Quilters Ironing Board - Build Your Own Pressing Board!

Note - Affiliate links to Amazon for tools and supplies to help build a quilters pressing board have been included in this post, which support our website at no cost to you.

1. 3/8 - 3/4 inch plywood or stain grade project board from the hardware store.
2. 3/8-inch staples and a heavy duty stapler
3. 100% cotton batting (Quilter's Dream Cotton in the Select Loft works great) cut 2 inches bigger than the board on all sides.
4. 100% cotton canvas cut 4 inches bigger than the board on all sides
5. Hammer to bang in reluctant staples
6. Polyester craft felt to cover the back of the board (optional)

There's a big difference between an ironing board for ironing a shirt and a pressing board designed to press quilt blocks and appliques. Ironing boards are typically covered with a thick foam pad that squishes and wiggles as you apply pressure with the iron.

This means that your fabric is moving along with the foam ironing board cover and will easily distort when pressed firmly. Building your own quilters pressing board is a much better way to prepare your fabrics for sewing and quilting because it ensures you get a solid press without distorting the fabrics.

I built a small table top ironing board to sit next to my sewing machine in this video. You can make your pressing boards any size you like, just be sure to stretch the batting and canvas really tight, especially when covering a large surface.

Your goal with starching and pressing fabric is to stiffen the surface by bonding the starch to the fabric fibers. By using a firm pressing board, the fabric will remain square and stable and the starch will bond with the fabric, not with the bottom of your iron or the pressing board.

Have you heard that starch is bad for quilts? Keep reading to hear the truth about that quilting myth...

A firm pressing board is also essential for pressing pieced units like half square triangles and flying geese which can easily distort if the fabric shifts against a squishy surface. All methods of applique can also benefit from being built on top of a firm pressing board so the pieces come together accurately.

Part of the reason I've been building my own pressing boards for years was due to seeing my Grandmother-in-Law's antique wooden pressing board in 2005. She pressed clothes on basically a bare wood board - no foam cover, no squishy surface. I pressed the pieces to a pretty appliqued quilt at her house and had a much easier time making that quilt.

But finding an antique wooden ironing board can be challenging. Building your own small ironing board has many advantages:

1. Inexpensive, easy project - Building your own board uses simple materials you can find at the hardware store. Most hardware stores can also precut your wood so you  don't have to worry about bringing home a huge piece of plywood and cutting it down yourself.
2. Firm surface - You really can't beat this method for creating a super firm, stable surface for pressing fabric.
3. Durability - Inexpensive ironing boards wear out in months. My pressing boards have lasted for years and the only reason I've recovered the surface is because the canvas began to look a bit worn out in my videos.

Do you want your pressing board to fit next to your sewing machine or rest over your cutting table? Measure the space and record the measurements to build a small ironing board that perfectly fits your sewing space.

Spread out the cotton batting over your table top and place your pressing board on top. Using sharp scissors, cut the batting to measure 2 inches larger than the pressing board on all sides. This is enough material to cover the board and pull it around to the back side at least an inch.

Starting in the middle of the shorter sides of your board, pull the batting to the back of the board and staple it in place. If the pressing board is small, you can flip it over and use your hand to smooth out the cotton batting across the board.

The point is to make sure the batting is smooth and flat to the board - no wrinkles or saggy, baggy fabric!

Pull the batting tight to the opposite side. Space your staples around 2-3 inches apart to secure the batting in place. Repeat with the long edges of your quilters pressing board. 

Work your way to the corners. I cut out a rectangle or square of extra material in this area, but that's entirely up to you. You're welcome to fold, fiddle, squish and staple this area in whatever way makes the most sense to you!

Got some stubborn staples? Grab your hammer and give them a tap (or solid smack) to get them to behave.

Spread out the cotton canvas over a table and place the covered side of the pressing board face down on the canvas.

This time, cut the canvas 4-5 inches longer than the pressing board on all sides. This will cover the batting completely and extend into the back of the board quite a bit.

The method for stapling is exactly the same - start in the middle and work your way toward the corners. As you secure the middle with a few staples, pull the canvas fabric REALLY TIGHT across the board.

