How to Make Beautiful Hardwood Cheese Boards (Perfect for Gifts!)
Looking for a woodworking project that's quick, profitable, and makes everyone happy? Let me introduce you to the cheese board—the gift that never disappoints. I've made a couple hundred of these, and they disappear faster than cookies at a bake sale, especially around the holidays.
The best part? These are incredibly easy to batch out. Make a few dozen at once, and you'll have gifts sorted for the entire year. Trust me, as soon as people see one, you'll get requests.
Let's build some gorgeous cheese boards.
Want to buy my cheese boards? https://www.etsy.com/shop/BiscuitTree...Tools & Materials You'll Need
Tools:
Table saw
Miter saw (or table saw with miter gauge/sled)
Router table with 1/4" roundover bit
Drill press (or handheld drill)
Random orbit sander
Clamps (bar or pipe clamps)
1/4" drill bit for handle hole
Rip blade with flat tooth grind (for wire slot)
Materials:
Hardwood boards (3/4" thick) – Two contrasting woods for visual interest
Example combo: Bird's Eye maple + Jatoba
Other options: Walnut + maple, cherry + oak, any contrasting pair
Wood glue
Mineral oil and beeswax finish [AFF: Biscuitry Woodworks Board Butter]
Cheese wire hardware kit (wire, handle, rod) [AFF: cheese board hardware]
Rubber feet (4 per board) [AFF: rubber feet]
Sandpaper (150, 180, 220 grit)
Finished Dimensions:
Length: 9.5 inches
Width: 5.75 inches (5 3/4")
Thickness: 3/4"
Step 1: Rip Your Boards to Width (0:45)
For the contrasting stripe pattern, you'll need two different widths from your two wood species.
Measurements:
Lighter wood (maple): Rip to 2 1/4" wide
Darker wood (jatoba): Rip to 1 1/4" wide
Both boards should be 3/4" thick to start.
Layout: The pattern goes light-dark-light, creating a center stripe of the contrasting wood.
Step 2: Cut Pieces to Length (1:15)
At the miter saw, cut all pieces to 10 inches—slightly longer than the final 9.5" dimension. This extra length gives you wiggle room to trim everything flush after glue-up.
PRO TIP #1: Always check that your miter saw is set to zero degrees before cutting. I once made a batch with the saw set at 2 degrees from a previous project and didn't realize until after cutting. Learn from my mistake—it's annoying but recoverable since you left parts long. Still, save yourself the hassle.
IMAGE SUGGESTION 1: Three wood strips laid out showing the light-dark-light pattern before glue-up (Reference: 1:15-1:45)
Step 3: Glue-Up (2:30)
Time to create your striped panel.
Steps:
Spread an even coat of wood glue on the edges that will be joined
Arrange boards in your light-dark-light pattern
Apply clamps with even pressure across the entire length
Important: Don't over-clamp—you'll squeeze out too much glue and create a weak joint
Drying time: Let glue dry for at least 2 hours. Or, if you're like me, a couple of days. No judgment.
Step 4: Plane and Square (2:50)
Once glue is fully dried:
Remove clamps
Run panels through the planer to clean up glue squeeze-out and flatten both faces
Take them back to the miter saw (check that zero-degree setting again!)
Square one end
Cut to final length of 9.5 inches
Don't have a miter saw? Use your table saw with a miter gauge or crosscut sled to square the ends.
Step 5: Round Over Top Edges (3:20)
At the router table, install a 1/4" roundover bit.
Steps:
Set bit height so it creates a smooth quarter-round profile
Run each board through, rounding over only the TOP edges
Keep the bottom edges sharp for stability
This gives the cheese board a comfortable, finished feel in hand.
Step 6: Mark and Drill Handle Hole (3:45)
Time to add the handle hole at one end of the board.
Marking:
3/4" from the end
3/8" from the bottom edge
Drilling:
Use a 1/4" drill bit
Drill 3.5 inches deep
At the drill press: I use a simple jig—two boards glued together at 90 degrees—as a reference surface to keep the cheese board perfectly aligned with the bit.
Small drill press limitation: If your drill press doesn't have 3.5" of travel (mine doesn't), drill as deep as possible, then finish the hole by hand with a drill.
IMAGE SUGGESTION 2: Drill press setup showing 90-degree jig holding cheese board for accurate handle hole drilling (Reference: 3:45-4:30)
Step 7: Cut the Wire Slot (4:45)
This angled cut allows the cheese wire to sit flush in the board.
