Stackable Jewelry Trays

Supplies-

• Fine wood saw
• Miter box
• Wood stain
• Water based polycrylic top coat
• Small paint brush
• Craft knife Sandpaper/ nail file ( medium to fine grit)
• Pencil
• Wood glue
• Cutting mat
• Binder clips

If you have/find clips bigger than ½" use them for the sides to glue them on it will be a big help.

• Bass wood
  • Strips (2) ¼" x ½" x 24"
  • Strips (1) 3/16" x 3/16" x 24"
  • Plank (1) ¼" x 4" x 24"

All wood was bought @ Hobby Lobby.

I measured where I wanted to make my first cut on the plank of Bass Wood. I marked at the halfway point, which happen to be 12".

*This may very depending on what size you want to have for your tray. Once the base was cut I cleaned up any raw edges left by the saw.

I Then be began to cut the side piece. To get the measurements I just placed the strip on the base and used my pencil to mark where I wanted to make my cuts. For the sides I did start with the longer sides. Then I fit for the shorter sides. This made it easier to have a snugger fit. I then proceeded to sand all the sides smooth with a nail file I had on hand. This was for both the base and side pieces.

I didn't have them on hand but if I did I would have use large binder clips to clap the longer and shorter side pieces in place at the same time. So instead I had to align the long side individual, and pay close attention to make sure it was flush to each edge. I had to let the glue dry a little before I could move on to the next side. For that I waited 30 seconds to 1 minute then I would move on to the next side. To let it fully dry I placed my laptop on it mainly because it was the first thing I could find in my room. 😅

With the long side finally dry I then measured for the shorter sides. I hover just above the gap, and then use my pencil to mark where want to make the cut. When it came time to cut the piece I made sure I cut on the outside of my marking. This insures that my piece will not be too short once I try to fit it in place. With the file I smooth out the edges once again, and dry fit it into place to make sure it fits. Then I will proceed to do the same for the other side piece. When the are both done it is time to glue them in to place. When they are aligned I use my laptop again to add a little pressure, and sit that aside to dry for about 30 minutes.

For the inner dividers, since they were a thinner strip of wood, I decided not to use the saw. I feared it might splinter the wood too much. So I decided to use my craft knife to cut these. It did take longer but I felt it was my best option. I started with the vertical pieces, cutting them to size once I had a few pieces I dry fit it to see the spacing. At this point I realize the divider were to low in the tray. So I decide to stack 2 together to make it taller. I ended up having 4 of these dividers. For the horizontal dividers I cut the to 1 ½" to keep it simple and I made only 3 of those, and I left them as a single wood strip.

With the dividers cut to size I took a small amount of super glue to glue them into place. I decided to use that over wood glue because I knew that I would have no way to hold they in place while I let the glue dry.

Be careful not to use too much glue, because if you plan to stain the glue will not allow stain to penetrate the wood.

To place the horizontal dividers I used my ruler to to find the middle of the tray. Then I took my craft knife and scored the wood so that I could see where to place the dividers. Then I added a line of glue on the bottom of each divider, holding each piece in place for a few seconds till it stays in place on its own.

So the last bit of cutting I did was for the "feet". With the smaller strips I cut 8: 1 ½" pieces, then cut a 45° angle at the middle of each piece. It glue those pieces together I flipped one piece to create a right angle. Before I glued the feet to the base I grabbed a scrap piece of the side to create a guide of where I need to place them. This will help prevent the trays from sliding around when the are stacked. I just use super glue to glue them into place.

To mark the placement of I used a scrap piece of the sides as a guide to make sure the feet end up in the right place.

With all the pieces glued and dried I can now stain the wood. I did use a small detail paint brush to apply the stain. This made it easier for me to get into every corner. I let the stain dry then applied the protective coat of satin water based polycrylic. I did 2 coats and lightly sanded after each coat with a fine grit sandpaper. I did feel like I could have gotten away with just doing a single coat though.

Once the final coat dried I add my jewelry. I am so pleased with the way it turned out. One thing I will note is, if you can find a side strip that is a little thicker than ½" it would be better. I found that if my stud earrings were not laying flat the trays would leave a gap when they were stacked.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and I would love to see pictures if any one of you make these trays.