Larger Ironing Board
 

I'm getting very frustrated with my store bought ironing board. It's too small for ironing a large amount of fabric. I have to iron half the fabric turn it around an start on the other half. Does anyone have directions on how to build a larger board? I'm not good with directions so I need them explained in what our son calls " mom directions". Lol
thank you for all your help in advance
Sue

Some people have used a door set up on end pieces (saw horses, end tables, what have you). I use a dresser with a covered pad. When it comes to ironing, the more real estate, the better!

Get a half sheet of plywood, you may have to buy a whole sheet, maybe you could go in with someone. They say it must be oak, not true. Lay it on the floor. Lay your ironing board on top of the plywood. Draw all around the ironing board with any kind of marker. Now get some "furring" strips or wooden strips approximate 1" X 1" or 1/2" X 1/2". Nail or screw them just outside of the lines you have drawn on the plywood. (when placed on top of your ironing board, these will keep the plywood on your ironing board.) Cover the top of the plywood (the part without the wooden strips) with a layer or two of batting and any left over fabric you might have (or you can purchase the silver kind made for ironing). Place plywood onto your ironing board (that you have set back up) fabric up. TA DA!!!!!! Hope that helps. Let me know if it doesn't make sense. Works perfectly in my head LOL!! My hubby has made several! I was going to add pictures but camera battery is dead. I'll charge it up and try later!

I bought a 4 by 8 ft piece of 1/2 inch thick good grade plywood and had the lumber yard cut it lengthwise into a 30 inch wide and 18 inch wide pieces. also bought a length of quarter-round-8foot will be enough. Cut into 1 foot lengths. Lay the 30 inch wide plywood on the floor with "good" side down--now place your regular ironing board (folded up) on top of the plywood and glue down the strips of quarter-round about an inch away from each side and end of the ironing board. This prevents board from sliding around or off. Let dry and set up ironing board with the plywood on top. I padded mine with a couple layers of heavy duty aluminum foil (to prevent warping of the board by steam) first-then a couple layers of cotton batting and made a cover from some heavy weight cotton. The cover has a drawstring thru a casing along the outside edge so it can be removed for laundering--I used a long length of narrow elastic for drawstring since that is all I had at the time. Have used this for several years and no warping. I like that it can be taken apart and stored separately if need be. Hope this is what you are looking for. You can make it narrower but wouldn't make it any wider because of stability problems.

AZJane Geez--great minds in the same ditch---Guess I don't type fast enough . At least we have the same idea going

I had a piece of 1" thick wood and just set it on two Sterilite cabinets I bought at Walmart on sale for $99.00. The only problem I find for myself is that stuff seems to accumulate on it.

I found a piece of peg board in hubbies shop. Not sure of the dimensions, but probably about 18 inches wide by the length (plus a few inches) of my ironing board. Covered it with a couple layers of thin batting then an old sheet, which I laced on the back with heavy string. Didn't put any thing on the back to keep it in place. Not a problem for me, but the peg board is quite heavy, maybe that's why it doesn't move around. Been using it for several years, without a problem. Not sure, but I thought the peg board would be good for ventilation.

Heres a tutorial you can check out to see if you can follow it.
https://mulberrypatchquilts.wordpres...ard-extension/

Thanks for all this info ladies. Just the other day, I was lamenting the width of my ironing board. Now I have a neat DIY for my DH to make. Always easier to show him photos than to try to explain what I'm talking about.

I showed my DH what I wanted to sit upon my ironing board. He made it. Has slots on the bottom to hold it. Made of some kind of particle board or plywood. I covered it. It is so heavy that it bent one ironing board so I bought another ironing board from a thrift store. Felt i didn't need it after he put a large piece of melamine coated chip board over my craft table. Well, I put it back on cause didn't like regular ironing board size.

Here are some pictures, it makes a 24 X 52 inch ironing surface. Now why wouldn't it allow me to add these pictures to my original post?? Oh well. here you go. I like this set up because if I need to iron clothing, the top comes off and tou have a regular ironing board.
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I used scrapbooking storage cubes from Michaels and a piece of plywood on top. I LOVE it. Here's a pic:
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here's a better one but it was before I swapped out one of the bottom cubes (I wanted to store all books down there). I have also replaced the power strip with a smaller white one and used some heavy duty double sided tape to attach it near the top.
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I used an old baby changing station. Put covered plywood on top and voila! I love my ironing surface now

I bought a sheet of plywood and told the man the size I needed out of it and he cut it to the right size for free. I took all the plywood home with me. I bought a long dresser at a second hand store and decided to put the plywood on top of it. I covered the top of the plywood with batting and then a piece of fabric and stapled it on the underside. I put it on my dresser and it stays put when I iron. I didn't have to add any wood to keep it from moving around because it doesn't at all.

I love using the dresser because I filled all the drawers with fabric and other quilting items I use. I still have my ironing board in my garage in case I need to iron sleeves or something like that. But I did it all myself. The staples were a life saver to me.

Someone on this Board in another thread discussion made the suggestion of using a heavy canvas drop cloth (like you use for painting) for a cover for an ironing surface. That works great and very inexpensive.

