MINI BOARDS ~ Now That You Are Home...

This time of year, I find myself so done with winter. Everything looks tired. The whole house looks like it needs a makeover. That thought makes me feel lost for words. But one thing I can always count on to feel less blue is to invite someone to dinner and freshen up the dining room table. The tables in my house are the heart of my home. More stories, memories, laughter, friends and family have been shared together there. It is still cold outside, but nothing better than a warm fire and a beautiful meal. Add laughter to a pretty table, and you can create the perfect way to melt away the winter chill.

These simple little wood serving boards are a fun little project. They give a certain warm charm to a table setting. Like anything I do, it must be simple. I made these mini boards with versatility in mind. Something that can be used over and over, dressed up or dressed down, season to season, holiday to holiday. Or, just to be used for no other reason than they are so cute. And they are so cute! Made from select pine (no knots), wood soft enough to cut with ease with a jigsaw. A light sand, add a little rope, see just how much fun you can have with them!

This is what you will need-

1 Board- 8’ x 6” x 1” Select Pine

Jigsaw

Drill

Sander
Clamps

Sandpaper, Medium Grit

Board Pattern
Beeswax...Link here

Print board pattern and copy onto card-stock. Cut pattern out.

Trace pattern onto board with pencil. Trace and cut one board at a time. It was a beautiful day to work outside, not too cold, but sunny enough to chase the chill out of the air.

Clamp board along side a work table to secure.

Cut board by following along the pencil lines.

Drill hole in end using a ¼” or a large drill bit.

Cut board at the bottom to remove board.

Repeat all steps for remaining boards. You should have 8 mini boards.

Sand all edges. Round all corners. Sand all planes. Don't worry too much about perfection here, think old, handmade. Imperfect edges adds so much more charm.

Wipe down with a damp paper towel to remove excess dust. Let dry.

You can stain your boards any color if you like. Seal with a food safe sealer to protect food. There are many ways to finish wood. I just fell in love with the look of unstained wood. It was simple and beautiful. I did not want to change that. So I choose to not stain the wood, just to finish the wood with a food safe wood sealer...Beeswax. Natural. Safe. Easy. Beautiful...

This beeswax is so simple to use. Just dab a little on your fingers or a soft cloth, wipe along the grain. Cover all surfaces. Let set about an hour and then buff with a soft cloth. Repeat one or twice with the beeswax for a deep seal. With time and use you can add more beeswax as the wood dries.

Right, raw unfinished natural wood. Left, one coat of beeswax, no stain. The beeswax leaves the wood with a slightly warm soft color. So soft finish. The closest finish to fresh clean untreated wood, but food safe. I plan to use these boards for any food. I will probably add one to two more coats of the beeswax. I can use parchment paper between food and wood as a display.