DIY Cutting Board

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Hello friends!

As promised, I will show you how to make a simple cutting board. If you love to cook, you probably have an obsession with cutting boards, in all shapes and sizes (or maybe it’s just my own obsession!). Anyhow, cutting boards look really cute around the kichen, hanging on a wall from a cute rustic string, or just leaning on the counter. They are great for gifts, too! Plus, you can use up all of your wood scraps to make a fun and unique gift that’ll make yourself or someone else happy!

Cutting boards are usually made with hardwood for durability. But hardwoods are hard to find at stores like Lowes or Home depot. Plus, they are pricey. So I went for pine. My idea was to make them cute, but to keep the cost extra low since I was going to be adding these boards to my bread baskets that I sell every year for Christmas.

So, here’s the scoop on how to make them.

I used 1″ X 8′ pine boards. I tried to find the straightest board with the least amount of knots; I thought this would be best for a cutting board to have the smoothest surface possible.

Then, I determined the size of my cutting board. Mine were small. The length was about 11 inches total and the width was just the width of the board. If you want them wider, get a wider board. Simple, right? If your design has a long handle, for instance, measure how long you want the handle and add the cutting surface length to it. If you just have scraps of wood, then a little more cutting is involved, but they are just straight cuts, so it isn’t a big deal. =-)

Ok, so now you are ready to draw your design on the board. I came up with three different designs for the handle.

I don’t have a picture of the third design. You will see it down below.

Once you have your design drawn, you are ready to cut it with your scroll saw. I use a hand held one, but if you own a standing one, better yet. I am jealous. =-) Once I am done cutting, I give them a good sanding until all edges are smooth to the touch, and then I apply a special oil that gives it a nice darker finish. This oil is formulated to be used on wood surfaces and it’s non toxic, which is perfect for cutting boards. You can find it on amazon here. Here are the pictures of the finished product on all three designs:

I love how the grain shows on this one!

The string that I used I got at Hobby Lobby, but you can use anything, really. Even jute twine or rope works.

As far as the hole on the handle, I just drill it before I put on the tung oil. Make sure you go slow to keep the wood from splitting around it. Then get a small piece of sandpaper, roll it, and stick it through the hole to sand it good inside there.

To attach the string, I folded the string in half, then I inserted the looped end through the hole from the back side, and added the two lose ends through the loop. To finish it I tied a knot at the end as pictured. Cut a good length of string to have enough to do all that. It is the worst to end up with not enough string.

I came up with the name brand Madera Creations for my cutting board line, and my husband thinks I am a nut. Lol! Or maybe I should call it Madera Chic. What do you think?

This year, along with a loaf of whole wheat bread, my baskets included a jar of locally grown honey (the jar is just a spice jar from IKEA), a hand-made cutting board, a stainless steel bread knife, a box of chocolate mint cookies, and miniature candy canes. I then got the cutest trays to set everything on with some tissue paper. To finish it off I added a cute bow with an ornament. Who would not want to get one of these for Christmas?