then taped them together to trim them all to the same length. I should have just run them through my table saw, but… I was eager to move onto the next step so I just tried my best to align them when I glued.

trim plywood strips to size

Step 5. Glue the Plywood Together

Using wood glue and clamps, I glued together the strips of plywood. To finish them off, I mitered the ends of some off cuts from 1x6s and attached them like a frame with wood glue and my brad nailer. Sand, sand and sand some more.

Glue plywood together and add trim

Sand the scrap wood tray

Step 6: Dry Fit and Glue Buffalo Check Pattern

I dry fit the squares to make sure each row was spaced correctly in the tray and made sure the buffalo check pattern looked right. I experimented with a couple of different color layouts. Then I used wood glue to adhere the squares onto the plywood base of the tray. I made sure to glue first a row, and then a column to make sure the spacing stayed consistent.

dry fit the buffalo check pattern of scrap wood squares

Glue the squares onto tray

Step 7. Mix and Pour Resin

The next day, I measured and mixed clear epoxy resin. With resin, it’s essential to mix equal parts resin and hardener and to mix these parts for a couple of minutes. The resin I used required a second mix so I poured it into a different container and mixed for another minute. I poured the resin onto my tray and used a torch to eliminate as many bubbles as possible.

mixed resin for plywood tray

going over resin with torch to remove bubbles

Step 8: Add Handles and Seal

Finishing touches for the tray included lucite handles and painting the sides with leftover green paint. To seal the wood a bit, I applied a few coats of Polycrylic.

We’ve already used his tray a number of times, and I love that it’s large enough to really help with all the schlepping, but it’s also lovely enough that I don’t mind having it out on the counter when it’s not in use.

scrap wood tray with buffalo check pattern scrap wood tray with buffalo check inlay buffalo check scrap wood tray

If you prefer watching… I made a VIDEO! (And, as always, if you enjoy it… I’d love you to hop over and subscribe to my channel!)

Make sure you check out all the other incredible scrap wood creations. I get so much inspiration from these other wood workers… I can’t wait to see what magic they’ve come up with for their scrap wood piles and thanks again to Jen Woodhouse for organizing the lot of us!

pin this image to pinterest

I used leftover scrap wood to make this fun and colorful buffalo check tray

Don’t Miss Out

Become An Insider!

Signup for exclusive tips, and tricks from Charlotte’s House!

Let’s chat!

I love comments from you, so feel free to leave your thoughts and ideas below! And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for even more!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

5 Comments