Hexagon With Centre Pocket Valet Tray Router Templates (Clear Acrylic)

Hexagon Centre Pocket Tray Template - Clear Acrylic Woodworking Router Template

Create hexagon valet trays, small dishes, jewellery trays, desk organizers, and catch-all trays with this clear acrylic woodworking router template. The Hexagon Centre Pocket Tray Template is designed for routing a recessed pocket into wood, giving you a clean geometric tray layout with a centre pocket for keys, coins, jewellery, watches, office items, and other small accessories.

The hexagon shape gives the finished tray a more modern, geometric look than a standard round or rectangle tray. It is a great option for hardwood tray projects, handmade gifts, craft show inventory, and small-batch woodworking products where you want a simple routed pocket with a more unique outside profile.

What You Can Make With This Template

This tray template is designed for routing a recessed tray pocket into a wood blank, not for cutting a full board shape all the way through. The hexagon profile and centre pocket create a clean, practical tray that works well for both decorative and everyday use.

• Hexagon valet trays for keys, coins, watches, wallets, and accessories
• Jewellery trays for rings, earrings, bracelets, and small keepsakes
• Desk organizers for clips, coins, pins, and small office items
• Catch-all trays for nightstands, dressers, entryways, and shelves
• Small wooden dishes for decorative or display use
• Giftable tray projects made from walnut, maple, cherry, white oak, or mixed-species glue-ups

Why Use a Clear Acrylic Hexagon Centre Pocket Tray Template?

A clear acrylic router template helps you position the tray layout before routing. You can see the grain, colour, and natural features in your wood blank, making it easier to centre the hexagon shape, avoid defects, and choose the best-looking section of the board.

The centre pocket layout is a good choice when you want a tray that feels clean and simple without multiple divided compartments. The hexagon outside shape adds visual interest, while the routed pocket keeps the finished piece useful for everyday items, jewellery, display pieces, or handmade gifts.

• Clear acrylic helps with grain alignment and project layout
• Reusable template for repeat tray and dish projects
• Hexagon shape creates a modern geometric finished look
• Centre pocket keeps the design clean, simple, and practical
• Works well with dimensional hardwood, laminated blanks, offcuts, and multi-species glue-ups

Recommended Products to Use With This Template

For best results, secure the template properly, use the correct router bits, and start with a flat, stable wood blank that gives you enough thickness for a clean recessed tray pocket.

• Template Tape - used to secure the clear acrylic template to your wood while routing.
• Pocketing Bit - useful for removing the majority of the material from larger recessed pocket areas.
• Pocketing Bit for Inside Tray Profiles - used for the inside tray profile and leaves a 1/8" radius.
• Flush Trim Bit for Outside Profile - used when routing the outside profile of compatible template projects.
• Dimensional Wood - a natural fit for tray and dish projects when you want a ready-to-use hardwood blank.
• Cutting Board Strips and Accent Strips - great options for creating custom multi-species tray blanks.
• Walrus Oil Cutting Board Oil - a good choice for food-contact boards and serving-style projects.
• Grand Finishing Hardwax Oil - a great option for decorative trays, valet trays, jewellery trays, desk organizers, and non-food-contact projects.

How to Use This Hexagon Centre Pocket Tray Template

1. Choose a flat, stable wood blank that is large enough for the overall template size.
2. Place the clear acrylic template on the wood and adjust the position based on the grain, colour, and layout of the board.
3. Secure the template to the wood using Template Tape.
4. Use a larger pocketing bit to remove the majority of the material from the recessed centre pocket where needed.
5. Use the inside tray profiling bit to complete the pocket shape and create the 1/8" radius inside the tray pocket.
6. Rout in shallow passes for better control, especially around the centre pocket and angled hexagon layout.
7. Remove the template, sand the routed pocket and surface, then apply a finish based on how the finished tray will be used.

For food-contact or serving-style projects, choose a food-safe option like Walrus Oil Cutting Board Oil. For decorative trays, valet trays, jewellery trays, desk organizers, and other non-food-contact pieces, Grand Finishing Hardwax Oil is a strong option.

Watch: How to Use Acrylic Router Templates

New to acrylic router templates or looking for a cleaner process? Watch this video for a helpful overview of how we use templates in the shop.

Template Details

• Template Name: Hexagon With Centre Pocket Tray Template
• Material: Clear acrylic
• Overall Size: 10.25" wide by 11.75" tall
• Border: 0.5" wide
• Template SKU: 10-017
• Best Used For: Routing recessed pockets for hexagon valet trays, jewellery trays, small dishes, catch-all trays, and desk organizers
• What’s Included: One 10.25" wide by 11.75" tall tray template

Helpful Router Template Guides

Want to learn more about choosing router templates, router bits, and routing techniques? These guides can help you get cleaner, more consistent results with your acrylic woodworking templates.

• Template Guides
• Router Template Guide
• What Router Bit Do I Need?
• Template Routing for Beginners

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this template for cutting out the full hexagon tray shape?

This tray template is intended for routing a recessed centre pocket into a wood blank to create a hexagon tray. It is not mainly intended for cutting a full board shape all the way through.

What can I make with the Hexagon Centre Pocket Tray Template?

This template works well for hexagon valet trays, jewellery trays, small dishes, catch-all trays, desk organizers, nightstand trays, and handmade gift projects. The centre pocket layout is useful when you want a clean, simple tray without multiple divided compartments.

How do I attach the acrylic template to the wood?

We recommend using Template Tape. It secures the acrylic template to the wood without needing screws, helping keep your project blank clean.

What router bit should I use for the recessed tray pocket?

Use a larger pocketing bit to remove most of the material where needed, then use the recommended tray profiling bit for the inside tray profile. The inside tray profiling bit leaves a 1/8" radius in the tray pocket.

Can I reuse this clear acrylic woodworking router template?

Yes. The clear acrylic template is reusable, making it a good option for repeat tray projects, handmade gifts, craft shows, and small-batch woodworking products.

What wood should I use for a hexagon tray project?

Dimensional hardwood is a great choice for tray projects because it gives you a stable, attractive blank to work from. You can also glue up cutting board strips and accent strips if you want a multi-species tray with more colour and contrast.

What finish should I use on the finished tray?

If the tray may be used for food-contact or serving-style use, choose a food-safe option like Walrus Oil Cutting Board Oil. For decorative trays, valet trays, jewellery trays, desk organizers, and non-food-contact projects, Grand Finishing Hardwax Oil is a great option.

The Hexagon Centre Pocket Tray Template is a reusable clear acrylic woodworking router template for turning hardwood blanks into clean, modern tray projects. Pair it with template tape, the proper pocketing and tray profiling bits, quality dimensional wood, and the right finish to create a polished tray for gifts, home use, markets, or small-batch woodworking products.