Skull + Cross Bones Tray Router Template (Clear Acrylic)
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Skull & Cross Bones Tray Template - Clear Acrylic Woodworking Router Template
Create skull and cross bones trays, themed serving boards, catch-all trays, small dishes, and handmade gifts with this clear acrylic woodworking router template set. This template set includes separate skull and cross bones acrylic router templates, giving you two themed shapes for routing recessed pockets into wood.
The skull and cross bones design is a strong fit for Halloween projects, pirate-themed gifts, tattoo-inspired decor, bar trays, garage shop pieces, man cave decor, and unique market products. Use the templates with dimensional hardwood, laminated blanks, offcuts, or multi-species glue-ups to create finished tray projects that stand out from standard round, square, or rectangle designs.
What You Can Make With This Template
These templates are designed for routing recessed tray pockets into wood, not for cutting full board shapes all the way through. The two-piece skull and cross bones set gives you flexibility to make matching themed trays, separate catch-all dishes, or a coordinated display set.
- Skull trays and cross bones trays for themed serving or display
- Halloween woodworking projects and seasonal market products
- Pirate-themed trays, party decor, and handmade gifts
- Bar trays, garage trays, man cave decor, and shop display pieces
- Catch-all trays for keys, coins, jewellery, watches, and accessories
- Small-batch woodworking products for craft shows, markets, and online sales
Why Use a Clear Acrylic Skull & Cross Bones Tray Template?
A clear acrylic router template helps you position the layout before routing. You can see the grain, colour, and natural features in your wood blank, making it easier to centre each template, avoid defects, and choose the best-looking area of the board.
The two-template set gives you more project flexibility than a single tray shape. You can make the skull and cross bones as a matching set, use one shape on its own, or create themed products in multiple sizes and layouts. Because the templates are reusable, they are a practical option for repeat gift projects, seasonal items, markets, and small-batch production.
- Clear acrylic helps with grain alignment and project layout
- Includes two acrylic router templates: skull and cross bones
- Reusable templates for repeat tray and serving board projects
- Great for Halloween, pirate, bar, garage, and themed gift projects
- 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 templates properly, use the correct router bits, and start with flat, stable wood blanks that give you enough thickness for clean recessed tray pockets.
- Template Tape - used to secure the clear acrylic templates 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, themed gifts, catch-all trays, and non-food-contact projects.
How to Use This Skull & Cross Bones Tray Template Set
- Choose flat, stable wood blanks that are large enough for the template shape you want to make.
- Place the clear acrylic template on the wood and adjust the position based on the grain, colour, and layout of the board.
- Secure the template to the wood using Template Tape.
- Use a larger pocketing bit to remove the majority of the material from the recessed pocket areas where needed.
- Use the inside tray profiling bit to complete the pocket shape and create the 1/8" radius inside the routed pockets.
- Rout in shallow passes for better control, especially around the smaller details and curved areas of the design.
- Repeat the process with the second template if you are making a matching skull and cross bones set.
- Remove the template, sand the routed pockets 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, themed gifts, catch-all trays, 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: Skull & Cross Bones Tray Template Set
- Material: Clear acrylic
- Skull Size: 8.125" wide by 9.125" tall
- Cross Bones Size: 12.125" wide by 6.375" tall
- Border: 0.5" wide
- Template SKU: 10-022
- Best Used For: Routing recessed pockets for skull trays, cross bones trays, themed serving boards, catch-all trays, decorative trays, and handmade gifts
- What’s Included: Two clear acrylic router templates: one skull template and one cross bones 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many templates are included?
This set includes two clear acrylic router templates: one skull template and one cross bones template.
Is this template set for cutting out the full skull and cross bones shapes?
These templates are intended for routing recessed pockets into wood to create skull and cross bones tray projects. They are not mainly intended for cutting full board shapes all the way through.
What can I make with the Skull & Cross Bones Tray Template Set?
This template set works well for themed serving trays, catch-all trays, Halloween projects, pirate-themed gifts, bar trays, garage decor, display pieces, and small-batch woodworking products.
How do I attach the acrylic templates 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 pockets?
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 routed pockets.
Can I reuse these clear acrylic woodworking router templates?
Yes. The clear acrylic templates are reusable, making them a good option for repeat themed tray projects, handmade gifts, craft shows, seasonal products, and small-batch woodworking.
What wood should I use for these tray projects?
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 trays?
If the trays may be used for food-contact or serving-style use, choose a food-safe option like Walrus Oil Cutting Board Oil. For decorative trays, themed gifts, catch-all trays, and non-food-contact projects, Grand Finishing Hardwax Oil is a great option.
The Skull & Cross Bones Tray Template Set is a reusable clear acrylic woodworking router template set for turning hardwood blanks into bold, themed tray projects. Pair it with template tape, the proper pocketing and tray profiling bits, quality dimensional wood, and the right finish to create polished trays for gifts, Halloween, parties, markets, or small-batch woodworking products.
