Is your favorite serving tray gathering dust, waiting for the next time you plan to host a big event? We’ll let you in on a little secret – decorative serving trays can do a lot more than just present food, so there’s no reason to hide them away when the party’s over. Whether it was a gift, a souvenir, or just something nice you got for yourself, a wood serving tray can be used anywhere in your home or office.
Having the right wood serving tray is key. Some serving trays are works of art and deserve to be displayed; others are ideal for practical applications. Here are seven ways to use your decorative wood tray.
1. Create A Centerpiece with Your Wood Serving Tray
It seems obvious that a wood serving tray could find its home in the dining room, but what if the purpose of the tray wasn’t to hold food? A decorative wood tray can be the foundation for a unique centerpiece that will start your dinner conversation in no time.
Choosing a wood serving tray with meaning beyond its utility helps make your centerpiece different. For example, a wood tray from your trip to San Francisco Bay brings your personal touch to your decor.
Once you have your decorative wood tray, strategically place candlesticks, ornamental odds-and-ends, and even items related to the art on your tray. This will give your guests something to talk about as you sit around the table.
2. Serve Breakfast in Bed on a Cute Serving Tray
Who doesn’t love breakfast in bed? This treat doesn’t have to be reserved for a holiday or your special someone’s birthday. With a decorative wood tray, serving breakfast in bed becomes an easy and beautiful way to show you care.
While it’s easy to whip up eggs and toast, trying a new recipe for your loving gesture might be nice. Take special care to arrange the items on your wood serving tray, add a flower in a small vase, and don’t forget the coffee or mimosa with breakfast!
When your loved one opens their eyes to your smiling face and a wood serving tray with their favorite breakfast, they are bound to have a great day.
3. Utilize a Decorative Tray in Your Catch-All Area
No one likes a cluttered area, but we often have loose items that need a place to go where we won’t forget them. Having a place for your everyday things — like wallet and keys — that is intentional and not haphazard can be both calming and convenient.
Catch-all areas are helpful all over the house, and having a striking decorative wood tray helps keep the potential clutter looking classy.
For example:
- A small tray on your nightstand can be a landing place for the contents of your pockets
- An elegant tray in the bathroom can keep your creams and cosmetics in order
- A decorative wood tray near the entrance to your house can hold your keys and mail
- A wood tray in the office can hold the items you need to take home at the end of the day
Look around your home or office to find the clutter and see if you can solve the problem with a serving tray. Your platter may be the perfect blend of form and function.
4. Serving Trays as Coffee Table Décor
A serving tray on your living room coffee table is another opportunity to gracefully contain an assortment of items you want to be able to locate quickly. Television remotes, coasters, and other common room necessities can be found on a wood serving tray.
Decorating around those items makes the space feel purposeful. For example, a decorative wood tray featuring a map of Manhattan can be dressed up with a Playbill from your favorite musical and a souvenir from one of NYC’s museums to create order and intrigue.
5. Hang Your Decorative Wood Tray
Displaying your wood serving tray is easy when it doubles as a work of art. Knowing the process behind your tray’s creation adds to the desire for it to be seen.
Many trays can stand on their own as a statement piece, but a decorative wood tray can also accompany other items to make a thought-provoking collection. A New Orleans serving tray would pair well with a recipe for beignets and a porcelain mask from Mardi Gras.
Arranging several serving trays on a dining room wall can make a beautiful backdrop for your social gatherings. Once you begin to recognize the artistry behind each piece, it can be a fun exercise in interior design to make them work together.
6. Bar on Display – Serving-Tray Style
The elements of a well-stocked home bar are often a sight to behold. It’s a shame to hide the elegant glasses, classic liquor bottles, and various accessories in a cabinet when they can be on display with the proper serving tray.
Before your guests come over, decide what would be best to have out so that you can arrange the necessary items on your tray. Does the occasion require a martini shaker and martini glasses, or will you need Champagne flutes and an ice bucket? Set up your tray in a fashionable arrangement so it’s both decorative and helpful.
Knowing a wood serving tray makes the perfect base for a bar display, you might want to give one as a gift to your favorite mixologist.
7. Grow a Mini Indoor Garden on a Decorative Tray
There’s nothing like fresh herbs to heighten your cooking. Using a wood serving tray as a miniature indoor garden for your potted herbs gives you access to home-grown seasonings while creating a greenspace in your kitchen.
Growing herbs indoors may require some time and research, but with a green thumb and proper supplies, your herbs will be ready to go in no time. Plus, your serving tray will keep your counters clean from any dirt or water spills as you are caring for your plants.
Here are some simple herbs you can grow in pots on your wood serving tray that would be handy around the kitchen:
- Basil
- Cilantro
- Chives
- Mint
- Lavender
Decorative wood trays are much more than a way to bring food from one place to another. With a little creativity and proper application, your beautiful serving trays can be seen and appreciated in every area of your house.