Setup:
Change to a rip blade with flat tooth grind (critical for a clean slot)
On your crosscut sled, set a stop block 3" from the blade
Place a small scrap piece (about 1/2" square) against the fence
Rest the front of the cheese board on this scrap—it lifts the front and creates the angle
Raise the blade so it cuts completely through the handle hole but NOT through the bottom of the board
This cut creates an angled slot from the handle hole toward the front of the board.
PRO TIP #2: Test your blade height on a scrap first. You want to break through into the handle hole while leaving the bottom intact.
Step 8: Sand Smooth (5:30)
Sand progressively through grits for a glass-smooth finish:
Start with 150 grit
Move to 180 grit
Finish with 220 grit
Don't forget the edges! Sand and smooth out the roundovers too.
Time-saver: I built a cradle for my random orbit sander that makes edge-sanding much easier than doing it by hand. Not necessary, but definitely speeds things up for batch production.
Step 9: Add Rubber Feet (6:00)
Use a corner block as a guide to mark pilot hole locations for rubber feet on the bottom four corners.
Steps:
Mark locations using your corner block template
Drill pilot holes
Set aside feet for installation after finishing
Step 10: Apply Food-Safe Finish (6:15)
This is my favorite part—watching the wood come to life.
Finish: Mineral oil and beeswax blend [AFF: Biscuitry Woodworks Board Butter - link in description]
Application:
Dab finish on with a paper towel
Apply generously to all surfaces
Let sit for about an hour so oil absorbs into the wood
Buff out excess wax with a clean cloth
The wood grain absolutely pops with this finish—it's dramatic and beautiful.
IMAGE SUGGESTION 3: Before and after finishing shots showing how mineral oil and beeswax brings out the wood grain and color contrast (Reference: 6:15-6:45)
Step 11: Install Hardware (7:00)
Attach Rubber Feet
Screw the rubber feet [AFF: rubber feet link] into the pilot holes you drilled earlier. These keep the board from sliding and protect countertops.
Install Wire Handle Assembly
Thread one end of the wire handle through the handle hole
Loop it through the cheese wire
Thread the other end through the hole on the opposite side
Attach the handle to the rod
Flip up into position
Secure with the included screw
Hardware links: I've included links in the description for the specific wire hardware [AFF: cheese board wire hardware] and rubber feet I use.
IMAGE SUGGESTION 4: Completed cheese board showing installed wire handle and contrasting wood grain pattern (Reference: 7:15-end)
Design Variations: Get Creative
Just like cutting boards, there's an infinite number of variations you can create by mixing different woods. Different species give you different colorations and patterns.
Popular combinations:
Walnut + maple (classic high contrast)
Cherry + hard maple (warm tones)
Purpleheart + maple (dramatic purple stripe)
Mixed exotics for unique patterns
Batch production tip: When making multiple boards, cut all pieces for several boards at once, then move through each step in batches. It's far more efficient than completing one board at a time.
The Bottom Line: Quick, Beautiful, Giftable
These cheese boards are seriously fun projects that work for any skill level. They're quick enough to batch produce, beautiful enough to impress, and practical enough that people actually use them.
Why make these:
Perfect holiday gifts – Always appreciated, never regifted
Batch-friendly – Make dozens at once efficiently
Profitable – If you're selling at craft fairs or online
Beginner-friendly – Straightforward techniques, no complex joinery
Wood scrap project – Great use for leftover hardwood from other builds
Start with one or two to get the process down, then scale up. Once people see them, you'll have requests coming in faster than you can build them.
Now get out there and make some cheese boards. And maybe buy some good cheese to test them with. You know, for quality control purposes.
Affiliate Links:
Cheese Cutting Board Hardware: Black Cheese Board Kit: https://amzn.to/3fwAmny
Chrome Cheese Board Kit: https://amzn.to/3fDGjPi
Rubber Cutting Board Feet: https://amzn.to/3zMrEIp
Biscuit Tree’s Board Butter: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BiscuitTree...
Tools Used:
Table Saw: https://amzn.to/3hbRDmg
Miter Saw: https://amzn.to/3fFcf5Z
3M Half Face Respirator: https://amzn.to/3RJmNih
Particulate Filters: https://amzn.to/3QPD97M
Dewalt Random Orbital Sander: https://amzn.to/3LmkejF
Titebond Wood Glue: https://amzn.to/3RsSED1
Bessey Parallel Clamps: https://amzn.to/3E4TiD8
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Quick Reference - Cut List Per Board:
(2) Light wood strips: 2 1/4" x 10" x 3/4"
(1) Dark wood strip: 1 1/4" x 10" x 3/4"
Final dimensions after trimming: 5 3/4" x 9 1/2" x 3/4"