Tool Time with Christine and her DIY Supersized Ironing Board

If you would like to be able to lay a ½ yard of fabric out and iron it all at one time without having to move the fabric; you are going to LOVE THIS TUTORIAL!  I ran across an ironing board similar to this and thought “WOW that would be awesome to have...I bet I can  make one of those.”  It is one of my favorite tool/items in my sewing room.  You can make one of these too, and you'll be surprised how easy it all comes together.  Easy peasy! *wink*





(Yes, that's a 15 inch ruler laying on that ironing board with room

all around it)



First, before we get started... I want to give Madame Samm a Big THANK YOU, for having me on Sew We Quilt.  I have learned so much from all the instructors on her blog.  We are so lucky to have this site, and all need to give Madame Samm a Big SHOUT OUT, WHOOp WHOOp!!!! 

A quick little bit about me...My name is Christine,  I am married to my best friend.  My husband and I are proud parents to three furry children 
(2 cats and a boxer puppy - they all make cameo apperances in my quilt pictures).   When you don't find me at my sewing machine or computer, you will find me flower gardening in my yard or camping somewhere in the wonderful Pacific Northwest.  

I am fairly new to blogging and my blog is called, Quilt Monster in my Closet. 

Please visit anytime...I’d love to have you stop by, share ideas,  or just say Hi!  I am excited to be here at Sew We Quilt and share this tutorial, it is my first time
 guest blogging. :) 

If any questions come up… Please let me know. I'll answer them ASAP. 

Enjoy.

 

  

Here is a list of supplies you need: 

                    *Your existing Ironing board

(with old cover removed)

*Tape Measure, pencil, saw, drill with smaller than wood screw drill bit, staple gun w/staples and a screw driver, hammer and/or brad nail gun.

*A piece of ¾ inch plywood cut 20 inches wide and  6 inches beyond the length of your ironing board CLOSED. 
(my example is for a standard ironing board and it’s cut 63 inches x 20inches)

*7 fender washers & 7 wood screws

*2 (10 ft) sticks of

¾ by ¾ inch wood (for finishing)

*100% Cotton Batting    (I used scraps I already had)

*2 yards of fabric (You can choose whatever color you want…Dress it up or dress it down)

*Finishing Nails 1 ½ long amount varies.  (fyi..I used a brad nailer instead)

Okay Let’s begin assembly. First mark the top of your board and lay it face down.



Lay ironing board face down on top of the plywood. 

Center ironing board on plywood and mark where you will be 

mounting the wood screws to the ironing board.

(I marked 7 total-  one at the tip…and 3 along each side of ironing board) 



(Mark the ironing board also,... a lot easier to realign later.)

         Now remove ironing board and pre-drill your holes…
this step makes securing it easier to at the end.

(if you drill all the way thru..no worries, you will be
covering it up with fabric)

   

  

Next … Take your  ¾ x ¾ inch sticks of wood, measure and cut the lengths to match the plywood length.   From the left over cuts, measure and cut for the short lengths to fit in between the long sides… IMPORTANT >> DO NOT ATTACH YET!  Put aside for finishing! 

(Sorry I forgot to take a picture of this step.)

Next…Cut 4 layers of batting an inch or so larger than the
size of your plywood.  
The extra will wrap over the sides and give a cushion along
the edge of your ironing board. 



(I notched the corners of two layers so that I wouldn’t have super bulky corners.  I hope you can see that in the picture… it was a sunny day)   

 

Now…Clear off your table and lay your fabric so that the
Right Side is facing DOWN.

 (WARNING…*Wink*.. there is going to be a bit of fabric waste, I know...I hate waste too, but you’ll want enough fabric to hold onto  when pulling and stapling.  That way you will get a tight fit across the board..I did trim 15 inches off the length of fabric before doing this.  A good size scrap for later. *wink*)

Next lay your batting layers on top of the fabric…
 and
 lay your plywood so that the side marked TOP is face DOWN.

Pull the fabric over the plywood just like you are upholstering
a chair and staple.
(Be careful to not shift your batting)

Staple the fabric about ¾ of an inch from the edge. 
Remember you will be covering the staples with
the sticks you cut previously. 

 When you work into a corner, fold the fabric like you are wrapping a present. 

Once you have the fabric securely stapled, trim excess off. 

(Be sure to not trim too close to staples)  

When all the fabric is trimmed, go thru with a hammer and give each
staple an extra tap to ensure that each staple lays as flat as possible. 

Now you are ready to attach the ¾ inch by ¾ inch pieces. 
Lay the sticks on top of the staples. 
Be careful not to hit a staple when finishing. 
 I happen to have a brad nailer and it was quick and simple,
but if you don't...
use finishing nails and tack the sticks’s down with a hammer. 





Now that the edges are attached...

You are ready for the last step.  (Are you excited yet??)

Position the ironing board over the pre drilled

holes that were made earlier.

Secure your new cover to the ironing board with a wood screw

and fender washer in each of the pre-drilled holes.

You are now ready to flip over your ironing board and enjoy
how much bigger it is. 

CONGRATULATIONS...

You now have an awesome "Supersized" Ironing Board that
everyone you know - who sews - will be jealous of. 
Be careful...you may have to make one of these for a friend, I did.

I hope you enjoyed my first guest tutorial.   In honor of the special occasion, I am having a giveaway over at my Blog... One lucky winner will win a bottle of Mary Ellen's Best Press to start their new ironing adventures. 

 Check out Quilt Monster in my Closet to see what the
giveaway question is...  
 Leave a comment here for an extra chance to win :)
Winner will be randomly selected.

Again, Thank you Madame Samm for having me on Sew We Quilt, and I look forward to more sharing and learning with all my new internet friends.

Happy Quilting…and...Happy Ironing ;) 
Christine L