DIY Bathtub Tray

Living in a small NYC apartment means that storage and counter-top space are at a premium. Unfortunately,
our bathroom is completely missing counter space and severely lacks in storage as well. The storage was a fairly simple fix - we added a tower over the commode and a separate towel tower next to the tub. The counter space was a bigger challenge. For this, I decided to tackle a project I had seen on Pinterest, but with my own spin on it, of course. I built a multi-purpose bathroom tray. It can be placed on top of the sink as additional counter space, or it can be used as a tray for the bath. It was super cost effective, and, though it took a few days, it was really fun! Here's what you need:

• Large piece of wood (you can buy this from your local craft store pre-cut or have it cut to the size you need)
• Wood stain
• Polyurethane
• Sponges
• Clean rags
• Handles
• Screws
• Drill

First, cut the wood to the appropriate size for your needs. I did the next few steps in a different order, but I'd recommend drilling the holes for the handles before staining. 

Next, I stained the wood with three coats of stain. You'll want to use as many coats as it takes to get the desired color, and be sure to allow them to dry completely between coats and before applying the polyurethane. 

Then, coat the wood well with polyurethane. Again, allow the polyurethane to dry completely between coats.

Then, I measured the holes needed to fit my handles and marked the wood. I drilled holes for the screws, and I drilled a slightly wider hole on the bottom so that the screw top could lay flat in the wood.

I attached the handles and tested the tray for water proofing. If your polyurethane doesn't do the trick for waterproofing, you can spray the whole tray with a water proofing spray.