How to Make a Simple DIY Cutting Board
Make a beautiful DIY walnut cutting board with this beginner-friendly guide, covering cutting, shaping, water popping, and finishing for a smooth, durable result.
A DIY cutting board is almost like a milestone for woodworkers. Whether you’re a beginner or have been around the workshop for a while, making a cutting board is one of the simplest yet most rewarding projects you can tackle.
It is practical, beautiful, and surprisingly easy to make. It makes a great hostess gift, housewarming, or wedding gift. The best part is that it can be easily personalized, or you can add your own personal touch to it.
For this cutting board, I am using walnut. Walnut is one of the most favorite woods among woodworkers, and for good reason – its deep, rich brown color and unique grain patterns are gorgeous. Not only is it beautiful, but it’s also incredibly durable, making it perfect for an everyday cutting board. Walnut’s hardness helps it withstand frequent chopping and cutting while being gentle enough to keep your knives sharp for longer.
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Material Needed
- Walnut board (suggested size: 1x8x12 inches or similar)
- Roundover bit
- Flush trim bit
- Corner Routing template. I used this corner routing guide set.
- Sandpaper (120, 220, and 320 grit).
- CA glue and accelerator
- Foam sanding pads
- Foam sanding pads
- Top and Bottom Cut Jigsaw Blade
- Food-safe finish (mineral oil, beeswax, or butcher block conditioner). I used this one.
Tools Needed
- Miter saw
- Jigsaw
- Planer (optional)
- Router
- Rotary tool
- Power Sander. I used this sander but you can use this one as well.
PS: You can get 10% off on the SurfPrep Sander with code ANIKA
Best Woods for Cutting Boards
Choosing the right wood is important for making a cutting board that’s both durable and beautiful. Hardwoods like walnut, maple, and cherry are ideal because they’re dense enough to withstand daily use yet gentle on knives.
- Walnut offers rich color and a smooth grain.
- Maple (hard maple) is known for its light, classic appearance and resistance to knife marks.
- Cherry adds a rich, reddish hue that ages beautifully over time.
- Acacia, Ash, Mahogany, and Bamboo are great options as well.
How to Make the Cutting Board
Step 1: Prepare the Board
- Measure and cut your walnut board to your desired size using the miter saw or circular saw. A length of around 12 inches works well, but you can adjust this to make a smaller or larger cutting board.
If you have an S3S or S4S board, you should be good to go on to the next step. If it is rough-sawn, you will need to send it through a planer to get a flat cutting board.
Read more about lumber sizes and nomenclature.
Step 2: Shape the Cutting Board
I decided to round all of the corners of the board. This can be done in various ways.
- Use a round object and draw the round corners, and cut using a jigsaw like I did with this cutting board. You will have to be a little careful to make a clean, smooth cut.
- Use corner routing templates and a trim router with a flush trim bit.
You can keep the cutting board a rectangle if you like. I decided to cut it into a shape.
- Draw the shape of the cutting board. You can freehand this like me or use a template.
- Cut it out with a jigsaw.
Tip: Use this top and bottom jigsaw cutting blade to get the best cut on both sides of the board.
See more about how to use a jigsaw to cut various shapes.
There are also cutting board templates you can buy and use with a flush trim router bit if you are making many cutting boards and would rather not hand draw.
Step 3: Add a Hole for Hanging
- To make your board easy to hang, mark a spot on one end where you’d like the hanging hole. Use a Forstener bit to cut out the hole. I used a 1″ bit.
You can also use a jigsaw to make the hole, but you will have to be careful when getting a perfect circle.
This step is optional, but it adds functionality.
Step 4: Routing for a Rounded Edge
While this is perfectly optional, this step gives the board its finished look.
- Using a router with a 1/4″ roundover bit, route all the edges of your board, both front and back. This rounded edge feels smooth to the touch and looks professional.
Tip: Be sure to make a practice run on a scrap piece of wood to make sure that the depth and style are what you want.
Read more about how to use a router.
Step 5: Filling the Voids.
The wood will almost certainly have voids or small cracks. This is natural, but they need to be filled to make a smooth and durable cutting board.
The best way to fill these is to use a CA glue (cyanoacrylate glue).
- Apply the CA glue to the void.
- Spray the accelerator on it to harden quickly so it is ready for sanding within a minute or two.
For deeper voids, you may need to layer the glue.
Once the glue hardens, it can be easily sanded.
Step 6: Sanding the Cutting Board
Now that the board is shaped, it is time to sand.
- Start with a course grit (like 120 grit), then move up to 220 for a smooth surface.
For the edges and sides, I like to use my Surfprep Sander with the foam pads. These sand the edges without altering the shape, which can happen with regular sanders. The Surfprep Sander is great for finish sanding as you can control the speed, and it moves in one direction.
You can also get foam sanding pads for a regular random orbital sander.
- You can use a rotary tool with a drum sander inside the hole. The foam sanding pad will also help sand and smoothen the edges.
Step 7: Finishing the Cutting Board
Once it is sanded smooth, the cutting board is ready for the final finish.
- Spray water on the entire surface – front, back, and edges. This will make the grain pop. This is called water popping and is your first look at what the finished board will look like.
Water popping makes the fibers in the wood swell and stand up, hence opening up the grain. This only happens once. Once you sand it down smooth and apply a finish, the wood grain will be well sealed and will not absorb moisture when washed in the future.
- Once the water is dried out, you will notice that the grain is rough. Sand down the entire cutting board with fine (220 grit) and Extra Fine (320 Grit) sandpaper.
At this point, the cutting board will feel super smooth!
- Apply a food-safe finish. I use this finish, but there are many other options available. You want a blend of beeswax and mineral oil to finish.
- I like to apply the finish, let it absorb for 15-20 minutes, wipe away any excess, and repeat the process. You can read and follow the instructions for the finish you use.
Once the recommended curing time has passed, about a week, in my case, the board is ready for use (or gift).
This simple walnut cutting board project is a great way to make your first wooden cutting board. With just a few steps, you can transform a simple piece of walnut into something gorgeous and functional.
I absolutely love the rich color of the walnut, and I think it adds the perfect touch of warmth to any kitchen.
Plus, it’s customizable, so feel free to try different shapes and wood types as you build confidence. You can even add customizations using a CNC or laser machine.
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Anika's goal is to inspire and empower beginners with woodworking, DIY, home improvement, and home decor ideas.
She wants everyone to unlock their creative potential and experience the feeling that comes with making something. Nothing feels better better than seeing something and saying "I can make that!"