Use your opposite hand to smooth it out so it's perfectly flat and tight. Saggy, baggy fabric will result in a pressing board that gives your fabric wrinkles - exactly the opposite of our goal!

I cut excess fabric away from the corners and do a bit of fiddling, folding, tucking to get the area nice and flat. Staple it into submission and your quilters pressing board is complete.

Now that you know how to build a quilters pressing board, let's learn how to starch our fabric for quilting! The first step is to prewash your fabric to remove any chemicals and loose dyes. I know a lot of quilters skip this step because washing fabric, especially yards and yards of fabric takes time. Click Here to find tips on washing fabric quicker and easier!

The second step is to starch, press, then square the fabric so you're cutting accurately and on grain. This means the pieces you are cutting are aligned with the grainline of the fabric and will easily piece together with matching seams and pointy points.

Learn how to starch and press fabric using your new quilters ironing board:

1. Clip all threads - After washing, you may have loose threads on your fabric that will catch and pull your fabric out of shape. Clip these off so they don't get in your way.
2. Spray starch over the front side of the fabric - Spraying over the front will help to bond the starch into the fabric fibers.
3. Flip the Fabric Over and Massage - Many quilters complain that starch flakes off on their fabric and makes a mess. This is because the starch is staying on the surface of the fabric and the iron is hitting the liquid first. We solve this problem by flipping the fabric over and massaging the starch into the fibers before pressing.
4. Press from the back with a hot, dry iron - Your goal is to completely bond the starch with your fabric. Pressing from the wrong side of the fabric will force the starch to bond with the fabric. Using a DRY iron also speeds up the pressing process so the starch quickly dries and the fabric is stiffened.
5. Repeat Spray One Side, Press the Other - The stiffer your fabric, the more control you will have over cutting and piecing. Apply more starch if desired, flip the fabric over, massage, then press.

By pressing from the back on a very firm pressing surface, you reduce the chances of singed fabric or flaking starch and increase the amount of starch actually bonding with the fabric fibers.

Click Here to find the dry iron I'm using and love!

If you prefer to see the steps to preparing fabric, here's a video on how to use your quilters ironing board. In this video, I carry you through all the steps with tips on:

1. Washing fabric before cutting - we wash the fabric to remove chemicals and make sure the colors won't bleed and ruin our quilt.
2. Apply starch - See how I use liquid starch on my fabric and almost never have starch flaking off on the iron or fabric.
3. Press fabric - Using my quilters ironing board, I press the fabric using a hot, dry iron until the starch is dry.
4. Square fabric - This is a really important step to preparing fabric for quilting. If you square your fabric properly, it will be easy to cut straight strips.
5. How to Cut Strips Accurately - You'll see how to trim off the raw edge of the fabric and cut straight, long strips. 

All of these skills took time and experience to master, so make sure to watch this entire video so you understand how to best use your quilters ironing board to prepare your fabric for quilting:

I have been quilting since 2005, and the video above was filmed for the Flower Festival Quilt Along in 2017. It's now 2024 as I update this pressing board tutorial, and I'm still using this technique to starch and press all of my fabric for quilting.

Yes, I'm still using the same quilters ironing board I built in the video above, though I have recovered the surface a few times since! I share this because of the questions I receive about starching fabric and quilting.

Click on the questions below to see their answers. Please do what you can to dispel these myths about quilting that really limit quilters abilities to cut and piece fabric accurately.

Here's three quilt patterns that require great fabric preparation. Since my first quilt in 2005, I've starched fabric and pressed on my homemade quilters ironing boards. If you're looking for some fun skill building projects, check out the quilt patterns below:

In this post, you've learned how to build your own quilters ironing board. I hope you've also watched the second video and learned how to prepare your fabric for quilting - washing, starching, pressing, squaring, and cutting. 

I cannot emphasize just how big a difference it will make to use a firm quilters ironing board for preparing your fabric for quilt making! Definitely build your board today and see how much better your quilt blocks look after cutting and piecing fabric prepared on a firm pressing board.