Kibble Dribble Floor Protector

I cannot be the only one with a cat who gets overzealous at meal times, so I wanted to design a tray to protect our floor from his food and water bowl spills. This design has a no-slip bottom and can be painted to match your home décor.
This craft is super easy, and you can do yourself or with kids. And with paint supplies, hot glue, and sealant at home, this craft only cost me $2 in new materials!

-Plastic Tray (I used one from my local Dollar Tree)
-Cabinet Liner (Again, Dollar Tree!)
-Hot Glue Gun
-Acrylic Paints
-Paintbrushes
-Pet-Safe Enamel Spray

First, you'll need to glue down the cabinet liner to the bottom of the tray. This will keep the tray from sliding around on the floor once you're done, and will make it easier to paint in step 3. I had intended to use a spray glue, but with the mesh of the cabinet liner and the rim on the bottom of the tray it ended up being easier to make a line of hot glue around the rim and press the mesh into the hot glue. Then trim the excess liner and flip the try so that it rests on it's new slip-free base.

This is the step where you get to be as creative as you'd like! I chose to paint directly on my tray since I was going for an abstract marbling effect, but I needed to paint about three coats with my acrylic paint to make the clear plastic more opaque. For kids, I'd definitely stick to a plastic tray and acrylics so that they can go wild with paint, but an adult making this might might want a base coat of enamel spray so that the paint sticks for more detailed designs.

Lastly, go outside to seal the acrylic from any spills with an enamel spray. Be sure to cover the entire area of the tray, and leave it outdoors in the sun for a least 30 minutes. This gives the enamel time to dry and lets the smell of the spray dissipate.

Now that you've made and sealed your tray, you're ready to place your pet's food and water and let your furry friend(s) enjoy your creation!