Prototype A. Lessons to be learned

Ignore the ice chest It's about the same width as tray
the better to demonstrate the pockets.

Well I just finished my first attempt at a travel tray.  Obviously some lessons to be learned.

Lesson 1: measure the material six inches longer in width and height than your surface. Not 6 on each side. That adds up fast and you find yourself cutting off material left and right...bleh.

Lesson 2.  Probably glue to the underside of the lip rather than the bottom of the tray.  It'll make the tray a little inset, but it will make it easier to reach the pocket.

Lesson 3.  Make the top of the pockets a little longer. The hangy part anyway.  Especially if you're not gluing to the underside of the lip.

Lesson 4.  Beans are too heavy. It will rip the fabric off the tray.

Lesson 5. using the travel pillows you got at the dollar store for stuffing was a great idea. Ripping them open with the intent of transferring stuffing from one to the other was a HORRIBLE AWFUL NO GOOD TERRIBLE idea. Those things stick to EVERYTHING. Next time, just stuff the travel pillow in there and glue the cover fabric in place.

Lesson 6.  The white contact paper isn't quite slick enough. The self laminating sheets however were. Get more ribbon to cover areas not covered by laminated sheet.

Lesson 7.  Shoelaces make GREAT cords for piping!  Glad I had some spares!

Lesson 8.  When you think you've made your piping long enough....add six inches anyway.

The first tray is ugly. I figured it would be regardless as rather than drive to the dollar store and pick up the trays and paint them and then realize I messed something up horribly, I figured I'd make Prototype A with the cookie sheet magnet boards I messed up at Christmas. Well actually I didnt' mess them up. We just didn't hang them up and then they wound up being used for beating one another with regardless of what mom and dad say. They're also pretty nifty as shields to hold up when charging each other from opposite ends of the room to slam into one another. In this case they also make pretty slick prototype trays. They do however remain just as magnetic through the two layers of contact paper (or rather one layer of contact and one layer of laminate).

Tomorrow we shall go for round two. :D