Customized Laptop Tray

Laptops are designed to be portable and used in a variety of locations. Whether you're lounging with it outside or just surfing the web from your couch, having the option to take your laptop virtually anywhere is great! But having a laptop sit on your legs can be uncomfortable and recent studies are suggesting adverse long term effects from such use.

While there are numerous types and styles of laptop trays available for purchase, making your own is less expensive, relatively easy and allows you to completely customize it! 

Step 1 Sizing & Materials

First, decide what size and shape you want your tray to be. It can be oval, rectangular, curved or any shape you'd like. If you decide to use a square or a rectangle, use a carpenter's square for accuracy and measure diagonally to check how square it actually is. 

I wanted to make a laptop tray that was big enough to support large laptops and I decided to use a simple rectangular shape. The measurements for my tray came out to 19 inches wide by 15 inches deep.

Second, decide what material you will use for the tray. Plywood is a great choice for its workability, strength vs. weight and its beauty. However, there are a lot of other materials that would make a very unique laptop tray. You could consider using plastics or something similar to plexi-glass.