How to Make a Wooden Chopping Board and Serving Tray

Assembly steps

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Photo 1: Mark the curves

Drill 1/2-in. holes centered 3/4 in. in from the ends of the walnut strips. Then lightly clamp all five boards together so you can scribe the arcs on the ends.

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Photo 2: Assemble

Take the boards out of the clamp, saw and sand the arcs on each board, and then glue the assembly together, leaving the dowel handles unglued.

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Photo 3: Finish up

Unclamp, sand both sides and drill a 1/4-in.-deep, 3/4-in.-diameter hole at each underside corner. Glue in the feet and dowel handles, then wipe on a couple of coats of Butcher Block Oil. That's it—chop some veggies!

Slice, dice and serve in style on this easy, cutting-edge project from Chris Ryland. We'll show you a simple way to dry-fit the parts, scribe the arc and then glue the whole works together. We used a 4-ft. steel ruler to scribe the arcs, but a yardstick or any thin board would also work. Be sure to use water-resistant wood glue and keep your tray out of the dishwasher or it might fall apart. And one more thing: Keep the boards as even as possible during glue-up to minimize sanding later.