I hope everyone’s had a great start to the new year! It’s been a while since my last update, so I wanted to share how things are going with the Civil War Newspaper Lined Tray Project and give you an idea of what’s coming next.
Early last year, Tricia and I came across a basket of Civil War-era newspapers at a small antique shop. Most of these papers date back to April through June 1862, and they include articles on key battles, notable historical figures, and daily life during the war.
While the newspapers weren’t in great shape—many were incomplete or damaged—I was able to carefully salvage sections to repurpose into these trays. This project has been a way to save and showcase pieces of history that might have otherwise been lost, turning them into something both decorative and functional.
Each tray is lined with a genuine section of the Boston Morning Journal, making every piece truly unique. Some trays feature bold headlines, others highlight longer stories, and a few include articles about events or figures I remember learning about in school—like the “Sleeping Sentinel”, President Lincoln’s famous act of compassion.
Here’s how the project is coming along:
The final step is the oil finish, which takes time since each tray gets five coats to bring out the beautiful grain of the ash bands. I’m happy to say I’m still on track to have these trays completed and ready for sale around the beginning of March!
If the Civil War newspaper lining isn’t quite your thing, I’m also working on some other trays in this batch:
Like the Civil War trays, these are all made with ash bands, quartersawn pine bottoms, and finished in the dark antiqued natural finish. I think there will be something for everyone!
I’d love your input on the best way to handle sales for these trays.
When I made the newspaper-lined boxes previously, I randomly selected a box for each customer. That approach worked well since the linings, while unique, had a consistent theme of advertisements. These trays are a bit different—they’re much more specific, featuring articles about key battles, historical figures, and other topics that might appeal to different people.
To make sure everyone gets a tray that’s meaningful to them, I’m considering listing each one individually on my website. This way, you could choose a tray that resonates with you—whether it’s tied to your region, a bold headline, or a favorite historical figure. This would be similar to how I handle the “extra items” I occasionally list, where I announce the date and time for the sale in advance.
This approach would take more time to prepare (photographing and describing over 250 trays isn’t a small task!), but I think it might be worth it to ensure you get exactly what you want. That said, if most of you would prefer I randomly select a tray for you, I’m open to reconsidering. Please let me know your thoughts!
This project has been a pleasure to work on, and I’m excited to bring these trays to life. From preserving the articles to crafting the trays, it’s been a rewarding process.
Thank you again for your continued support—it truly means a lot. If you have thoughts or feedback, feel free to get in touch. I can’t wait to share the final results with you soon!
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