Wool Ironing Pad VS DIY Ironing Pad BONUS Turn a FoldingTable into a Height Adjustable Ironing Board 

Thank you I'm glad to have seen your video because instead of wasting my money I will make my own board following your tutorial. ❤

I really like using my wool pressing pad but as I keep it at the side of my sewing machine on a wood desk I decided to protect underneath the pad by placing a silicone baking mat that I had. It works perfect and no damage underneath.

I loved the detail that you provided in this video. Great video

Thank you for sharing this... so helpful!!! And the fact you can break it down to store out of the way, love it!!! ❤️ ❤❤❤

When I was a kid, mom used older wool blankets to pad her ironing board; don't remember where she got them. Have you thought about either a draw string or elastic all around your self-covered board? Or maybe even sheet anchors to hold it taunt. Either of these would make your cover washable.

Love how you guys added the cleats on the large ironing board. Thinking I may be doing this in the future! And the extra legs!

There’s a reason why ironing boards have holes in them and that is to let the heat and steam come through so that there isn’t condensation buildup on the ironing board and no mold and mildew. So whether you use wood or some other surface, the best thing is to drill holes through it before you cover it so that you allow that Pass-through to happen. I know this because my grandmother came from a family of Taylor’s and seamstresses and they all made their own and we all made our own and I just taught my 30 year old son how to make his own. Also, it’s not stainless steel it rust and that comes from years of working as a professional culinarian. Don’t get me wrong. I love this video and I’m so glad it came into my feed. I’m going to watch a bunch of your others right now.

Thank you to you and your husband!! Great job!

You solved my dilemma about the wool ironing pad! Thanks so much.

Those cleats were super smart!! Nice job!!

To prevent the staples from ruining the table top you could glue a piece of ribbon around the edge of the bottom of the board

Love my wool mats. Nothing else has quite the right firmness. A white cotton pillow case encloses my biggest one, and I use muslin pressing cloths on the smaller mat to keep it clean. Antique dresser is protected with a big sheet of aluminum foil. On top of that is a thick terry towel, then the encased mat. I just use a ceramic floor tile under the smaller mat. Everything is aired out after use. If you really don't plan to further use your wool mats, you can probably sell them - they are so expensive new.

i learned from Eleanor Burns, to cover the ironing board with a plaid cotton fabric so you can iron straight when needed. tnx for the video!! bless.

Thank you. What two great ideas. I especially like the smaller pressing pad. 😊

Really great info! Decided not to get a wool mat and just use my ironing board 😊

I’ve done something similar as your bigger board. The only problem is that the heat causes moisture between the fabric layers and the board with no way to escape. So eventually the board will warp. I’ve had to replace my board twice. I had a eureka moment and will be drilling a few holes in my next board to allow the heat to escape similar to a metal ironing board...just not as many. 🥴

Oh my goodness.. thank you soooo much for this video.. you have solved my aching back problem when ironing yardage... and so nice you can put it away when not in use which most likely will never happen but good to know I can :)

Ingenious!!!! Thank you ❤

love the pvc leg extenders. thank you so much for the ideas

Great videos. I'm definitely saving to my playlist and subscribing.

Thank you! You just solved various problems I have been working on for a week. I live in Arizona in a very small house, no room inside for a permanent cutting table and now that it has hit 105 degrees and will soon be 115 and above I started looking for something portable. Since I am 67 and tall and have no business trying to cut on the floor, I knew I needed something light weight like a folding table but they were all at eating height not standing height. I gave up for a few days dejected, now I have my answers and it is so simple. Thanks to you I won't have to stop learning to sew over the summer.❤

Like the idea about the pvc on the table legs

Thank you for your input on ironing pads. I used a wool pad but had to give it away. I found out I am allergic to wool and had an allergic reaction each time I used the pad. So I too made a tv tray ironing table that I keep next to my sewing machine and i love that it folds right up if necessary. I did however put a printed fabric on it and think I will remove it and use your tip of a plain muslin instead. ❤

Thank you & wonderful presentation! Thank you Mr. Conrad for a awesome behind the scene with the camera!

I was really interested to hear your clever hacks for making an adjustable height table… never would’ve thought of that…excellent idea! I use a similar, much larger, covered board, as you have done, but just place it on top of my large cutting table ( I still have a small area I can use for cutting) but then I can remove the ironing surface and store it against a wall when I need the whole cutting surface. My room is small so this a good option for me although the size of the board can be a bit awkward sometimes. We just have to find ingenious ways to make our spaces work for us and you are certainly offering plenty of ideas with all your videos - Thank you!☺️😊

Love the ways to make your own ironing pad

Really wish I had seen this video before buying my wool mat! Every complaint is legit! Fortunately I realized that it was warping my cutting mat before it was unusable.

Thanks for sharing your pros and cons for pressing mats and tables. I plan to use many of your suggestions. Beautiful quilts on wall too!

Hi, you have good ideas and clear explanations. I look forward to seeing more of your work. This is the second one I’ve seen. Thank you.

