DIY wooden chopping board

This was a fun and basic wood project that sprung to mind from a desire to have my own wooden chopping board :) A quick google and then an 'a-ha' moment...wood scraps!

WHAT YOU NEED
- wood scraps (non-treated/hardwood)
- wood glue (non-toxic)
- clamps
- planer/sander/sand paper 
- saw
- mineral oil or equivalent

Ben and J had previously collected some tree pickets that had washed down the creek during some recent storms. I thought these would be great since they are hardwood and untreated :)  This DIY is really just a guide, you can use whatever appropriate wood scraps you have lying around!

The first step is to arrange the wood - I was mainly considering how the pieces sat together (trying to avoid gaps) rather then aesthetics but you may want to consider both!

Then it was just a matter of using some non-toxic wood glue and clamping the pieces together.  As you can see above, I had to do mine in stages. Whilst on my googling mission, I saw others using super long bar clamps (making me a little jealous) but using what you have can be cool too :)

After gluing and drying it's time to get your board nice and flat, this might just involve sanding but since my pieces of timber were a bit hodge-podge in size, I used my electric planer to get everything level and even - love that planer!

I then measured and marked my board to the dimensions I wanted, and cut off the excessive ends with a drop saw (a hand saw would be fine as well). Afterwards I gave the piece a nice sanding so everything was lovely and smooth to touch

Next is a fun bit - the oil coating (to season your board). Mineral oil seemed to be the most recommended oil out there but if you have a suggestion of something better, let me know in the comments! In Australia, Paraffin oil (I believe) is more widely known - I just picked up a bottle at my local chemist. Whatever oil you use just be conscious that it's non-toxic :)

I normally like my wood on the lighter side but this was a fun change!

The magic transformation! Make sure you use enough oil so that water will resist the board and you don't end up with moisture within. 

This diy took me about a week to complete (mostly just waiting for glue to dry). I love that you don't need a big chunk of wood to make a functioning board and that the end result is super pretty!