my sister and i made ours from old dressers. we purchased 2 x 4 feet MDO board and used spray basting to cover it in foil. worked great. then added a layer of batting and muslin over the top. stapled the muslin tightly over the batting. then made a removable cover that can be thrown in the washing machine. i find i use the cut and press board more for cutting than anything and it sits up there fine. I am planning on getting a 1/2 sheet of plywood to cut to fit my larger cutting mat. I'm not sure yet how I will attach the cutting mat to it, but I plan on adding a strap handle to the back so it will be easy to move it. Then I can just set it on top of the press board to cut on and then out of the way to iron. My sewing area is very small, its just a bedroom in a trailer. O, and I put a piece of that rubber type shelf liner on the dresser top to protect it and keep the press board stable. I'm very happy with it.