You've answered all my questions! And I'm making a wacky, pieced together vintage bits, fold down, cutting table / ironing surface. So answering all my questions was a feat! Bless you and your husband for having and sharing the know-how.

Now, these are some really clever tricks. Thank you so much. All of these are exactly what I need. I am now going to implement all of them!!! Mx

Greats ideas! Thank you for sharing. I will be incorporating your ideas in my new craft room. Also, the pros and cons of the wool mat was very helpful! I will now be making my own.🤪

Thank you for sharing!

Instead of a solid board or surface using peg board would allow steam to escape. You could also use elastic or do an ironing board cover with string to pull it tight. This would allow you to wash or easily replace,

Really good option for ironing table. Thanks for the video.

Thanks so much for all your tips and I will definitely use them once I move and have a dedicated sewing room. I really cannot wait, it shouldnt be too long.....

Thank you SO MUCH for this video.I'm just setting up my sewing/quilting area and I needed a DIY for the ironing/cutting table due to limited space. THANK YOU. THANK YOU!!! These are PERFECT for my needs!

well done video and really good ideas

Brilliant ideas! I love your suggestions for the smaller board. I worried about having a cutting mat under the board and you have answered all my questions! Thanks!

hi, wow , you are so well organized.. beautiful set up. I am new to quilting and watching you is very inspiring. thank you so much

Thank you for sharing your tips . The ironing board where we live, is built into the wall and the padding has worn down. The issue is non of the ironing pads I've found seem to fit, they are too large/wide. But with this guide, I can possibly make my own now 😊

Really useful video. Thank you!

Fantastic. thank you.

I was thinking of getting a wool ironing pad, but with the problems you mentioned I've decided against it. I've used similar DIY ironing boards and mats as you've described only with white canvas as a cover and a piece of plywood as the base. My largest board is 21"X48" by 1/2 thick plywood and is used for ironing large areas of fabric as in tops, and backs. I usually have it standing in a corner of my sewing room. When not in use the top lifts off its supports and stands on end. the supports, 2 X keyboard frames, fold down. My small board which is 15"X30"and 1/4" thick plywood usually sits on my cutting table. I have another DIY board tucked into a drawer in my bedroom with a small iron as I do some of my sewing in there. That one is the only one that has a heat reflective element in it, but it's base is corrugated cardboard and I felt it needed the additional protection. You made a good point about color bleeding from the top onto the item being ironed. It also works the other way especially with batik fabrics. I have my tops sewn on so that I can take them off and bleach them when needed.

Great video I had the same bleed problem with starch. I'm going to make one of these traveling boards now after having the same problem with wool you've had. Going make it elastic back so I can wash it or toss it. I'm rough on my iron surfaces. Do you remember our mothers era ironing boards had like a 3/8" thick wool mat under the cover? Not anymore!! Big bucks for that stuff now. Thanks much!

If you took all the bedding and made it so that you could make it like a pillowcase you could slide it over your board, stitches shut at the end and have a board that’s two-sided and no need to staple

OM goodness, I was just looking on Home depot at the cost of wood and there you are, giving me a much cheaper way to do this. Thank you!

I know a lady that cut up her old green cutting mat to make the bottoms of bags she was sewing. The lady has since passed away and I don't know if the mats survived or if they broke up in the bottoms of shopping bags. It's an idea worth checking out for those mats that are no longer worthy of their intended use.

Instructions on the wool mat say that the heat will go through. I've made a couple of ironing mats. One is a tv tray table like you have and a small square one. For my small square wool mat, I have it sitting on the mat that I previously made. The other one sits on a piece of countertop, which was cut out from our sink. Great idea for the height of the table. I did that for my tables at a craft show, but never thought of it for an ironing surface. Clever!

Nice video. I was going to get a wool mat, but after seeing your video I’ll be making my own. I also have all the material needed so it will cost me nothing (at least nothing now). Thanks👏

I love my wool Matt . Like you I put it on my dryer. It scratched & rusted it. I then made my on ironing board. Took some wood & pot holder batting. It warped the wood. The website I purchased mine from tells you it irons one both sides at the same time. True. I put down 2 cotton squares & 2 interfacing. Ironed on 1 side. All of the interfacing was done. For that reason I love it. Then I found a diy ironing board. The trick i learned was to put aluminum foil over the board before putting on batting & fabric. Worked great. Guessing you can do the same for metal surfaces too.

I just watched a DIU portable ironing board at Sew yea, it’s very good!

How about using the wool pad on top of the wooden board?

Extremely helpful video - hope to use the info to help me make a large pinnable pattern table that can double as an ironing surface.

I use a glass piece under my wool pressing mat and that keeps the moisture from leaking onto the surface below. I realize glass is breakable but it does a fantastic job of containing the moisture so I am just very careful if I take it somewhere . Works great

Good video

Insulate and those types of products actually reflect the heat back to the source it came from . It doesn’t “keep it out”, it bounces it back instead of letting it seep through

I have a wooden board that I stapled batting to and then made a "pillowcase" to put the padded board in. Makes it easy to clean my top cover. I can also slip my wool mat inside that "pillowcase". I personally love my wool mat.

