How to Make a Cutting Board for Sewing
A cutting board protects the nice surface of your sewing table when you use a rotary cutter to trim and cut fabric. Cutting boards usually have a grid printed on them to help you measure your fabric. You can purchase either self-healing cutting mats, which are made of plastic, or cardboard cutting boards. If you want a cardboard cutting board, save money by making your own. Make the cutting board large enough to fit a garment pattern or to cover your work table
Things You'll Need
- 3 pieces of 1/4-inch-thick corrugated cardboard, 36 inches by 20 inches (you can adjust the size to fit your needs)
- Packing tape
- Yard stick or ruler
- Black permanent ink marker
Instructions
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1
Place one piece of cardboard on top of the another. Tape together along one long side, applying the tape so that it forms a hinge. Open the cardboard like a book by lifting the top piece and laying it down flat next to the bottom piece.
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2
Place the third piece of cardboard on top of what was just the top piece of cardboard. Tape the two pieces together on the long outer side. Lift the top piece of cardboard off the bottom piece and lay flat. You should now have a long piece of cardboard that measures 60 inches wide by 36 inches tall.
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3
Measure 1 inch from the left outer edge of the cardboard and 1 inch from the top of the cardboard. Draw a straight line with the yard stick across the width of the cardboard, stopping 1 inch away from the right outer edge.
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4
Draw another line across the bottom of the width of the cardboard, 1 inch from both the right and left edges and 1 inch away from the bottom.
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5
Draw a line connecting the top line and bottom line on each side. You should now have a rectangle on your cutting board.
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6
Draw a grid inside this rectangle by drawing horizontal and vertical lines 1 inch away from each other.
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7
Number the vertical lines, starting with "1" for the line on the outer left side. Determine which line is in the center of the cutting board and number that line "0" as well as whatever the middle measurement is (30 if your board is 60 inches). Count up from 0 on each side of the center line and number the lines accordingly. Each line should have two numbers next to it.
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8
Number the horizontal lines in the same way.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Fold your cutting board along the taped sides when not using it.
Resources
- Photo Credit ciseaux image by Samuel Moulin from Fotolia.com
