Easy DIY Wooden Serving Tray for Beginners in 6 Steps

A wooden serving tray is a useful small project for practicing straight cuts, careful drilling, sanding, and assembly. This design has four sides of equal height and hand openings cut into the two ends, so you do not need separate handles.

Use it to carry a few lightweight items or organize a coffee table. The finished tray measures approximately 18 inches long, 12 inches wide, and 3 inches high, including the base.

Wooden serving tray with equal-height sides and cutout handles, shown with a mug and napkin. The headline reads “Easy DIY Wooden Tray for Beginners.”

Project Overview

  • Skill level: Beginner, with careful jigsaw work for the hand openings.
  • Build time: Allow a weekend, including the drying and curing time required by your glue and finish.
  • Finished size: Approximately 18 × 12 × 3 inches.
  • Inside space: Approximately 16½ × 10½ inches.
  • Construction: A plywood base with four equal-height wooden sides and simple butt joints.

Measure your actual material thickness before cutting, because variations will affect the fit. This DIY design has not been physically load-tested; use it for lightweight items and inspect the joints before carrying anything.

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Materials You'll Need

  • One flat, sanded ½-inch plywood base panel.
  • Straight ¾-inch-thick wooden stock for the four sides, cut to an actual width of 2½ inches. Nominal 1×3 boards commonly have these actual dimensions, but check your stock.
  • Wood glue suitable for the materials and intended use.
  • #6 flat-head wood screws, 1¼ inches long, for fastening the base to the sides.
  • 120- and 180-grit sandpaper.
  • A clear protective finish suitable for the intended use.
  • Optional wood filler and felt pads.

The tray is intended to hold dishes and containers. Do not treat the surface as a cutting board or place unpackaged food on it unless the materials and fully cured finish are suitable for that contact.

Tools You'll Need

  • Tape measure, pencil, and combination square.
  • A suitable saw and guide for straight cuts.
  • Jigsaw for the hand openings.
  • Drill/driver, 1-inch Forstner or spade bit, pilot bit, and countersink bit.
  • Clamps, scrap backing board, and a sanding block or sander.
  • Eye and hearing protection, plus dust protection appropriate to your tools and materials.

Support and clamp every workpiece. Follow the tool manufacturer's instructions, keep guards in place, and keep hands away from cutting paths. Never hold a small board in your hand while drilling or sawing it.

Cut List

The letters below match the parts diagram.

Part Quantity Actual dimensions
A — Plywood base 1 18 × 12 × ½ in.
B — Long sides 2 16½ × 2½ × ¾ in.
C — Short ends with hand openings 2 12 × 2½ × ¾ in.

All four sides stand on top of the base. The 12-inch end boards span the full width. The 16½-inch long sides fit between them: ¾ + 16½ + ¾ = 18 inches. Every upper edge should be level at the corners.

If the end boards are not exactly ¾ inch thick, calculate the long-side length as 18 inches minus twice the measured end-board thickness.

Five wooden tray pieces labeled A, B, and C: one rectangular base, two long sides, and two short ends with rounded hand openings.


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Step 1: Measure and Cut the Five Pieces

Mark the base and four sides using the cut list. Check the lines with a square and cut on the waste side of each mark, allowing for the blade's kerf.

Compare the matching pieces before continuing. Both long sides must have the same length, both ends must match, and all four boards must have the same 2½-inch height. Label the parts lightly in pencil.

Rectangular plywood base, two long side boards, and two shorter end boards arranged on a workbench. The graphic reads “Step 1: Measure and Cut the Pieces.”

Step 2: Cut the Hand Openings

On each 12-inch end board, mark a horizontal hand opening 4 inches wide and 1 inch high, centered both horizontally and vertically. This leaves 4 inches of wood at each side and ¾ inch above and below the opening.

For rounded ends, mark two 1-inch-diameter circles with their centers 4½ and 7½ inches from the left edge, both 1¼ inches above the bottom edge. Connect their top and bottom tangent points to form a rounded slot.

