I've read of many people felting an old wool army blanket that belonged to a relative or was found at a thrift or army surplus store. Those are supposed to make great padding for ironing boards.

I used 2 layers of an old mattress pad, folded the edges to the back of the plywood big board my husband cut for me then stapled the edges in place with a staple gun. The pad has been then there for years. I just add a new top as needed.

I know, what's with that ?

Thanks everyone! I now have a plan of action from what you've posted. DH is out all day, so I'm going to tackle making a new cover today--hopefully (we'll see if my little one cooperates). Super excited to have a cover I actually enjoy looking at.

And, I love the idea of the pressing board made out of a wooden TV tray. I'm going to search a couple thrift stores to try to find a TV tray I can use.

Doesn't that destroy your quilting iron??

I have no experience with rebuilding the padding part but I love using a plain piece of braodcloth (so inexpensive usually at JoAnn's). It's folded double and I simply clamp it to the ironing board using those big binder type clips. Using a large quilting pin I kind of gather/pleat the shape of the pointed end, pinning underneath. The beauty of this is the ease of removing it when it's too full of starch etc and throwing it in the wash. The main downside is if you also iron a lot of shirts - which I avoid at all costs!!!- the clips can get in the way a bit.

I am sure mine is set to self destruct upon contact with anything other than quilting fabric. I saw that in the safety warnings and took it very much to heart. As a nurse in my previous life, I take safety most seriously!! :thumbup: :-D

Cotton batting works great and Hancock Fabrics (store) carried a ironing board fabric that is the metalic look of the purchased ones. I had my husband cut me a board large enough for placemats to be ironed on it. I then padded the board with cotton batting and covered it with muslin. It works great.

I use an old wool blanket that I bought at a garage sale.
works great.

My experience with a new fiberglass ironing board cover & pad makes me wonder about your theory on open grid boards. I bought this pricey product called "Miracle Cover" at a local quilt show. I ignored the product's instructions to 'remove existing covers and pads' and put their thin yellow foam pad and fiberglass-cloth cover on top of a cotton-based batting pad and canvas/broadcloth-type cover--the kind you can get at JoAnn's with a sewing grid on top.

The "miracle cover" claims to reflect heat and enable ironing of even stubbornly-wrinkled materials like linen on medium heat, ironing both sides of whatever you are ironing while saving energy, etc., etc. I don't care about the energy savings but I am interested in cutting down the effort and time it takes to iron wrinkles smooth.

Long story short, I was ironing my way through a substantial collection of new and recently washed/dried stash, using lots of steam in the process. At one point, I spilled a quart measuring cup of water on the fiberglass cover. The water mostly beaded up, but I took off the cover to make sure it hadn't leaked through to the pads below. What I found was a big mess--not from the spill--but from the days of ironing with lots of steam. By the fortuitous spill I stopped the moisture build up before everything mildewed, but the JoAnn cover was streaked and moist, with no indication of that on the surface.

My theory is that the open grid in the board is designed to release steam and aerate our pads so as to prevent moisture build up under our covers. By double padding with my new 'miracle' cover, the steam wasn't able to penetrate the second layer of pad and cover, and thus never made its way to the open grid to dissipate and dry out.

Has anyone else tried "Miracle Ironing Board Covers"? They make a travel version (18 x 24) and are available in a variety of
additional sizes. Could serve for those wanting iron portability next to their machines or on the road.