Whether it’s snowing or raining outside, it’s nearly impossible to avoid tracking in water when you step into your entryway. Water, while necessary to keep us alive, can damage floorboards and cause other problems in your entryway. And no, I’m not even talking about the icky feeling you get when you step into a cold water puddle on your already dry socks. Yuck!
We almost got a foot of snow here in the Midwest yesterday night and before the storm hit, I was already on a mission to “winterize” my home in modern farmhouse style. To contain the water, I found this LL Bean Boot Tray online, shown below, and immediately fell in love with its rustic farmhouse charm. But what struck my heartstrings definitely wasn’t the price. $119? No way! If you’re looking for a way to avoid water puddle disasters in your entryway, then you’ll LOVE this Modern Farmhouse Boot Tray that cost me less than $20 to make myself. Check out my free plans below and save yourself $100+ on this modern farmhouse boot tray that’ll last for years to come!
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THe MODERN FARMHOUSE BOOT TRAY
The plans for this modern farmhouse boot tray, inspired by LL Bean, are shown below. Please share photos of your projects on Instagram with the hashtag, thecreativeOTwoodshop, so I can share your beautiful creations and inspire other builder’s like you!
Dimensions
- 28″ Long x 16″ Wide x 3.5″ Tall
Material List
- 1 1 x 8 x 8 board
- 1 box of 1 1/4 inch pocket hole screws
- 1 box of 1 1/2 inch brad nails
- 1 Mohawk Home 18 inch x 30 inch Charcoal dot mat
- 1 Box Knife
- 1 White Colored Pencil
- 1 Scrap Piece of Wood
Tool List
- Tape Measure
- Speed Square
- Pencil
- Safety Glasses
- Ear Protection
- Drill
- Drill Bit (for handles)
- Miter Saw
- Table Saw
- Kreg Jig K5
- Brad Nailer
- Scroll Saw or Jigsaw
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Measure The Largest Foot
Measure your largest shoe in the family, length-wise, and add 2 inches to it to make your width. I made my width 14.5 inches to accommodate for larger boots, etc.
Step 2: Measure Length of Tray
If you want two shoes to fit on the tray, then you’ll want to make it 18 inches long. Likewise, if you want three shoes to fit on the tray, then you’ll want to make it 28 inches long. Choose what size you want based on where you want to place it in your entryway. For this post, I created my tray to be 28 inches long to fit three shoes wide.
Step 3: Make Your Base
Cut 2 boards, using the 1 x 8 x 8 board, to 26.5 inches on your Miter Saw.
Step 4: Create Pocket Holes
Create 3/4 inch pocket hole screws on one side of the 1 x 8 x 8 board you cut in Step 3 using your Kreg Jig. Attach the boards together using 1 1/4 inch pocket hole screws.
Step 5: Mark and Cut the Sides
Cut the 1 x 8 x 8 board to 16 inches twice and to 26.5 inches twice creating 4 boards in total.
Step 6: Rip The Sides
Rip the boards you cut in Step 5 on your Table Saw to 3.5 inches.
Step 7: Cut Out the “FEET”
Measure 3 inches in from each side of the board and an inch from the bottom of the board. Using the line you made, see below, cut out your pieces using a scroll saw or jigsaw.
Step 8: Make the handles
For the two 16 inch boards, measure 3/4 inch from the top and bottom of the middle section (see the “x” in the image below). Make a hole on one end of the handle outline and use a scroll saw or jigsaw to cut out your handle along the outline.
Step 9: Outline Your Mat
Using your boot tray base, place it on top of your mat and use a white colored pencil to draw a line surrounding it.
Step 10: Cut Your Mat
Using a box cutter, a board underneath it to prevent from scratching your workbench, and a pair of scissors, cut the mat to the appropriate size. Cut along the white border you created in Step 9.
Step 11: Attach the boards to the Base
Attach your boot tray base to the sides using 1 1/2 inch brad nails and your Brad Nailer.
Step 12: Sand and Finish
Sand and finish your boot tray to your liking using 220 grit sandpaper and the finish of your choice.
Step 13: Add Your Mat
Place your mat snug inside the boot tray once it is completely dry.
Step 14: Style
As always, just add a touch of modern farmhouse style, using a unique shoe rack to place on top of it.
And there you have it, a Modern Farmhouse Boot Tray for less than $20. While my Modern Farmhouse boot tray wasn’t the same color as the LL Bean Rustic Boot Tray, I wanted to make it a sleek black color to match the shoe rack that I already had in my entryway. I love how my Modern Farmhouse boot tray fits perfectly inside my shoe rack like it was purchased as a set. The best part about DIYing this Modern Farmhouse boot tray is that you can make it any finish or size you want without the restraints of a boot tray you can buy online. And with a savings of $100 to save your floorboards and the inconveniences of a wet pair of socks, this is a DIY that you’ll sure to LOVE for every season of the year.
If you’re looking to start DIYing, but don’t know where to start, you can check out my free Essential DIY Checklist printable below:
Stay tuned as I talk about all the ways in which I “winterize” and style my entry, the Modern Farmhouse way, on a budget!
Thanks for visiting and I’ll see you in the next one!
XOXO, Laura