I had some planed birch wood left over from another project and I thought I should do something with it. The result is a few cutting boards for my family and myself. To make them a little more exciting I made a knife holder as well.

Step 1: Decide Your Size and Shape

First cut the size that you want for the cutting board. Don't make it too large, the plank can distort when it dries. I round of the edges with a milling machine. It makes it look a bit more professional, but it's a personal taste, you might like it more squared.

Step 2: Integrated Knife Holder

So, to make it a little more interesting, I made a knife holder for a more delicate presentation on the dining table. I haven't seen this anywhere before.

First cut a track in the board, the depth depends on the thickness of your board and the type of wood that you use. Birch is pretty hard so I cut a track 2/3 of the planks thickness. For small knifes I had to make a wider track to prevent the knife from falling back by the weight of the handle. I used the milling machine for this.

Step 3: Final Polish

Now all thats left is the grinding to make a nice surface and to grease the board. I use paraffin oil. If you have any better suggestions than paraffin oil please let me know. It's always interesting with different options.

Good luck with your project!