Brian Ng'aru made Johannes a neat cutlery tray that brought order and ease to a tricky drawer, turning a daily need into calm simplicity. What's your wish? →
View material & custom-made details
This Custom Cypress Cutlery Tray for Short Drawer was made as a fitted wooden drawer insert for a kitchen drawer with limited height and a rounded base profile. Brian Ng'aru built the tray in cypress wood with a six-compartment layout, making it a useful example for anyone considering a custom cutlery organizer for an awkward or non-standard drawer.
- Request: The goal was a cutlery tray for a short drawer, sized to fit closely without becoming too tight, with six sections made up of one large, three standard and two small compartments.
- Final result: The finished tray was made to about 50.6 cm wide and 7 cm high, using 10 mm cypress wood for a strong but relatively light insert that still suited everyday kitchen use.
- Design details: A rounded base was built in to match the drawer shape, and the wood was smoothly sanded and finished with linseed oil for a food-safe surface and a natural wood look.
- Process: Public progress updates showed the build from material sourcing and clamped base pieces through frame assembly, sanding and final finishing, with photos shared along the way.
- Helpful for: This project is a good reference if you need a custom cutlery tray for a shallow drawer, a drawer with curved inner corners or base, or a layout that standard off-the-shelf inserts do not handle well.
Every unique piece tells a story. What’s yours?
This design was custom-made exclusively for Johannes. Let it inspire you: customize this design to fit your vision or start with a completely new idea. You chat directly with our artisans, and we handle the secure process.
A request by Johannes from München, Germany
I need a cutlery tray for a short drawer. The internal dimensions of the drawer are 51 cm (wide), 38 cm (deep) and 6 cm (high). The drawer has sides that are rounded at the bottom, see attached pictures.
The cutlery drawer should be divided into six compartments, one large, three normal and two small, cf. attached sketch.
The Journey of Creating Custom Cypress Cutlery Tray for Short Drawer
Negotiation & Planning
Custom Cypress Cutlery Tray for Short Drawer - design ideas and artisan proposals
Hello Johannes, I'm happy to provide an offer for your idea. I have attached some images. Let me know if they come close to your idea.
Hi Ryan,
best thanks for the design!
The drawer is 510 mm wide. Can you please still adjust the width of the cutlery tray accordingly? Also, I gave an incorrect measurement for the height. The side walls of the drawer are 70 mm high, above that there is another 20 mm of air to the top box. Please dimension the height of the cutlery tray to 70 mm as well.
What material would you work with? Do you have a photo of it for me?
Best regards! (Automatic translation)
Hey. You are welcome. I assumed that since the drawer is 510mm, I should leave some space on the sides so that it is not a tight fight. I have made the change in the sketch. Take a look and see if they reflect what you communicated.
Hi Ryan,
thanks for the revision! You are right that there should be some space on the sides. However, the first draft had a width of 496 mm. Can you make it 506 mm?
What material are you working with? Do you have a sample picture of the material for me? (Automatic translation)
Hey,
You are welcome. Let me revise it to 506mm. I'm working with cypress wood. I have attached an image of a tray that I built with the same wood.
Great! That way everything fits. What price did you have in mind? (Automatic translation)
I have indicated the price in the sections provided below.
Crafting Process
How to make a Custom Cypress Cutlery Tray for Short Drawer – work in progress
I have enough to start the build. I will share some progress photos once I start.
Great, I'm glad 🙂 (Automatic translation)
Hello. I'm yet to start but as soon as I do I will let you know. I'm still looking for the appropriate material.
Hello Johannes, I'm happy to work on your idea, your tray has been reassigned to me by the company. I have read through your conversation with Ryan and believe I understand what we are working towards.I intend to make the tray using 10mm thick Cypress wood all round the tray so that it is strong, durable and light. I have attached a sketch with dimensions updated to include the thickness of the wood. I will make the base rounded so if fits perfectly in the drawer an the height 70mm. I intend to finish the tray with a smooth sanding and apply linseed oil to cure the wood (for food safety purposes). If all is well, am ready to start as soon as you approve. Looking forward to your reply.
Hi Brian,
that sounds great! Will be happy to start implementing it. (Automatic translation)
Thank you. I will be sending updates on the progress as soon as I start.
Hi Brian,
that sounds great! Will be happy to start implementing it. (Automatic translation)
Hello Johannes, I have managed to get material for your tray. So far I have cut the pieces to form the base and clamped them together. Today I will be sanding the base and preparing the sides. I have attached some pictures and videos to show the progress.
I'm glad to see that you are doing well with the project. Thanks for the update 🙂 (Automatic translation)
Hello, the base is ready an am in between preparing pieces for the divisions and sides. I have attached pictures for progress update
Great (Automatic translation)
Hello Johannes, I ave made the frame for the tray, to morrow I will join it to the base and do the finishing after it's dry. I have attached a picture of the progress
Looks good (Automatic translation)
Hello Johannes the tray is joined and ready for sanding and finishing, I have attached some pictures to show progress, It should be ready tomorrow evening
Thanks for the update! (Automatic translation)
Hello Johannes the tray is finally ready for shipping, the linseed oil took abit longer to dry due to cold rainy weather. I have attached pictures of the final product. We can start organizing shipping once you confirm.
Wonderful! I'm looking forward to seeing the piece. Thanks for the work so far - hope you have better weather soon ☀️ (Automatic translation)
Final Delivery – The Completed Piece in Photos
Customer Photos After Delivery
The Finished Unique Piece – Individually Handmade
Reference: ON008391E-43525
Cost structure of this project
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Cost of material |
26.12
|
| Cost of labour |
42.65
|
| Cost of packaging |
0
|
| Local Transport to photoshoot and parcel drop-off |
0
|
| Subtotal – payout to artisan |
68.77
|
| Customer acquisition costs (advertising etc.) |
6.88
|
| Handling fee Urban Change Lab |
6.88
|
| Total (excluding shipping & taxes) |
82.53
|
- Secure: Transparent ordering & approval
- Personal: We support you at every step
- Fair: Direct local value creation in Kenya
Note on shipping & taxes
The cost breakdown above shows how the value of this individual project is composed.
Shipping costs and any applicable taxes (e.g. VAT) depend on the delivery country and the specific setup and are therefore not shown as fixed amounts here.
All additional costs are communicated transparently before placing a binding order.
If you have any questions, you will find our contact details further down this page.
