First, Choose the Right Tray for Your Space

Whether you have a spot that needs a tray, or a tray that needs a job, there are seemingly endless opportunities to use them around the home. The secret is choosing the right tray for your needs. Once you know what you need to store, you can easily choose the right tray.

"[A tray should be] not too big where you’re invited to fill it and not too small where you lose sight of what’s in it." Fackler says. "It’s human nature to fill space, so the tray should be just right sized for what’s needed."

It might take time to edit what lives on your tray, and that's okay! Before committing to a tray purchase, you can experiment with different size plates or box lids to find the right size.

Kim Cornelison

1. Keep Living Spaces Organized

A tray in the living room can protect furniture from drinks and food, and it can help keep track of small items like remotes or gaming controllers. The living room may be a good spot for smaller containers on a large tray.

"Some people have decorative cups or bowls on the trays to keep the little items sorted," Fackler says. Perhaps you store pens for doing crossword puzzles in a ceramic cup, remotes in a small boxlike tray, coasters, magazines, and more, and it all lives on one giant tray. This approach makes a lived in space functional and elegant.

Blaine Moats

2. Contain Daily Items in the Entryway

Store daily items, such as your keys, wallet, sunglasses, and chapstick, on a tray in the entryway so you can quickly find everything you need as you head out the door. This system makes swapping bags easy, as the contents are ready to grab.

The entry tray is also a good spot for items you need to remember to take with you. Trays are shallow, so items are less likely to get buried or hidden. "It’s a great solution for somebody who struggles with 'out of sight out of mind,'" Fackler says. Choose a larger tray or add a second tray at the entry to make a designated spot for items you need to remember.

3. Collect Items to Be Processed

Choose a medium to large tray for items that you need to go through and process, such as mail, bills, or paperwork. Fackler calls these "items without a home," and they can wait on the tray until you find a home for them. Choosing a tray with handles allows you to take this task wherever you're most comfortable working on it, such as a home office. Make a habit of processing these items before they pile up too high, so the job isn't overwhelming.

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4. Corral Collectibles and Decorative Accents

Honor your trinkets and collections with a home on a tray. Grouping like items together is an easy way to make a design statement while preventing these sentimental things from just becoming clutter. Choose a tray that complements or contrasts the items, depending on your taste. Fackler keeps a collection of shells in a complementary wooden tray to reflect nature indoors.

Edmund Barr

5. Use Serving Trays for Entertaining

Serving trays with handles are great for moving items from room to room and have endless uses. Make clearing dishes from your work-from-home desk easy with a large wooden or wicker serving tray. Simplify tidying by carrying a serving tray through your home and collecting items that need to be put away elsewhere, which will save you from making multiple trips.

This is also a smart way to store entertaining essentials. Use a tray on your home bar to keep loose bottles or glassware in one spot. When it's time to host, the tray can be used as a serving platter.

6. Tidy the Kitchen Counter

The kitchen counter can quickly become a catch-all for household clutter. Even if you're short on time, you can tidy up without having to put everything away all at once. Collect items you'll put away later on a large tray to keep the space neat and functional while the objects or papers are in transition. Another kitchen counter hack? Use a small tray for dish and hand soap.

Brie Williams

7. Store Vanity Items

Trays are not only useful for organization, they can also help protect furniture. Store liquids—such as lotion, makeup, perfumes, and skincare—on a tray to protect your vanity table or bathroom cabinet. Storing perfume is a classic use for a tray and can add a sense of glamour to your dressing table.