How To - make your own breadboard

I've been slowly making a pinterest board with ideas for decorating my someday house.  It makes me feel as if I'm doing something to get us there.  My plan is to slowly begin collecting and making as much as I can so that maybe my someday house can be a real house.  I saw an old bread board at the thrift store the other day for less than a dollar.  I thought, 'I could make that!', so I didn't come home with it.  Once I got home and realized that it would have been so much easier to have just bought it for a couple cents, I sort of regretted it.  I do that with thrift store findings all the time!  Oh well.  I did get myself to make one, and it didn't take long at all!  A little over an hour from start to finish and I ended up with this:

My sister in law showed me this tutorial for wax paper transfers. It is a wonderful tutorial and I don't want to make another one because it really wasn't my idea.  I'm here today to show you how to make your own breadboard.  I know this is a really simple tutorial, but sometimes it takes someone pointing out how easy something is to nudge you onto making your own.

You'll need:

wood (I'm not even sure of the dimensions of mine.  I was just looking for the width and depth for the size of breadboard I wanted to make. 

a scroll saw

pencil

sander

drill 

I wanted to make my breadboard look handmade and loved.  I didn't worry too much about perfection, so I drew my pattern right on the wood.  I'd recommend looking breadboards up on the internet, there are a whole bunch of sizes and shapes.  I think a heard shaped one would be sweet.

So first step, draw your board onto your wood with pencil.

Next, cut out your design with the scroll saw.

And drill your hole.  (One day I hope to get ahold of a thin scrap of leather to tie through my hole.)

Next take your sander to it.  Just have at it.  I made sure the front was nice and smooth around all the sides.  If your wanting yours to look a little more worn, this is the time to do it.  Give the back a light sanding to finish it up.

And tada!  All done.

After I was finished with the board I added the print.  I just hopped onto the computer and created my own with google translate.  It says, "The kitchen of the Hawkes family" in Italian.  

I used Pages on my mac, and made several text boxes with the text.  This way I was able to position them where I wanted. 

I used a free clipart from online.

Once it looked how I wanted it I took a screen shot.  I pulled the photo back into Pages and was able to flip the photo horizontally.  You'll want your text to print backwards so that it transfers frontwards.  

I used the tutorial linked to earlier, but here are my tips if you're going to have a try at it.

I used freezer paper.  When I tried the wax paper my printer gobbled it up and didn't spit it out again.  The freezer paper is a bit stiffer and has a waxy side, so print on that.

Also, in the tutorial I linked to they suggest wetting your wood if you want the ink to be darker.  I did not wet my wood and this is how it turned out.

Last thing, freezer paper isn't see through like wax paper is.  I figured if I got it on there crooked then I would be able to sand it off and start over, but miraculously it was straight the first time.