A handmade jewelry tray from Peruvian walnut. My first attempt at template routing – it didn't turn out perfect, but it works and we use it every day.
1 weekend
Approx. 8" x 6" x 1"
December 2025
I happened to get a piece of Peruvian walnut for like $16 – beautiful wood with amazing grain. I only used maybe a quarter of it for this project, so I've got plenty left for future builds.
This was me experimenting with my new router and router table. I wanted to try template routing – making a template and then using a flush trim bit to transfer that shape.
I wasn't really sure how to make a template, but I figured it out. I got strips of plywood, put them together to make a rectangle, and that became my template for the cavity shape.
Then I cut the Peruvian walnut to size, clamped the template on top, and used the router to carve out the cavity – flush trimming against the template edges.
I messed up a lot. There are blemishes that I tried to fix – you can tell if you look closely. The routing wasn't as clean as I wanted, and I had to do some repair work.
It didn't actually turn out that great, honestly. But you can't really tell unless you're looking for the flaws.
We're using it personally, so the imperfections aren't a big deal. It sits on Clarissa's dresser and holds her jewelry. At the end of the day, it works and it looks nice.
I'm proud of it nonetheless. It was my first attempt at template routing, and I learned a lot – even if the results weren't perfect. That's how you get better.