Things You'll Need
Two card tables
Bed risers
Duct tape
Fabric
Fabric glue
Hard board
Cork sheeting
Permanent marker
Yardstick
Cutting is crucial to successful sewing, and it's nearly impossible to cut with any precision without the proper surface. By making your own cutting table you can lay out the fabric to its full width. A cutting mat gives you the exact measurements at your fingertips. Together, they make sewing simpler and less time-consuming. By making both pieces portable, it means that no matter how small your space, you can have the right tools ready when you are.
Step 1
Push two card tables together to form the base of the cutting table. Since you will stand while working, the height should be 30 to 40 inches, depending on your needs. After you decide what height works best for you, use bed risers, industrial-sized food cans or small blocks of wood to adjust the height of the tables to your comfort level. You can use duct tape to fasten the card tables together for additional stability.
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Step 2
Create the top for the card tables with 1/4-inch hard board. Have the lumberyard cut the boards so that they can be hinged together to form a 72-inch surface. Cover them with fabric glue, then glue fabric across the entire 72-inch surface. Repeat on the back side. This will "hinge" the boards together, enabling you to fold them up if needed.
Step 3
Buy cork sheeting from a large hardware store. Have it cut to fit your cutting table. Lay it out on your cutting table, and with a yardstick and permanent marker, draw vertical and horizontal lines across it. Using different color pens, create a yardstick along each side, by marking 1/4 inches in red, 1/2 inches in green and the full inches in black. That will enable you to can check measurements at a glance, no matter which way you are facing.
Tip
When you lay out your fabric to be cut, pin it directly to your cork cutting mat.
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