Good evening quilting friends! Tonight I want to share a project that my husband and I completed three years ago because it is still relevant AND useful today . . . my DIY cutting table. Maybe it will provide inspiration to a need that you have in your sewing room!
In the summer of 2012, we did some rearranging and de-cluttering in our home, and a spot opened up next to our family room where I could create a dedicated sewing and crafting area. This new spot allowed me to enjoy my sewing or scrapbooking and still be part of family conversations and TV viewing. It also meant I finally had enough space for a real cutting table.
I found a really cute $30 drop leaf table at an occasional shop near our home town. With both leaves up, it had just the right surface area for a large cutting mat, with a little extra space on all four sides. However, it was too short. I\’m only 5\’ 7\”, but I was bending over to do my cutting. Not an ideal situation!
During the de-cluttering and rearranging episode, we purchased a larger dresser for my teenage daughter. Up to this point, she had been using this pretty birch dresser which was a hand-me-down from my parents\’ cabin. We brought it downstairs and had the idea to marry the two pieces somehow, creating a cutting table with storage. You can see how thrilled my husband looks at the outset of the project. 😉
This turned out great! This is my favorite kind of DIY project. I love how it all just came together.
Thanks so much Susie! I can see I need to spend some time on your blog! Such great ideas and your pictures are darling!
I love this idea!
Thanks Lorri! It turned out to be a very handy piece . . . and not too difficult once I talked the husband into helping! 😉
Adore this!
Thank you Karen!!
I just found this on pinterest. What a GREAT idea! My current cutting table is also hurting my back and I'm far shorter than 5'7\”…
Glad that you liked it and hope you can find something similar to work together! In my opinion, belly button height (ha!) is the way to go, at least for my back. Cutting at this dresser height is similar to cutting at a kitchen counter height. Best of luck to you and thanks so much for stopping by the blog to check it out! 🙂
How wide is your dresser? I am having trouble locating both dress a dresser and a dropleaf table that fit together.
The drop leaf top surface is 48 x 42. My dresser is 40\” wide and 18 inches deep. Hope that helps!
Absolutely adorable, great idea and job. Wish I had room for something like that.
Just found your blog. What a cute and functional idea. Are you still able to drop your leaf side down if you want to? So adorable !!!!!
Thank you Connie! I'm sorry that I just saw your comment now! 🙂
Thank you!! No, we aren't. It's all solid now, which makes for a great cutting surface, but darn it, that would have been slick. We perhaps aren't clever enough carpenters to figure that out! 😉
I own this very table that I found at a thrift/shabby chic type shop years ago, and I have the same height problem with it in my room. I don't have a dresser, but you have given me the idea of buying legs at the hardware store to cut the right length and attach to my existing legs. Then paint, and sand. It will look great and work so much better! Thanks!!!
PS. May I share your article on my Facebook page?
Thanks for all of your kind comments. I can \”hear\” the excitement in your words. I was so thrilled with how my diy project turned out too. And it was fun to do it together with my husband! It will always be special to me. Yes, please feel free to share. I'd prefer if you'd link the photo up to my blog post. That would be great. Thank you for asking!
I am so doing this!
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Lucky Lady! That looks like a job for my hubby too! 😀