Our IKEA Hack: Portable indoor/outdoor tray table
If you’re like us, you’ve admired IKEA’s selection of fun, patterned serving trays while contemplating how many you can justify purchasing for your home. Use this easy DIY to turn your growing collection of trays into simple, modern tables that come apart and easily fit in your tote—perfect for the beach, a picnic or in your living room.
What you’ll need
17” Round tray like the IKEA OFFENTLIG
Clear PVC cement
* Depending on the tray size, you may need to adjust quantity of PVC pipe needed. We ordered the blue ½” PVC pipe on amazon and used our own jig saw to cut two 5 foot pieces into four 8 inch cross bars, four 18 inch legs, and four 1 inch fillers. Alternatively, you can head to your local hardware store where you can buy the PVC pipe and/or they can help you make the cuts.
If cutting the PVC yourself, begin by placing the PVC cross in the center of your overturned IKEA tray. Measure from the center to the end of the tray and mark the length with a sharpie. This will be roughly 8 inches. Use this as a template to cut 3 more bars. Insert bars into the PVC cross and attach to the end of each bar four PVC tees. Measure and cut four 18” legs and insert into tees. Use remaining blue PVC pipe to trim 1” fillers, inserting into the tee and polishing off with the end cap. Leave PVC at bottom of table legs open, this comes in handy at the beach where you can nestle your table in the sand.
Use PVC cement glue to adhere the cross and tees to the cross bars, ensuring stability. Don’t glue the legs so they can come apart. Detach the legs for ease in transport as you enjoy your table at the beach, a tailgate or your next outdoor party!
