I think it is safe to say that we all have that dream craft room in our minds! Well, currently my craft room is my bedroom. It’s not ideal, but we make it work. About 8 months ago, my husband’s younger brother came to live with us. So, I moved my craft room out of the spare room and into our bedroom. It’s temporary, but in the meantime I will continue to build my dream craft room wherever I am. My latest addition to my craft room is an ironing board cabinet! I wanted a more permanent and functional ironing board and I first saw this idea from Pen & Paper Patterns. She gives a step-by-step tutorial in her story highlights on instagram. I loved it so much I knew I needed to give it a try!
Criteria
There were several important criteria for this project. It had to be a pretty cabinet for storing fabric, quilts, and projects that was tall enough for me to stand at. It had to be at least as wide and deep as a regular ironing board. And I definitely wanted a rectangular ironing surface instead of the tapered one that comes on most ironing boards. So I went in search of the perfect cabinet for the base of my ironing board!
I found a perfect match on Wayfair! It was a little pricey, but I knew it was going to be just what I was looking for and that I would be using this for years to come! So I ordered and got to work putting it together… which is harder than you think when you have 4 small kids “trying to help” haha! It took us almost 2 weeks to finally completely set it up!
The Ironing Board Topper
I debated back and forth a couple of times about whether or not to use the top of the cabinet as the ironing board or to place another board on top of it. Pro, I wouldn’t have to get another piece of wood. Con, I didn’t want to inadvertently damage the top of the cabinet permanently. So I decided to use another board to place on top. I went to Home Depot and got the cheapest thing I could find- which was MDF board. It wasn’t exactly the size I wanted, so we pieced it together with some glue and metal plates.
Once it was the right size, I covered the top with spray adhesive and aluminum foil. I did this to create a heat and moisture barrier, since I typically like to use steam on my iron. Then, I placed two pieces of scrap batting on top of that to make sure they would fit and to create a softer top. Now the best part- the cover! I used some Rifle Paper Company canvas that I have been saving for a special project. This felt like the perfect special project! I made sure it fir the board with plenty of overhang to wrap around the board.
To assemble everything together, I laid all the layers upside down on the ground. Starting with the canvas fabric, face down, and then the batting, and last the foil wrapped board. I made sure everything was nice and smooth and then trimmed the batting down so that it was only big enough to cover the top and the sides of the board. I didn’t want it to wrap all the way over to the bottom because of the bulk. Then, I got a nice little staple gun (which was surprisingly inexpensive) and had my husband help me secure it. I pulled the fabric tight while he stapled everything in place!
The End Result
Once the board was complete, I couldn’t wait to get it in place! I put a bit of nonslip pad (the kind you put under a rug) on top of my cabinet to protect it from scratches and to keep the board from moving. Then we placed the new board on top, and voila! All done! I absolutely LOVE how it turned out! I have more surface area for ironing and it looks pretty when left out, unlike regular ironing boards! It’s the perfect addition to my craft room/office/bedroom!
