Dishwasher-Friendly Cheese Board Idea

Dishwasher-Friendly Cheese Board Idea

Honestly, John and I don’t do all that much entertaining. We’re both pretty introverted and mostly love just spending quality time with each other once we get home after long days at our jobs (he’s a full-time fly-fishing guide, and, as you probably know, I’m a full-time blogger slash part-time ceramicist). Our creative jobs are our respective dream come true, but they do take a lot out of us. So, our idea of the perfect evening is a home-cooked meal shared between the two of us surrounded by our pets.

But that doesn’t mean we’re complete recluses. Now that my parents live in town, we love having them over to enjoy a nice meal or cheese board with a bottle or two of wine on the side. It was in anticipation of these types of mini family gatherings this fall that I came up with a quick and easy Dishwasher-Friendly Cheese Board Idea.

Dishwasher-Friendly Cheese Board Idea

Dishwasher-Friendly Cheese Board Idea

Ever since upgrading our dishwasher to one that actually works, I’ve been more excited about testing the limits, and also just generally getting more creative with it. How can I make the absolute most of this mod smart dishwasher to minimize my time spent hand-washing dishes at the sink? This becomes especially important when we have visitors over. No one wants to spend 20-30 minutes at the sink trying to catch up after guests go home, or, worse, having to do it while they’re still there! It’s a time-waster and also a water-waster since you inevitably end up using more water hand-washing dishes in comparison to water usage in a dishwasher.

Anyway, this thought process led me to the idea of a dishwasher-friendly cheese board. My version of the perfect afternoon or evening snack will always be a wood cutting board covered with chopped fruit, piles of crackers and bread, sliced meats, and fresh cheese. The thing I don’t love about this set-up, though, is cleanup. The board inevitably gets sticky, gummy, and covered in crumbs, so here’s how I work around it now.

Dishwasher-Friendly Cheese Board Idea

Dishwasher-Friendly Cheese Board Idea

I just use an assortment of dishwasher-friendly plates, bowls, and cups! Is this rocket science? Hardly, but ever since switching to this method, I’ve been able to save so much time by just chucking all of the individual vessels into our dishwasher after the gathering is over. I also love that my wooden cutting board stays cleaner and is less susceptible to water damage from the sink. Now, it stays entirely food-free and acts more as a portable decorative serving piece.

The other bonus perk of this method is that, if you have leftovers, your food is already sitting in a vessel that can be wrapped up and put straight in the fridge. No need to dirty yet another Tupperware container to store what’s left of your foodie items.

Dishwasher-Friendly Cheese Board Idea

Dishwasher-Friendly Cheese Board Idea

Dishwasher-Friendly Cheese Board Idea

Click here if you’d like to take a deeper dive into my tips and advice for creating a cheese board that’s perfect for your own small (or large!) gathering. Of course, this idea works for all sorts of different party appetizer displays. You could adjust the concept for taco toppers, an ice cream sundae bar, condiments and sliced veggies for a hamburger/hot dog cookout—the sky’s the limit. No matter how you tweak this idea to fit your needs, just start with a heavy board or tray, fill it with small dishwasher-friendly cups, bowls, and plates, and then layer on the munchies. Simple as that. How would you adapt this idea?

Dishwasher-Friendly Cheese Board Idea

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DIY Curved Edge Side Table Project

DIY Curved Edge Side Table Project

I’m usually pretty picky when it comes to “buying into” trends in the home décor world, but when I saw curvy, abstract shapes gaining momentum, I’ve gotta tell ya…I was into it! I love adding things to a space that sport organic lines—something without much rhyme or reason to the shape. This helps give a room so much more personality and a unique character all its own. Randomly wavy lines are downright weird, and I’m all for it in interior design.

Unfortunately, trendy things generally draw a big crowd (that’s the nature of the beast, after all), which means that the price tags on such items are usually high thanks to demand. Take this cool curvy, wavy side table as an example. I loved the idea of incorporating those organic lines into our family room as a side table by our leather couch, but I didn’t love the £275.00 price tag. So, instead, I decided to make my own—for just $68. Keep scrolling to learn how!

DIY Curved Edge Side Table Project

Here’s what you’ll need:

1. 3/4-inch-by-16-inch-by-36-inch wooden project panel

2. Pencil

3. Jig saw with wood blade

4. Cordless sander and sand paper

5. Drill and drill bits

6. Set of 4 16-inch tapered furniture legs with mounting plates (we used the flat plates)

7. Paint and paint brush (we used “Halcyon Green” paint from Sherwin-Williams)

DIY Curved Edge Side Table Project

Step One

Start by drawing your organic shape onto the wooden project panel using a pencil. I didn’t think much about my shape at all beforehand. I let it be as free-flowing as possible. If you decide to paint your tabletop like we did, your pencil lines will be invisible in the end, so if you decide to scrap your first shape and draw something different, that’s okay! The old lines won’t show in the finished table. Just make sure you lightly scribble over the rejected shape so you know which lines to follow with your saw in the next step. The only thing you do need to keep in mind is the fact that your table will need to stand, so having four vague “corners” will ensure that your table legs have spots to screw into.

DIY Curved Edge Side Table Project

Step Two

Outfit your jig saw with a wood blade meant for cutting fine, crisp lines in soft wood, then go to town slowly and carefully cutting your traced shape out of the project panel. Make sure you elevate your project panel somehow so your blade doesn’t knick your work surface. I set my wood board on three cans of paint to get it up off the ground, and this worked great. Make sure you stop often to peek underneath to ensure your blade is nowhere near whatever elevated base you use.

DIY Curved Edge Side Table Project

Step Three

Use a cordless sander and sand paper to sand the edges of your project panel smooth. Do not skip this step! Spend a decent amount of time smoothing over all of your cut edges to give them a nicely rounded feel, and don’t forget to sand the top-most surface and underside of your tabletop, too. This will create a better surface for your paint to adhere to, and will also make your finished table look more professionally done.

DIY Curved Edge Side Table Project

DIY Curved Edge Side Table Project

Step Four

Now to turn that tabletop into a real table! To do so, use a drill and drill bits to attach your mounting plates to the underside of your tabletop using the screws that came with the plates. Since this table is meant to be asymmetrical and organic, you don’t need to space your table legs exactly equidistance apart from one another. I just eye-balled it, making sure to space the legs out into those rough four corners to ensure a steady, balanced piece. Once the mounting plates are in place, simply screw your four tapered furniture legs into the plates.

DIY Curved Edge Side Table Project

Step Five

The final step in this process is to paint your tabletop. I decided to do so because I wanted to make the pretty blonde wood grain of my pre-made furniture legs really pop. A painted tabletop also makes your homemade table look just a little more professionally built. If you like the color we used, it’s called “Halcyon Green” from Sherwin-Williams, and was leftover from a different project. Try using a paint color you have leftover in your stash to save money and to make the piece fit the existing color palette of your home. This is my favorite paint brush, by the way.

DIY Curved Edge Side Table Project

DIY Curved Edge Side Table Project

DIY Curved Edge Side Table Project

And that’s it! When I put this table by the leather couch in our family room, I didn’t expect to get such an enthusiastic reaction from John, but he loves it. I guess he’s just as into the concept of wavy, curvy shapes in furniture as I am, so that works out perfectly. Would you give this project a try? Comment and let me know what kind of shape you would do, and the paint color you’d use.

DIY Curved Edge Side Table Project

Your DIY Guide To Home Decorating eBook

*I earn a small percentage from purchases made using the affiliate links above. Affiliate links are not sponsored. Rest assured that I never recommend products we wouldn’t use or don’t already love ourselves.

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