Steps to create your own Charcuterie Board!

Steps to create your own Charcuterie Board!

When it comes to hosting a party to having an amazing family game night a charcuterie board can be the center of the snacking fun! I love charcuterie boards because you can really make them your own with different shapes and wood designs. They are so simple to make, and it really only takes a few simple power tools to create something special.
 
First step is deciding what type of wood and what design you are going for. I would always recommend using hardwoods like walnut or maple (whatever is easy to find in your area, these are easy for me). If you do not have access to large tools like a planer or jointer, finding nice square boards that are similar in thickness will make your life so much easier. Any way we can cut down on the sanding is always a win. I had a bunch of scrap walnut that were lying around and thought this would make the perfect charcuterie boards. They were already had milled and had similar thickness, let's get these glued up! 
Having boards that have already been milled will make the glue process really easy. Anytime I make charcuterie boards I like using Titebond 3 because it is water resistant. First I apply a generous bead of glue to the jointing side and then apply even pressure with clamps. I like adding a couple of clamps on top to make sure everything stays level. I also apply clamps to each end where two boards join. You want to keep this board as flat as possible.
I wipe any glue bleed out with a wet cloth and allow it to dry overnight before removing from the clamps. 
After I remove the clamps, I remove any excess glue and sand the board smooth before cutting the shape. I am not worried about sanding down to a slick finish, I just want to make sure I have the board flat. If you have any small cracks, I recommend using Starbond Adhesive to fill in any small voids.
Next it is time to cut the final shape, I decided on a tear drop shape. Since we sell these in our shop, I have a template that I use to trace. I would recommend even using a scrap sheet of cardboard to design your desired shape. Once you are happy with your design trace it on the prepared wood blank.
Using a sharp jig saw blade and having your jig saw set correctly, cut along your line to cut your design. 
This was my first experience using the new Workpro Tool Jig Saw. I was so impressed with its performance and all the features it is built with. The on-board LED is a huge plus, really helps you keep the blade online. It has a way to adjust the power to really get a smooth cut with it. It is lightweight but ultra powerful, super impressed with its overall performance. 
You do not have to have a large band saw or a CNC to create a sweet Charcuterie board!
 
Now add a hole at the top to help hold or hang on your wall. If you want to add a little more detail add a round over with a palm router.
Now we can move to my least favorite part, finish sanding. I started at 120 grit, then moved all the way to 400 grit to get that smooth finish. In between each grit I sprayed with water to raise the grain.
After I was happy with the overall feel of the board now, we can move to my favorite part, finish! 
I used a new finish for the first time, and I am so pumped with how it turned out. I used The Real Milk Paint Co’s Plant based Cutting Board Oil! I am so impressed, and we will be switching to use them full time! 
After the finish is dried, we can enjoy it! There is nothing better than a fresh sliced piece of bread with your favorite jam on a brand-new charcuterie board! This is a project that anyone can do with simple tools. You can really customize it to fit your taste and design. If you would like to purchase instead, we have Charcuterie board listing drops here
Let me know in the comments what you think of these charcuterie boards. I appreciate you guys taking the time to read and as always stay classy.

Please see a full list of all the tools and materials I used below. Visit my amazon store front here for the below items!

Titebond 3
Workpro Bar Clamps
Rockler Surefoot Clamps
Workpro 20V Drill
Workpro Random Orbit Sander
Workpro Jig Saw
Ox Tools Pro Marking Pencil
Real Milk Paint Cutting Board Oil
Bosch Router

 

Comments 13

Angie Rose on

I love how this charcuterie board is homemade! Talk about skill! I might just have to give it a try. Thanks for the tutorial!

MELANIE E on

Wow, those charcuterie boards look fantastic. I have a board but if it gets damaged it would be lovely to make my own. It’s nice to be able to shape it the way you want.

Richelle Milar on

They turned out amazing! I’m gonna let my husband see this I know he’ll love to try this out! It can be a great quality time for us both

Monica on

Wow these are gorgeous! I love you stained them too. The wood choice is perfect.

Beautiful Touches on

You see, for a moment I thought it was going to be a template for plating a charcuterie board and not how to literally make the board itself!! Those came out nice and if I were any handier I’d do it myself too, gonna have to share this one with someone who’s more woodwork savvy, as easy as you make it look!

Tammy on

Beautiful!! I love seeing handmade items used in the home. Great craftsmanship.

Katie C on

This board turned out beautifully! I would love to be able to make my own but I would need some assistance since I’m not great with these power tools yet.

Stephanie on

Beautiful charcuterie boards! I am going to ask my sister to make me one!

Telina on

Those charcuterie boards look great! Thanks for sharing how to make them.

Melissa Cuhsing on

So pretty and I thought you were gonna make a board. loaded with goodies….. but you literally meant the actual board. What a beautiful piece and this is something my husband could do ;) Love it and thank you for sharing!

forever my little moon on

I love how they turned out! The different color wood looks beautiful.

Amber Myers on

How pretty! I need to make one of these boards for sure. I love how yours turned out.

Tara Pittman on

This is a very nice cutting board. You need to sell them.

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published