Easy DIY Nightstand Tray

I can’t believe it, this month my husband and I are celebrating our 13th wedding anniversary!

Every May as our wedding anniversary comes around, I get worried. What do you give the best husband ever for your anniversary?

This year I wanted to give my husband an amazing DIY anniversary gift. And this easy DIY nightstand tray has been such a hit!

After a long day at work, my husband comes home and empties out his pockets. He unloads his cell phone, earbuds, and pocket change onto the nightstand.

Where it sits until the next day when he loads his pockets again. He really needed a place to unload the day. Someplace to catch all his things until he needed them again.

This DIY nightstand tray is the perfect solution. I has a large compartment for a phone, and two smaller compartments for change, earbuds, a watch, or anything else he collects during the day.

While the simple wood nightstand tray is nice, I decided to make it even better by adding a bit of leather!

The bottom of each compartment is finished off with a piece of leather. It makes a softer landing for all the things. Plus it looks really expensive.

But it was not, because I used old worn-out leather boots to get the leather for the wood tray!

How to Make a Wood & Leather Nightstand Tray

STEP 1- Cut the pieces

Cut your plywood to size.

From the 1/4″ x 2″ board cut:

• (2) 9″ pieces
• (2) 8 1/2″ pieces
• (1) 8″ piece
• (1) 4 1/4″ piece

Trim the 8″ and 4 1/4″ piece down to 1 3/4″ wide. I used my table saw to do this.

If you do not have access to a saw for ripping boards, you could buy a 1 1/2″ wide board for these inside pieces. They wouldn’t be flush to the top like my tray is, but they would still allow separation.

STEP 2- Assemble the tray

Apply a thin bead of wood glue to the 9″ edge of the plywood.

Line one of the 9″ pieces of board with the plywood so it is flush on the bottom. Hold the pieces tight together with painter’s tape.

Repeat on the opposite 9″ side.

Secure the 8 1/2″ boards to the other sides of the plywood the same way, but make sure to add wood glue to the sides of the 9″ boards as well.

“Clamp” with the painter’s tape.

Now you have a beautiful tray.

It would be perfect this way, but I wanted to add some separators to help keep all my husband’s items super organized.

Glue the 8″ and 4 1/4″ board into the tray with the wood glue.

Add glue to all edges except the top to attach them securely. Hold them with tape until the glue dries.

Let the glue dry, then remove the painter’s tape and sand.

Stain the sides of the tray. Then seal it to protect the wood. I used a simple clear spray coat.

STEP 3- Add leather

To give the tray a little cushion, and make it more masculine, I covered the bottom of the tray with leather.

I have been hanging onto these old boots for a few years now. The bottom of the boots are completely worn out and the soles have broken, but the leather on the top was still beautiful. So I kept them to use eventually.

Cut a piece of leather to fit into each of the tray compartments.

Glue the leather into the bottom of the tray.

I used hot glue so the glue would dry quickly. That way I could stretch the leather to lay flat in the bottom of the tray.

Now your new tray is ready to use!

Or to wrap it up to give as a DIY gift.

My husband loves his new tray so much. It truly is the perfect anniversary gift for him.

Here’s to many more amazing years!