Making a cutting board requires precision, but once you get the hang of it, they are easy to make and personalize for gifting or to fit any surface! A good cutting board is essential for a stocked kitchen, but can be versatile in its usage – use it as a cheese platter or expensive-looking serving tray. Play around with the angles and shapes to create the perfect cutting board for you!
Put on your goggles and gloves! Tie your hair back and make sure any loose clothing is tucked in. We recommend working with a friend or partner for safety! For more safety tips, make sure to read our safety guide before we get started.
STEP 1: Use a pencil to draw your desired cutting board shape onto the wood. Get creative! But make sure the shape is large enough to allow room for cutting on later.
STEP 2: Clamp the wood down tightly – we added a bit of felt to the clamps to make sure they don’t dent our wood.
STEP 3: Set your jigsaw to the highest speed – it’s important to use a jigsaw as opposed to a regular table saw, because a jigsaw allows us to create curved shapes in the wood. Cut your shape out of the wood – don’t cut any sharp angles just yet, we don’t want stress the blade.
STEP 4: Re-clamp the wood and continue cutting as needed to complete any sharp angles in your cutting board. If you included a handle, consider adding a hole into the handle so you can hang your cutting board!
STEP 5: Once it’s all cut out, it’s time to sand it. We’re using an orbital sander, but you can also hand-sand if you prefer. Be sure to use 220 grit sandpaper. Wipe off any remaining sawdust with a clean cloth.
STEP 6: Rub your butcher’s block oil (which is food safe!) into the cutting board with a fresh clean cloth. This will make it smoother and easier to wash. If you drilled a hole into the handle, attach some string or cord so you can hang it!
Hang it up to show off your impressive woodcutting skills for your next charcuterie board, or create a series to have one for every usage! If you’re looking to create one yourself, show us and The Sorry Girls by tagging us @BeMakeful using #TheDrillDown!
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