If you have "Freecycle.org in your area, you could see if anyone has an old counter top that they are getting rid of, since many people are updating their kitchens, these days. And also see if anyone is has any lower level kitchen cabinets. Attach the two together to have storage space and a cutting table. We recently got granite for your kitchen, so I saved the counter top to the island/bar and put it in the basement for now. I'm just waiting to find some cabinets to attach it to. Once I get that done, I'll set up my quilting/sewing center in the basement. A work in progress.

If you are not familiar with Freecycle, it's a website that if you are looking for something, you post for it, and if you have something you don't need, you post for someone who might be able to use it.

I bought a white table from Wal-mart in the camping section and put leg extenders under the legs. These are very duraable tables. It is just the right height and size. I am 5'6 1/2" tall. the price is right, around 30 for the table and the extenders are usually 12. I got some at Ross for much less. Compare the price to the sewing tables at the sewing centers.

My shelves are incredibly messy at the moment after a year of making Farmer's Wife Sampler blocks, but no matter ... the cutting table is a sheet of heavy plywood with a mat on it that has a grid of 36" x 68" and is actually a few inches bigger than the grid. I've had this setup for many years and is the size I needed when I made all my clothing in the days of yesteryear; it works well for cutting any fabric. I have it at 38" up from the floor, which is a perfect height for me - I'm 5'5". The two end shelf units were home made from really cheap pressboard, so I covered everything but the backs and bottoms with wood grain patterned Contac paper. To support the center of the plywood, I have a really heavy (but on wheels, so easy to move) solid wood shelf unit, where I store everything (on 2 sides) from sewing machines to books & fabric. It's not tall enough, so I have additional support between the desktop and the plywood, leaving some space at either end to store really large and/or fragile acrylic rulers, etc. This set-up is certainly not for everyone, but I have that entire basement room devoted to fabric storage, cutting, and machine quilting. Other than machine quilting, I do all my sewing upstairs.

I use an old office desk, works for me and lots of storage.

I have two of these from Ikea back to back with two 36" x 24" mats on top and plastic tubs on the shelves for fabric. The drawers hold cutting equipment and bits and bobs. I have screws in the ends to hang my rulers. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60045393

Home Depot sells unfinished oak kitchen cabinets. 2 spaced table length apart (however long you want your table), with a counter on top, gives you a table at about 34" high with 2 drawer units at each end, that can be finished to match your decor

The perfect height is different for every person. I am 5'1". I like my rotary cutter to be an extension of my hand and for my hand & arm to be a 45º angle from the table and from my body. Doing this, I need a table 30" high. A desk works great for me.

I converted a desk to a sewing table and have a fold down table for my cutting area.

I purchased 4 lower cabinets on a close out. I put them along a wall. Now I have cabinet space for fabric and a place for ironing and my cutting mats. It works great. I've also had 2 cabinets back to back for a large square which works great also. I'm 5'7" and it works great. A one point my hubby put them on rollers so I could move them around but we don't have the big house anymore.

I bought a wood dining room table from the clearance center at a local furniture store, and added wooden bed risers from Bed, Bath to get it to 34", and then placed the top from my old JoAnn's cutting table on top for an extra 1/2". It is actually way more stable than my orginal JoAnn's table.

I am 5'3."

It also depends on your height and needs.

What about a solid door or a simple piece of plywood? You could place them across the bookcases and secure them with brackets underneath.