Clamp the board securely over scrap backing. Drill the two circles, then use a jigsaw to remove the wood between them along the marked lines. Reposition the clamps as needed so the blade clears the bench and hardware.

Cut one board at a time and use the first finished opening as a template for the second.

Two matching wooden end boards with centered rounded hand openings, beside a jigsaw and drill bit. The graphic reads “Step 2: Cut the Hand Openings.”

Step 3: Sand and Dry-Fit the Parts

Sand the faces and edges with 120 grit, followed by 180 grit. For sanded plywood, work lightly to avoid cutting through the face veneer. Wrap sandpaper around a small dowel to smooth the rounded ends of each hand opening.

Ease sharp edges, especially where your fingers will touch. Do not substantially thin the wood above or below the openings.

Place the four boards on the base without glue. Check that the short ends cover the full width, the long sides fit between them, and all corners meet without forcing the parts. The upper edges must remain level. Remove sanding dust before assembly.

Wooden tray parts fitted together with level edges, beside sandpaper and a combination square. The graphic reads “Step 3: Sand and Dry-Fit.”

Step 4: Glue and Fasten the Tray

Apply a thin, even layer of glue to the bottom edges of the four boards and the butt-joint contact surfaces. Assemble the frame on the base, align its outside edges, and clamp it square.

Check that the two diagonals match before the glue begins to set. Wipe away squeeze-out. Use scrap wood between the clamp jaws and the tray to protect the surfaces.

While keeping the assembly securely supported and clamped, mark screw locations on the underside of the base, centered beneath each board's ¾-inch thickness.

Use four evenly spaced screws beneath each long side and three beneath each short end. Keep the outer screws at least 1½ inches from the ends of their respective boards.

Drill clearance holes through the base and pilot holes into the boards, sizing them for your screw manufacturer's guidance. Use a depth stop so you do not drill too far. Lightly countersink the base so the screw heads finish flush. Drive the screws gently without stripping the wood.

These screws pass through the base into the bottom edge of each side board. They do not run horizontally through the corners. Allow the glue to cure for the time specified on its label before removing clamps or lifting the tray.

Wooden tray held with two bar clamps and protective wood pads during assembly. The graphic reads “Step 4: Glue and Fasten the Tray.”


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Step 5: Apply the Finish

Inspect for rough spots, dried glue, and raised screw heads. Fill small cosmetic gaps if desired, then sand the filler after it dries.

Apply thin coats of your chosen finish to the interior, exterior, underside, and hand openings. Follow the label for ventilation, drying, sanding between coats, and full curing.

Do not use the tray merely because the finish feels dry to the touch.

A hand brushes finish onto the outside of a wooden tray with cutout handles. The graphic reads “Step 5: Apply the Finish.”

Step 6: Inspect and Start With Lightweight Items

Place the cured tray on a flat surface and check for rocking. Run your fingers around both openings to check for splinters and sharp edges.

Lift it empty with both hands, one through each opening, and inspect the base and joints for movement.

Start with a few lightweight, unbreakable items. Stop using the tray if a joint moves, a crack appears, or the base loosens. No safe carrying capacity is established for this untested design.

Use both hands and avoid carrying hot drinks until you have checked the build and can handle it securely.

Optional felt pads can protect a tabletop. Wipe the tray with a slightly damp cloth and dry it promptly; do not soak it or put it in a dishwasher.

Finished wooden tray showing rounded hand openings and level corner joints. The graphic reads “Step 6: Inspect Before Use.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Making the ends taller than the sides: All four boards are 2½ inches high in this design.
  • Cutting oversized openings: Preserve the specified wood above and below the slots.
  • Skipping the dry fit: Correct sizing problems before adding glue.
  • Missing a board with a base screw: Mark the centerline of each board carefully on the underside.
  • Overtightening screws: A stripped hole weakens the fastening.
  • Using the tray before curing: Follow both glue and finish instructions.

Your Next Small Woodworking Project

This tray gives you practice with a simple box-shaped assembly and rounded openings.

For another useful home project, try our wooden key holder.

If you are still choosing equipment, read our essential woodworking tools guide.