A friend of mine came across an elevated cutting board on Pinterest and wanted something similar to add height and interest to her buffet tables during parties and gatherings. 

Round cutting boards are expensive unless you're lucky enough to find a few at thrift shops, which I wasn't. So, I started shopping for other options and came across this unfinished wooden plate at Hobby Lobby.  Now, I needed the legs and lucky for me, Hobby Lobby had exactly what I needed with these candlesticks.

My friend wanted two trays so I bought the 12" and 14" plates so I could build them at varying heights.

Let's get started!  Here is the list of supplies you'll need to make this tray.

SUPPLIES: 

• 12" and 14" wooden plate
• Package of wooden candlesticks
• Stain and/or paint
• Nexabond Instant Wood Adhesive (or any other heavy duty wood glue)
• Foam brush for stain
• Paint brush
• Poly or finishing wax

The style we were going for was classic, yet rustic.  So, we opted for a dark stained platter and white, distressed legs.  If you're familiar with my furniture restyles, this is my signature look.  

I started by staining the trays and candle sticks using General Finishes Antique Walnut gel stain.

Isn't the grain on this wood incredible?  I love all the variation in color and pattern!

Once the stain was fully dry, I dry brushed white paint {General Finishes Antique White} over all the legs.

Since we wanted the trays at different heights, I glued two candlesticks together for each of the legs of the 12" tray.  For the 14" tray, I used three candlesticks for each leg.  

Next, I sealed everything with General Finishes Satin Finishing Wax, which gives a beautiful matte, silky durable finish. {Since the serving trays are wooden, I wouldn't recommend putting food directly on the surface.}

Then I glued all the legs to the plates and we have beautiful serving trays ready to adorn a buffet table.  

Such an easy, fast and affordable project!  Please let me know if you make your own and post pictures of how it turns out!