As you can imagine, I work on my laptop a lot. When I’m not chasing toddlers or spending quality time with my hubby, you can probably find me tapping away on my computer. Usually, I’ll sit in my office but sometimes, especially if I’m working at night, I like to work from bed in my pajamas. I mean, if you could, wouldn’t you?

One issue I’ve run up against by working in bed is it can get pretty uncomfortable. Anyone can probably tell you that typing on a laptop on your lap (or propped on a pillow) is not ergonomically ideal. I’ve been toying with the idea of making my own bed tray lately to make my late night work sessions a bit more comfortable and I finally got around to doing it. 

Y’all, why did I wait so long to make this tray? It was SO EASY and it’s beautiful! Here’s a quick tutorial for you in case you want to make your own.

Supplies:

• (1) 2X10, cut to 24 inches
• (4) raw wood turned legs (mine are 7″)
• wood glue or Liquid Nails
• table saw
• sander
• drill and bits

Instructions:

1. First, I cut my 2X10 down to 24 inches long. My plank of wood was 10 feet long (it was the shortest one I could find!), so I have a ton of wood left. Hopefully, you can find a shorter plank.
2. Then I sanded it down making sure to round the edges and corners a bit. My plank had a lot of dings and knots in it, but that’s what I wanted. If your plank is really neat and you want some “character” added, just take a hammer and a screwdriver and beat the hell out of it before you sand it down.
3. Once your piece of wood is nice and sanded, wipe it down and then stain it. I used Minwax Dark Walnut. Stain your turned legs as well.
4. When your stain is dry (I let it dry overnight), drill a pilot hole in each corner of the bottom of your wood. I positioned the holes about an inch from each side.
5. Put a good dab of wood glue or Liquid Nails on the base of each turned leg and then screw each leg into a pilot hole.
6. Finally, put a coat or two of polyurethane on it to seal the wood. I used a poly with a satin finish, but you can use matte or semi-gloss if you prefer. Let the poly dry overnight.

I just love this little tray. It’s so pretty and it’s got sexy legs (am I the only one who gets excited about table legs?).

You have a lot of options for finishing the tray, too. I stained it and I think it’s lovely, but you could paint it or leave it natural and just put a little polyurethane on it to seal it. The possibilities are endless!

It is also functional and quite versatile. You can use it to work, like I do, or you can use it to encourage your husband to bring you breakfast in bed. I’m going to try that this weekend and see how it goes (a girl can try, right?).

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