For Christmas last year, I decided to try and make my children a couple of gifts that I could not find in stores. One of the gifts I made my son was a Lego tray that he could take on car trips. He really loves his Legos and tries to take them everywhere he goes so I thought it was a cute idea and really practical. (I was a little afraid that he might think it was too boring a gift for Christmas, but he was really excited about it when he saw it and immediately tried it out!)
Things needed to make your own Lego tray:
Small tray (I found an unfinished wood tray at Hobby Lobby for under $4)
Wood Glue **If you decide to use an unfinished wood tray
Paint or stain (I went with spray paint because it dries fast and he loves blue)
Sealant (To protect it from spills and scrapes)
Strong glue like Gorilla glue or a maybe a two sided foam tape
Instructions:
1. First, I filled in the gaps between the side walls and the base of the tray with some wood glue to make it more sturdy.
2. After the glue dried, I applied two coats of spray paint and one coat of sealant spray. **Wait until each coating is dry before you add the next coat**
3. While the paint is drying, you can cut off however much you will need from the Lego mat to fit into your tray. **I used about 2/3 of one mat for mine or you could even leave a bigger border and use only half of a mat so you could make another tray to give to another child or sibling**
4. Finally, either glue or tape the Lego mat to the tray and place a heavy object like a can of food or a book on top of the mat to help bind the materials better. Once the materials have dried, the tray is ready to use.
Hopefully your child will like it as much as mine did:)
The Thrifty Educator 
Adorable model.
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