How-To Create a DIY Jewelry Tray

Supplies

Plain Wood Tray
Paint
Paint brushes
Decorative stickers/jewels
Epoxy Resin

Instructions

Purchase a Plain Tray

Purchase a plain wood tray from any store that has a craft section. You can often find plain wood trays, cubes, mini chests, and wood frames in the arts and crafts section of most stores. I chose a plain tray that has handles and is small and lightweight. This will be a decorative piece with the basic function of holding jewelry so keep it simple.

Pick Your Paint

Choose the color of paint that you will use on your tray. You can choose your favorite color, a color that is symbolic, or a random color for fun. I chose to paint the tray purple because it is considered the color of royalty and this tray was for a gift. Once you have chosen your paint color, you can paint the whole tray, inside and out. You want to apply 2 – 3 coats of paint. Be sure to let the paint fully dry before you do anything else.

Decorate the Tray

You can decorate your tray with stickers and jewels, stencils and drawings, or pictures. Find some decorations that make sense for the purpose of this tray. I chose blue sticky decals that look like flowers and gems. I recommend decorating the inside of the tray, but you can decorate the outside if you feel like it needs more attention. With the decals that I used; I made the initials of the person who would be receiving the tray. I also felt like the blue decals complimented the purple color of the tray and made it look more feminine. Choose colors and decorations that fit with your intended aesthetic.

Create a Solid Tray Surface

Once you have decorated your tray you will need to set the inside of the tray with epoxy resin. There are two purposes for using the epoxy. First, you want to protect the decorations on the inside of the tray. Since the tray will be used to hold items, you don’t want those items to damage the decorations. Second, you will probably want a smooth surface to place your items into the tray. If you are using decals or other solid decorations, then the surface of the tray will be a bit bumpy or uneven. You can create a solid and smooth surface by pouring in epoxy resin to a level just above the decorative item with the most depth. Make sure to let the epoxy resin cure for 24 – 72 hours.

Put the Tray to Use

Now that you have created your DIY jewelry tray you can put it to use. Some people don’t care too much for jewelry so you can also use this tray for your keys or as a candle holder. Whatever you decide is up to you. Hopefully you get great use out of it. I created these trays for other people, and I gave it to them with some earrings I made for them and a candle.