Our farmhouse mudroom is slowly making progress. But now it is time for big progress. (Aka… one week to go and the procrastinator in me is slowly waking up.) The project this week was creating a crate that fit our boot tray.
We’ve had boot trays with rocks in them or a long time. The rocks help drain the mud and muck that comes with living on a farm. But one of the biggest issues was getting the boots and shoes to actually stay on the mat. Amazing how when you throw the boots at the tray they don’t actually stand upright on their own…
So I after searching for a crate that was the right size for the tray I decided to just create one using some barn wood I had stored a few months ago. To create your own farmhouse boot tray gather these supplies and follow the directions below.
Supplies Needed:
- plastic boot tray
- 1-inch thick lumber cut to size (See diagram below. These lumber sizes fit a 28 by 15 boot tray.)
- skill saw if cutting your own wood
- sander
- drill
- screws
- polished rocks (Craft stores have these as vase fillers. Check for coupons or sales.)
The diagram below shows the measurements for the lumber. These work for a boot tray that is 28 by 15. (I cut off the handles on the end of the tray.) To cut wood for a tray that is a different size you can follow these directions:
Begin by measuring the size of the boot tray and created a base out of lumber that is slightly larger than the tray. (I used two boards to create a base large enough.) Next, cut the end pieces. The length of the end piece is the same as the width of the base piece. Finally, you will need to cut to side pieces. To determine the length of the side boards take the length of the base and add on the thickness of the end pieces. (My base was 28 inches long, and the two end pieces were each an inch thick. So the side boards were 30 inches long.) After cutting the boards take a few minutes to sand the edges to prevent future scrapes and cuts.
After the pieces were cut I secured the crate with screws and a drill. You can see in my diagram where I secured the boards. I added the two end pieces first, and then the two long side pieces.
You can add paint, stain or seal with polyacrylic to finish off the crate. I used old barn wood so a quick coat of a water based poly coat is all that our crate needed.
The last step was to set the plastic boot tray inside and add a layer of polished rocks. The polished rocks help the boots drain without sitting in a puddle of water. Purchasing polished rocks cost more, but they keep the tray looking nice. Because they aren’t porous I can dump them in a bucket and rinse them out if they get super muddy or dirty.
Now that the tray and batten are done I can get to work on the painting and putting the room back together. I have one more woodworking project I am hoping to squeeze in this weekend, but I have to tackle the painting first. (Really not looking forward to painting around all of that batten!)
Check out the final farmhouse mudroom reveal here!
Here’s a look at our to-do list for the mudroom. We still have lots more to wrap up!
Room Update List:
Hang BattenSelect Paint ColorsCreate Boot TrayPurchase Shoe BasketsPurchase Trash CanPurchase Mirror- Paint
- Recover Benches
- DIY Window Box??
- Sew Curtains
- Finishing Touches
You can find more room updates over at the One Room Challenge link up party. So many great rooms getting closer to the end!
Check back next week for the final reveal as we put our farmhouse mudroom back together.
Lauren says
Great tutorial! Can’t wait to see the rest of your mudroom!
mary says
I need to make one of these for our mudroom!
Beverly says
Great idea. Thanks for the tutorial. Thanks for sharing your wonderful posts at Over The Moon Party.
See you next week.
Hugs,
Bev
Sara says
This would be a GREAT thing to build for a home in Alaska! We wear boots for almost half of the year. I love the look of the stones. Thanks for sharing this with us at the Home Matters Link Party, hope to see you again next week:) #HomeMattersParty
angie says
snow in Illinois is something that is unpredictable but this project is a great one to do so that one would be ready for sure
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