Check out this super easy DIY arm rest tray that you can make yourself for the perfect drink, glasses, or book resting spot!
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getting started
I wanted to create a arm rest tray for our big chair in our living room to have a spot to put a drink or my glasses while I’m reading. Since we have an abundance of scrap wood, I thought this would be a great project to try myself!
I started by measuring the arm of my chair. The width of the top of the arm was 10 inches, and I knew the maximum height that the inside piece could be was 9 inches.
I then took some scrap pieces of 1x12s and cut them to length. The first piece was 10 inches, the second piece 5 inches, and the third piece 8 inches. I then sanded them down with our Skil palm sander and stained them in Provincial by Miniwax. I took special care to make sure that none of the edges were super sharp given that the piece would be hanging off of the side of our chair.
To attach the pieces, I applied wood glue along the seam and secured the boards in place with a brad nailer. To make the seams fancier, you could use a table saw to cut the edges to a 45 degree angle. Then you could glue and clamp the pieces together while the glue dries. I, however, was not wanting to do that! I decided to go with the simple seam.
After letting it dry, I tested it out! I am super pleased with the final product, and it was very easy to make.
I had the thought after the fact to add another curve to hold a book or kindle. To do this, I would cut a very short piece at the same width, and another slightly longer one. The short piece would be the bottom of the book holder, and the longer piece would be the outer edge. This would be a really easy way to create a space to store your current reads!
the final product
