DIY an Extra Large Cutting Board and Stove Cover with Jessie Thomas

Jessie Thomas partnered with Forest 2 Home to create an amazing #BuiltWithF2H project! Jessie teamed up with her husband to craft an extra large cutting board that doubles as a kitchen stove cover using Forest 2 Home lumber. A project like this allows for additional kitchen counter space and makes the top of your range a functional part of your kitchen while your burners are not in use. Read on to learn how Jessie and her husband crafted this project: 

I think this DIY will surprise you. When I think of purchasing a cutting board, I think of HomeGoods. That would be a typical place I would to to look for one. Have you ever thought of making your own? DIY's are not always cheaper to do, but this one is! The last large cutting board I bought was around $60, at the time not knowing what a good price was. Wood has become more expensive so I was surprised when I found Forest 2 Home, a company that sells the wood in a kit to make your own at such an affordable price and much better quality!

I really enjoy doing project with my husband; we have evolved as a team while doing them. It was a no brainer when presented with the opportunity to make our very first cutting board. If you have the tools already, I would consider this a beginner project that anyone can do. Turning 6 pieces of wood into something is really cool!

Tools needed for this woodworking project

• Forest 2 Home custom kit featuring Cherry wood, Hard Maple wood and Walnut wood (instead, you can use a Forest 2 Home cutting board kit)

• Wood Glue

• Large Clamps

• Sander

• Router 3/4" bit (optional but makes a big difference)

• Food Grade Cutting Board Oil

Forest 2 Home lumber delivery

The Forest 2 Home kit came with 3 types of wood: Walnut wood, Chery wood and Hard Maple wood. This is not the kind of wood you can buy at a big box store but premium woods grown in the North East United States by a family owned company. They offer 8 different types of wood, grown across 3 different states and make it affordable to supply wood to the individual woodworkers. The best part is you can have the wood shipped right to your house with free shipping anywhere in the United States!

Step 1: gluing up your woodworking project

Lay your wood pieces in whatever pattern you would like them arranged. I did dark, like, then medium (Walnut, Hard Maple, then Cherry), as you can see in the picture below. Next, add a layer of glue on each side of the wood-pretty straightforward and easy to do!

Step 2: clamping your project to dry

Lay your boards on top of large clamps, lining the boards up the best you can. You will have glue coming out of the seams and that's okay! Secure them together the best you can, tightening the clamps while keeping the boards lined up at evenly as possible. It is okay if it's not perfect, you will be able to get out the imperfections when you sand it. 

Step 3: wipe up wood glue

Take a damp rag and clean up the excess glue that has emerged from the seams. Allow the clamped board to dry for at least 24 hours.

Step 4: sand your cutting board

Once dry, you are ready to sand. We happen to have a belt sander to make it a little easier but a regular sander will do just fine. I don't have it pictured but after using the belt sander on both sides, my husband sanded again with a hand sander and 120 grit. 

Step 5: applying cutting board oil

We chose to apply Walrus Oil Cutting Board Oil to bring out the natural beauty in the wood. It sis 100% food grade oil and when applied, it makes the wood color super vibrant and beautiful!