How to Make Jewelry Display Trays

Jewelry display trays are an indispensable way of organizing, protecting, and displaying precious pieces whether for personal use at home, a craft fair booth, or small retail space. Commercial trays can be expensive or lack specific dimensions necessary; creating your own allows you to customize size, color, compartment layout and personal touches like necklaces earrings rings bracelets perfectly! Plus it takes only minimal tools and materials – perfect for beginners or craft enthusiasts alike. Below is a detailed yet straightforward guide on crafting jewelry display trays!

1.Gather Your Materials

Before beginning, gather all the supplies you’ll require. These affordable materials can be found at craft stores, hardware stores or reclaimed from household items – here is what you will need:

Plywood or MDF board: For the base materials needed for your tray structure, opt for thin sheets (1/4 to 1/2 inch thick). Plywood offers durable yet lightweight construction; MDF is smoother yet easier to paint over.

Foam Core Board or Craft Foam: Perfect for creating soft compartments (great for delicate jewelry such as earrings and rings). Cardboard (optional): An economical alternative to plywood when creating temporary or lightweight trays. Soft Lining Materials (for protecting jewelry)

Velvet fabric: Luxurious and soft, velvet fabric is ideal for high-end jewelry (available in multiple colors like black, navy or cream). Felt fabric is more cost-effective and suitable for everyday jewelry wearers; cotton or satin may provide lighter weight options ideal for delicate pieces like pearls.

Adhesive spray or fabric glue: For attaching the tray lining (avoid superglue as it may seep through fabric).
Tools Ruler and pencil: For measuring and marking cuts. Utility knife or craft knife: To cut wood, foam, or cardboard surfaces using a cutting mat as necessary.

Wood tools required include a handsaw or jigsaw for cutting plywood into tray forms; fine-grit sandpaper can also help smooth rough edges on wood or MDF products, while hot glue or wood glue may be used to assemble its structure; scissors will help cut fabric.

2. Create Your Tray Design

Prior to cutting materials, make a decision about its purpose and design. Consider what jewelry it will contain: earring need small divided compartments while necklaces may require longer, open spaces whereas rings will benefit from shallow slots.

What Size Should Your Tray Be? To select an ideal tray size for your storage space (e.g. drawer, shelf or display case) take measurements for that space and create an 8×12 tray standard size if applicable; customize if necessary!

Will there be compartments? Sketch a simple layout on paper; for instance, an earring tray could feature 1×1-inch squares while a ring tray might include slots spanning half an inch deep.

Pro tip: Use graph paper to sketch your design to scale. This will help you visualize compartment sizes more clearly and prevent mistakes during cutting.

3. Build the Tray Base and Sides

Step 3.1: Cut the Base

Assemble the dimensions for the base dimensions (e.g. 12×8 inches). Mark them using ruler and pencil before marking and cutting with saw for wood/MDF materials or using utility knife/cardboard scoring along marked lines before folding and cutting through remaining layers.

Step 3.2: Cut and Attach Sides

Once all edges of wood/MDF have been smoothed with fine-grit sandpaper to eliminate splinters, step three involves cutting and attaching the side walls (or walls) of your tray – these should measure between one to two inches tall (higher for necklaces, shorter for rings).

Measure and cut four strips of wood/MDF/cardboard for the sides: These should equal to the base’s length (12 inches) + twice its side height (2 inches) – 16 inches total to account for overlapped corners; two other strips equal to its width (8 inches).

Add hot glue or wood glue to the edges of the base. Attach longer side strips first by aligning one edge of the strip with the length of your base, folding over excess material at corners to form neat joints, pressing hard, and holding for at least 30 seconds until glue sets (press firmly for optimal results).

Attach the shorter side strips next, fitting them between the longer strips with care to ensure all corners are square and sides straight. Allow glue to set completely (usually within 24 hours for wood glue, usually 1 or 2 for hot glue).

4. Creating Compartments (Optional but Suggested)

Compartments help keep jewelry organized and avoid tangling. Foam core board or craft foam are lightweight dividers that are easy to cut; use these to divide up the tray interior as per desired. For instance, to make 1×1 inch earring compartments within a 12×8 tray:

Cut vertical dividers (8 inches tall, to match the tray’s height) every inch along the 12-inch length and horizontal dividers (12 inches long, 8-inch width).

Use a utility knife to cut notches in each intersection between vertical dividers (e.g., one half-inch in vertical and another in horizontal), to enable them to fit together like puzzle pieces.

Build the divider grid inside of the tray. Secure each intersection by applying a small dot of hot glue to ensure they remain securely attached.

For ring trays: Cut a strip of foam core board to fit the width of the tray, and use a utility knife to carve shallow slots (1/2 in deep by 1 in wide). This creates a “ring bar,” where rings can rest safely.

5. Line Your Tray With Fabric
Lining a tray with soft fabric protects it from scratches while creating an elegant aesthetic. Velvet or felt fabrics work best, but any suitable fabric should work well – choose something that matches your own personal aesthetic for optimal results.

Measure the interior of a tray (base + sides). Add an additional 1-2 inches to each measurement so the fabric covers its edges. Cut fabric using scissors; if your tray features compartments, separate separate fabric pieces from one large piece in order to appear neater than otherwise.

Apply adhesive spray or fabric glue evenly across the base and sides of the tray’s base and sides, spreading out any lumps to prevent future problems.

Press fabric onto a tray starting from its base, smoothing out wrinkles with your hands or credit card. On its sides, fold fabric over its upper edge and glue it down; this will hide rough edges.

Once your tray is assembled and lined, add final details that enhance its functionality and appearance; such as small fabric pieces glued onto each divider with fabric glue (2-4 hours for fabric glue, 30 minutes for adhesive spray).

6. Adding Finishing Touches

Whilst your tray is assembled and lined, consider adding finishing touches that enhance its functionality and appearance:

Label the Compartments: For effective organization, utilize a fabric marker or small tags to label each compartment (e.g. “Stud Earrings,” “Silver Rings”)–this will aid you immensely.

Seal Wood (If applicable): If your tray is made from plywood or MDF, apply a layer of clear acrylic sealer on its exterior to protect it from moisture while adding an attractive gloss finish. This will help protect the wood against moisture damage while giving a glossy sheen to its finish.

Add Handles (optional): For an easily transportable tray, glue a small fabric or leather handle onto its sides – this is particularly handy at craft fairs or when moving between storage spaces.

Tips for Success

Start Small: For beginners to DIY, creating a 6×4 tray to practice cutting and lining can be beneficial in honing these skills without wasting materials.

Reusing materials: By recycling old jewelry boxes, cardboard boxes or shoeboxes as tray bases you can save both money and reduce waste.

Match Your Decor: Select fabric colors that complement the decor in your room or display space, such as black velvet trays that would look exquisite in a jewelry store and pastel felt ones for bedroom vanities.
Before adhering dividers, test compartment sizes by placing jewelry pieces in your tray to see if any are too big or small; adjust divider spacing if necessary.

Final Thoughts
Making your own jewelry display tray is an exciting project that blends functionality and creativity. By using simple materials and taking some time, you can craft one to protect and organize jewelry, expressing your personal style while providing plenty of storage space. Our guide ensures your tray will be durable, attractive and tailored specifically to meet your needs so get crafting now – your jewelry (and storage space!) will thank you!