Practical, relatively inexpensive and BRILLIANT! :)
I've been using a large piece of pressed board [that glued and compressed stuff] about 4' x 4' covered with a few old bath towels & several layers of an old folded flat sheet. It sits on top of a low bookshelf on one side and two simple wooden stools on the other side. It's heavy so I don't move it much and it sits adjacent to my sewing machine. My son gave me an old dining table when he moved that I use for cutting & general workspace. It's a good height and matches that of the home made "big board" ironing board. This setup has worked well and gives me lots of usable space.