This project was built and designed by Stan Sullivan. It’s a stylish, functional valet tray designed to help organize everyday carry items like your keys, wallet, phone, and watch—all in one dedicated place.
With clean lines and smart layout, this small woodworking project is practical, easy to personalize, and makes use of leftover hardwood. Whether you’re aiming for clutter control or a sharp-looking bedside piece, this tray covers both.
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Why Make a Valet Tray?
Everyone has a collection of items they drop on the counter, dresser, or nightstand each day. A valet tray keeps things in order, making it easier to grab what you need when heading out.
It’s also a simple way to add some woodworking character to your space. With a bit of effort and creativity, it becomes more than just storage—it’s a small piece of daily-use furniture that reflects your craftsmanship.
Choosing Materials and Tools
Stan builds his tray from hardwood scraps, making the project both affordable and sustainable. Walnut, maple, and other dense woods work well here, offering a durable surface and a clean look once finished.
The tool list is fairly accessible: a table saw, clamps, bandsaw, router, and a random orbit sander cover most of the steps. There’s also some chisel and rotary tool work for refining shapes and adding detail.
Prepping the Boards
To start, Stan selects and cuts the pieces that will form the base and the back panel of the tray. Leaving the boards a little long at first allows for later trimming to dial in final dimensions.
Once the pieces are cut, edge-gluing brings them together into a single panel. The glue-up is clamped and left to dry, forming a solid base for the rest of the build. If a planer isn’t available, sanding the surface smooth with an orbital sander is a great alternative.
Shaping the Main Components
After the glue dries, the panel is trimmed to size using a table saw. Squaring up the ends ensures a clean, balanced look and helps with later alignment.
For the watch slot on the back piece, Stan cuts a gentle notch using a bandsaw. This curved cutout keeps the watch from slipping and adds a nice visual break. He cleans up the inside curve with a rotary sanding bit to get a smooth, consistent shape.
Adding Sections for Wallet and Phone
Stan then turns his focus to the holders for a wallet and smartphone. He measures carefully to place them in functional positions and marks dowel hole locations for clean, invisible joinery.
A router is used to make shallow holes for the dowels. Then, a chisel squares off the ends to allow a snug fit. With one side glued and clamped, Stan shapes the second component by tracing the first to maintain symmetry.
Stacking the two parts before cutting helps ensure consistency and keeps the layout looking intentional.
Assembling and Gluing the Pieces
Once all the components are shaped, Stan glues and clamps them in place on the tray base. Care is taken to align everything before the glue sets.
A small ring holder is added to one corner of the tray to provide even more utility. It’s a simple vertical peg that keeps rings from rolling around, and it blends nicely with the rest of the layout.
Finishing for Durability and Style
After final sanding, several coats of satin polyurethane are applied. This enhances the color and grain of the wood while protecting the surface from daily wear.
Stan takes time to apply the finish evenly, building up light coats for the best result. Once dry, the tray has a soft sheen and a smooth, touchable surface that feels at home on any desk or nightstand.
More Than Just Organization
This valet tray is a functional piece of woodworking, but it also highlights the beauty of repurposed materials. It turns offcuts and scraps into something useful and elegant, reducing waste while adding value.
The project is a great opportunity to build small-shop skills like shaping, gluing, sanding, and finishing. It’s approachable, rewarding, and leaves you with a piece that sees daily use.
Please support Stan by visiting his website: https://www.simplyeasydiy.com/.
Matt’s Take
These are my personal thoughts and tips based on my own experience in the shop. This section is not written, reviewed, or endorsed by the original creator of this project.
What I love about this project is how it turns shop scraps into something genuinely useful. Those leftover pieces of walnut or maple that are too nice to throw away but too small for big projects? This is exactly the kind of build that puts them to good use. The beauty of working with hardwood offcuts is that you often get interesting grain patterns and color variations that make each tray unique.
The dowel joinery approach is smart here – it’s strong enough for the light duty this tray will see, and it keeps the construction clean without visible screws or hardware. When drilling those dowel holes with a router, taking your time with the setup pays off. A simple jig or fence can help ensure the holes are positioned consistently, especially if you’re making more than one tray.
For the finish, that satin polyurethane is a solid choice for daily-use pieces like this. It’ll handle keys, phones, and the occasional water ring from a glass without showing wear. Just remember to give each coat plenty of time to cure between applications – rushing the finish on a piece you’ll handle every day usually leads to regrets down the road.
This type of project is perfect for trying out new techniques on a small scale. The curved cuts, chisel work, and careful fitting all translate to bigger builds later on, but here the stakes are low and the material cost is minimal.