I had to laugh at their use of the word "plank". To me a plank is a very large, very thick board. I have one in my old garage. It is 10 inches wide, almost 3 inches thick and about 20 feet long.
What they are using for this ironing board are strips of wood. Strips of sturdy wood. LOL

The tutorial mentioned here is the way my daughter and I made mine-except I wanted the corners rounded and my daughter cut them for me after we drew the corner using a plate for the rounding. Tried to put it on an ironing board I had purchased and it was too heavy and the whole thing started to go sideways. At the Senior center we found an older, heavy duty ironing board for $1.50 and it stands strong. I can take it apart easily and stand it up to store. Love, love,love my big ironing board. The board I used was in the garage so my expenses were mainly the canvas and batting.

DH cut a piece of 1/2 inch plywood to fit the top of my cutting table. I covered it with batting and cotton canvas. I put my cutting mat on top of it and still use it as my cutting table. About half of it remains uncovered by the mat so I still have the ironing surface. When I need to iron yardage or a quilt I remove the cutting mat to use the entire surface to iron. I wish i had made the cover so I could remove it to wash it. It is stapled on, but it wouldn't be hard to unstaple, wash and then make it so it is easier to remove.

I have an old wool blanket that I just toss across one of my utility tables in the sewing room when I need a larger surface.

Love your direction, but DH is wondering if 24 inches is too wide ?

The width depends on how tall you are and how long your arms are. My friend and I are both over 5'9" and it was just perfect. It would not be good for someone say 5'.

Walmart has a kitchen cart that is on wheels. I mounted my big board on the top of it the same way as the directions say to mount on an ironing board. The cart was only $30 or so dollars. I love that because I will wheel out of the way in my sewing room when I need to move it. I just covered by board with batting and a topping of plan cotton fabric.

Great idea, but if it was in my sewing room, I could not relax if thse stickers were still on it. I have a strange thing about stickers on things. They must go! Lol!

I like this idea. Thanks. Now I have something else to look for at yard sales or the second hand store.:)

Lol it is amazing what we focus on. I would have to had removed the stickers also.:D

Great idea.
I was wondering if any of you have used a plaid of gingham for the top, so it has a grid for ironing it straight.
It wouldn't have to be squares, just some woven plaid and then not stretched so it distorts.

Ethel

This is a great one to make, my husband is not a handy man at all but he was actually able to make it! There are You Tube Video's too.

I think 24 inches is perfect. I also put my big cutting mat on the big board when I do a lot of cutting. I have plenty of room to unfold my fabric and no back aches from bending. The extra width is invaluable when pressing backing. I covered my big board with that silvery stuff so I can wipe it down if I get glue or starch build up all over. Mine is homemade like AZ Jane described. I bought the entire piece of plywood and made one for a friend.

You are right !! Ironing boards do have holes and I never thought about it before:D

Buy an old dresser and make your own..You will also have storage.

At this size I can iron a full yard (folded in center as the yardage comes from the store) at once. folded yard is approximately 20 or 22 inches wide and 36 inches long. So 24 inches is perfect and I'm 5'2".

this you tube gives a very detailed video for making your own. I made one and liked it so much I made a small one to take to classes or retreats.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LGbXou_u4c

my sewing room (spare room) has a twin bed. I covered a board on one side as an ironing surface and the other side I painted to match the wall. When not in use, it sits against the wall. But I can lay it on the bed and use it as a huge ironing table or lay my cardboard mat on it and use it as a pinning surface. (Also, the bed has been raised a bit so I don't bend over.)

I have one that is 24" wide x 60" long. I was going to ask my son to make one for me, but hesitated because I knew it would go at the end of a long list of other projects (he inherited his crafty gene from me <LOL>). But when he asked me what the Grandsons could give me for Christmas, I jumped at the chance to get one! I .pdf'd him a copy of a tutorial and told him not to worry about covering it, since I had the batting, etc.

I put two layers of Warm and Natural batting on for padding. To cover it ... I use Drill fabric from Joann's with my 40% (or 50%) coupon. You will need 68" x 30" of fabric for a 24" x 60" board.


Keep the Drill that you cut off. Cut in sections and use on top of your board in the area which gets
the most use. It is extra protection if you press seams while piecing in one particular area of the board. (Rather than removing the cover and replacing it when soiled, just lay another layer of Drill over the top. It will stay in place without all of the extra work.)


Press the fabric giving attention to the fold. Do not spray with water. Don't ever wash Drill. It shrinks and the wrinkles won't iron out.


Use an electric staple gun with 3/8" staples. (Take the old staples out with a screwdriver.)
Staple a long side with the selvage edge first starting in the middle. Pull the fabric taut lengthwise as you staple toward the ends. Next staple the other side folding under the edge so it covers the padding. (It may need to be trimmed.) Be sure to pull it taut across the width and length when stapling. Staple the short ends keeping the fabric taut while stapling.

I wouldn't buy fabric that I couldn't wash. I feel like it's full of chemicals.

I used two layers of cotton batting, then a permanent cover of muslin, then pillow ticking for the top cover. I put grommets around the edges and laced clothesline cord through the grommets (like lacing a shoe) to tighten it. That way, I can take the top cover off and wash it.