DIY Project #43: Cute Cat Chopping Board
If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen my latest toy which I am just a little bit excited about!
I thought I’d put it to good use straight away and make a sweet little chopping board for Pete (he looooves our cats!).
You could make any shape you wanted and trust me, you’ll be shocked at how easy it is to cut wood.
Let’s get started with materials:
MATERIALS //
- Jigsaw (I bought this one and it’s perfect for home crafting)
- Wood (mine was sustainable pine, 18mm thick)
- Sanding block
- Orange oil
- Soft cloth
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Dinner plate (to use as a template)
Some quick safety tips: You will also need closed in shoes, safety goggles, ear protection, clamps to hold your wood and a dust mask (we’re into being safe around power tools in these parts)
STEP 01 // MAKE YOUR TEMPLATE
I used a large dinner plate to trace the circle of the cat’s face and then used a ruler to measure out the triangles for the ears.
You could also make a template on your computer and then trace it onto the wood too.
STEP 02 // CUT YOUR BOARD
Okay, so I’ve never used a jigsaw before and thought it would be a good idea to do some reading before I launched in.
There are loads of “How To” websites out there, but this is a really simple and quick explanation and this is an awesome website with a great video too.
The main tips I followed was making sure I wore all of the safety gear, clamping my piece of wood to my saw-horse and reading all of the instructions for my tool before I started. It’s really easy once you get the hang of it and loads of fun!
To cut your board, work your way around slowly and make sure you follow the instructions that come with your tool for cutting angles.
STEP 03 // SAND YOUR CHOPPING BOARD
I sanded my board with a sanding block and I was happy with the result, however, if you really want to make it professional looking you could use a combination of 80, 110 and 220 grit sand paper to make a polished finished.
STEP 04 // OIL YOUR BOARD
I oiled my board with Orange Oil which my local hardware man suggested as it’s a non-toxic product (that smells amazing too!).
Oil all sides of your board and leave to dry, then buff with a soft cloth until you have a nice sheen.
So cute!
Now we’ve done our first woodworking DIY, we’ll do more during 2013 – it’s time to expand our crafty skill set and we do hope you’ll join us on the adventure.
[See what else we've been making lately. Go on, get crafty with us!]
Disclaimer: We ask you to please be safety conscious when using power tools for our woodworking DIYs. It is your responsibility to read all of the instructions on your tool and follow the safety requirements. Penelope and Pip are not responsible for any injuries resulting from your use of tools for our projects. Go slow, have fun and wear the right stuff. Easy!
This is adorable!!! I love your cat chopping block. Thanks for the shout out. Hope you put that jigsaw to work again soon
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Thanks Brittany! I am sure I will be putting it to very good use!
This is awesome! Seriously makes me want to go to Home Depot and get some power tools
Do it! It’s so much easier than I thought it would be.
This made me giggle. So cute! I’m hoping to do some woodworking soon, so Pretty Handy Girl will be helpful. Thanks for the link!
I’d love to see what you make Erica! I’ll stay tuned