Tray Chic

I’m a big fan of trays. Anything that can be both practical and decorative is usually a good addition to a home or apartment. So when One King’s Lane asked me to participate in their Tray Chic campaign, I was happy to share a couple of ways to use trays in your home.

The first may seem obvious, but… trays are great for carrying lots of cocktails! They really are a must for entertaining guests, especially outdoors. It’s pretty hard to carry more than two glasses at once. A tray not only helps out, but also makes a nice presentation. Now that the weather is nice, GarnishGuy and I have been spending more and more evenings outside, and having a tray has come in handy even with just the two of us.

I also like using a tray as an instant (mini) bar cart. I’m a sucker for all those great pictures of beautiful bar carts on Pinterest, but if I end up studying them, I usually realize that they make no sense. There aren’t really many cocktails you can make with a bottle of champagne, some San Pellegrino, and stripey paper straws. I love flowers as much as the next girl, but maybe you should set that vase aside and add a bottle of whiskey or something?

If we’re being truthful, making cocktails usually turns out to be a messy business that ends in water rings, lemon rinds, and dirty glassware. And a bar with enough spirits and mixers to make an assortment of cocktails gets pretty sizable. But if you want the bar cart vibe, try a tray. I made one up with everything you need for a gin or vodka martini. You could even space a couple of these around with different themes for guests. Admittedly, you’d need more glassware, but there’s always space to the side.

I even found room for flowers.