How to Style a Decorative Tray in 10 Minutes
If there is one decorating staple I reach for more than anything else in this house, it’s a tray. A simple, beautiful tray is honestly one of the most versatile accessories you can own — and I don’t say that lightly. It corrals. It anchors. It turns a random collection of favorite things into a curated display that looks completely intentional.
Today I’m going to show you exactly how to style a decorative tray in 10 minutes — and I promise it is easier than you think. Learning how to style a decorative tray is honestly one of the easiest ways to transform any room in ten minutes flat.
I am always moving and redecorating the large square wicker tray on our ottoman. Always. It sits right in the heart of our living room — a space we use every single day — and switching it up gives the whole room an instant refresh without moving a single piece of furniture. Ten minutes, friend. That’s genuinely all it takes.
Here’s exactly how I do it.
Why a Decorative Tray is the Smart Way to Style Any Room
A tray is essentially a perfect stage for your favorite items. It creates a defined boundary on hard surfaces — the coffee table, the ottoman, the kitchen counter, the dining table — and gives your eye a place to land. Without one, even the loveliest collection of small objects can feel scattered. With one, those same items suddenly look like a styled vignette straight out of a design magazine.
Trays work on virtually every furniture piece in your home — the dining room sideboard, kitchen cabinets, a bedside table. They are truly one of the most powerful tools in your decorating arsenal, and they cost almost nothing to style.
Choosing the Perfect Tray
Before we talk about what goes in the tray, let’s talk about the tray itself — because the size of the tray matters more than most people realize.
Shape and Size
A large round decorative serving tray or a versatile round wood tray works beautifully on a coffee table or ottoman because the circular tray shape softens the lines of surrounding furniture. A rectangular or square tray — like my large wicker one — feels more structured and works especially well on a dining table or kitchen counter. Small trays are perfect for a bedside table or bathroom shelf. The key is choosing a specific size that fits your surface without overwhelming it.
Material and Finish
The material sets the entire mood. A natural wood finish feels warm and organic. A beautiful combination of wood and rattan feels relaxed and cottage-inspired. Hand-crafted copper or steel furniture accents feel more polished and formal. Glass holders and glass vases bring lightness and air. Stylish jars, wooden bowls, and decorative bowls all make wonderful stand-alone accents too. My personal preference leans heavily vintage — wicker, aged wood, anything with a story behind it.
What to Put on a Decorative Tray: The Basics
Here is the following list of elements I come back to again and again for a layered look that has both visual interest and a personal touch:
Start with Height
Every great tray needs a focal point — something tall that anchors the entire arrangement. On my ottoman tray right now that’s a small vintage octagon-shaped ginger jar in blue and white. It is such a timeless accent and adds instant charm the moment you walk in the room. A glass vase, a stylish jar, a small ceramic urn, or even a framed photo or small frame propped against the back of the tray all work beautifully here.’
Add Your Middle Layer
This is my favorite part of knowing how to style a decorative tray in 10 minutes — there are absolutely no rules.
Next come your medium-height items — coffee table books are an essential element here. Stack two or three, and tuck a small decorative piece or small frame on top of the books for that polished, layered look. This is one of my favorite ways to add both color and personality to a tray.
Fill in with Small Items
Now for the fun part — the small objects that make the whole thing feel personal and collected. A small vase of seasonal blooms, decorative objects, small stones, organic accents, an assortment of botanicals, small tea lights in glass holders — all of these are perfect smaller items that fill in the gaps and complete the look.
My Ottoman Tray: A Quick Tutorial
Let me walk you through exactly how I style my large square wicker tray, because I think seeing a real example makes the whole process so much less intimidating.
What’s On It Right Now
Our living room ottoman tray is my favorite decorative tray in the whole house — mostly because it changes with my mood. Currently it holds a small vintage octagon-shaped ginger jar in blue and white (a true vintage find I absolutely love), a stack of coffee table books, a pretty piece of white coral I picked up at an estate sale — that coral is such a natural touch and always gets comments — and a candle. Sometimes I mix pillar candles with a votive or two in small glass holders for that welcoming mood I love in the evenings.
Adding a Seasonal Accent
This spring I found the most darling little plant at the garden shop — it was such a perfect natural touch and immediately gave the entire tray a fresh, seasonal feel. An assortment of botanicals or even desert plants in small stylish jars are such creative ways to bring the outdoors in. A small vase of seasonal blooms from Trader Joe’s works just as beautifully — faux flowers are a perfectly lovely option too when you want something that lasts.
How to Style a Decorative Tray in 10 Minutes: How I Switch It Up
At times I’ll swap my vintage ceramic urn for a glass vase and tuck in fresh or faux flowers — an easy way to completely change the aesthetic appeal of your home decor without buying anything new. Sometimes the whole color scheme shifts just from that one swap. That’s the beauty of tray styling — nothing is permanent, everything is easy, and the whole thing takes ten minutes flat.
Bonus — The Breakfast Room Wooden Tray
And because I simply cannot help myself, here is one more real life example from our breakfast room. A wooden tray on the breakfast room table styled with a white ceramic rooster, a blue and white chinoiserie teapot, a stack of Johnson Brothers blue and white china, silver spoons tucked into a crystal holder, and white wisteria cascading from a white pitcher just behind.
Here is another example of how to style a decorative tray in 10 minutes using a wooden tray in the breakfast room.
Ten minutes. That is genuinely all it took. A beautiful tray and a few favorite pieces — and suddenly the whole room feels intentional and alive.
Easy Ways to Style a Tray in Every Room
The decorative tray isn’t just for the living room — here are some of my favorite ways to use them throughout the house:
Coffee Table
A circular tray on the coffee table corrals your remote controls, a wooden bowl of small stones or organic contemporary accessories, a small candle, and a tiny bud vase. Instant polish.
Dining Room and Dining Table
A tray in the dining area makes a beautiful centerpiece base — layer in a small vase of seasonal blooms, a few organic accents, and a mix of pillar candles for a seamless look that feels intentional without being fussy.
Kitchen Counter
One of the smartest things you can do on a kitchen counter is corral your most-used items on a tray. It keeps everything within easy reach while giving the space a curated, purposeful feel.
Entry Table
A tray on the entry table sets a welcoming mood from the moment someone walks in. A framed photo, a small vase, a candle, and a few decorative items is truly all you need.
My Favorite Things to Shop for Tray Styling
Over the years I’ve found the most wonderful decorative objects for tray styling in some unexpected places. Estate sales are always my first stop — the vintage ceramic urns, the ginger jars, the small decorative bowls — you simply cannot find that kind of character in a regular store. Flea markets are wonderful for wood frames, glass vases, and hand-crafted copper pieces that add such organic warmth.
For botanicals and faux flowers, Trader Joe’s is always my favorite place — fresh, affordable, and endlessly changing with the seasons. And for coffee table books, thrift stores are great places to find beautiful volumes for almost nothing.
Read more about My Favorite Vintage Pieces for Home Decor: And How I Style Them.
A decorative tray is one of those simple, quiet things that makes your home feel more like you — pulled together, personal, and beautiful in an everyday kind of way. And the best part? There are absolutely no rules. Your personal preferences are the only ones that matter. Move things around. Swap in something new. Change it with the season. Make it yours.
For even more creative ways to use trays throughout your home, this post from In My Own Style is such a wonderful read!→ link
Now tell me — do you have a favorite tray in your home right now? What’s on it? Drop a comment below, I genuinely want to know!
With love and a very full tray,
Don’t Forget to Pin It!
Pin the image below to your boards on Pinterest (click the Pin button in the top left corner). You can also follow along with me on Pinterest.