Yeah I had a wool mat ruin the top of a wood sewing cabinet even without steam. I put a layer of some radiant barrier underneath and it helped but steam goes through still.

I laid the board on the floor, then set the table upside down and centered on it. No measuring required. Lay the side boards against the table sides.I made sure my screws were not too long and screwed them in from the back. It was easier for me that way. Take off the table and flip back upright. Now you can finish the rest. I did cover the board with foil, 1 layer of cotton batting and I made a top out of cotton canvas drop cloth I bought and prewashed from a Big Box store. I made it 3 inches bigger all around. Sewed a 1 inch hem and put in a drawstring cord. (I used paracord) I can pull it tightly to fit the board. No stapling! I can easily take it off and wash. We quilters need big boards! Thank you for your demo, apparently we had similar ideas!

Another con to using the wool mat at least for me is that I'm allergic to wool and lanolin. A suggestion for you if I may, you can put your wool matt on a board that is covered with alluminum foil.

I agree with you. Thank you very much.

I use a DIY portable ironboard with a wool pad put on top. That way I have all the pros of the wool iron pad (and there are tons) and non of the cons.

I really like your big ironing board. We did the same for my folding table to make it higher to work on. My husband calls them the racehorse legs. 😅

These are some great ideas! I have some folding tables like that, but they are too short and I thought the plastic table would melt. I have a tall tavern table that I use for my cutting table with my cutting mats on it, and I was trying to figure out a way to put an ironing surface on there but didn’t want to have to keep taking it down every time I wanted to cut something! So the extension legs for the folding table are a great idea! And I had a similar idea for making a top for an island I made, about putting the boards on to keep it from sliding around; but I never thought of doing that for the ironing board. I think I’ll give it a try! Regarding the wooden tray table: I bought one of those and I also bought a wool ironing mat to fit it. But I was worried about the moisture going through and ruining the table. So I went to Aldi‘s, I believe, and bought a silicone baking mat to put underneath it. Silicon baking mats are designed to go in the oven and not melt so I figured it would be a good way to keep whatever surface the mat is on from getting moisture and steam damage underneath the wool Mat. I haven’t used it yet, but I plan to make a pillowcase to go over the wool ironing mat, because I like the idea of being able to wash my surface, whether it gets dusty, or gets stained from ironing or using starch, etc. My plan for this is for a sewing nest, so I can press small seams while sewing at the machine, w/o having to get up all the time. We’ll see how it works! 😝

Very helpful info - thank you for your video! Of particular interest to me - turning a folding table into an ironing surface. I haven't seen that before. Wonder if you could revise your title to include something to the effect of "bonus - turn a folding table into a height adjustable ironing ironing board for yardage" - I think your views would greatly increase. I had watched your tutorial on creating design boards & enjoyed it so much I decided to check out your other videos. New subscriber & looking forward to your other videos. Thank you!

I get value from your comparing the two types of ironing surfaces. When it start looking bad you could watch Professor Pincusion’s and just make a washable cover for it. So you would not need to take the staple out and keep it looking once.

I totally agree. I really am not impressed with the wool mat. I made a tv tray one, about 7 years ago. The wood is still good, no warping at all. I wonder about using wool batting as one if the layers.

I'm thinking the wool mat could be tacked/glued on the back of the table top without experiencing the cons of the wool mat you mentioned. Just an idea.

Great info. Your experiences really explained the cons well.

I wonder how placing a wool mat on top of those silicon sheets for baking would work, not to have the heat penetrate the surface of the furniture. I have an expensive sewing cabinet and I was reluctant to buy a wool mat exactly for the same reason you are explaining here. I did not want to see my cabinet damaged in any way by the heat. Thank you for this video. Update: Oh gee… I just saw Vida’s comment underneath. She is using a silicon sheet underneath exactly as I was thinking as being a solution for the heat issue.

Have you considered letting the starch air dry before ironing? That was a game changer for me.

How can I make the sponge of the ironing pad straight ?

What table design and table fabric layers do you recommend for occasionally ironing men's dress shirts and pants? I live in a small apartment, so I was thinking about getting a typical metal folding table, but I wanted to do some research beforehand to see what other options there were. Would those wool mats be good for what I intend on using them for? If the wool pads would work for me, I do have a standup computer desk, so I have the height there, but there is maybe only about 12 inches of ironing width to work with and another 4-6" of width that goes under a shelf that the cloth would fit under, but not the iron. The table is about 4 foot in length. I also have a couple of those folding wooden tv trays from Walmart/Target, though, I am not sure if that surface is large enough and I would prefer to keep them in tact. Thanks.

QQ - could you use the wool to tp the wood or does that warp it still?

I use a large board under my wool mats to allay the steam problem. I LOVE my wool mats, will not give them up.

I tried the wool matt, but when I used it, it gummed up my iron. It sort of melted to it. Most of my sewing is on cotton for quilting, so I need a hot iron. So I'll just set it aside or donate it. I don't like the idea of the moisture from the steam iron leaking to my table or countertop. That's just me though, you may have better luck, with one than I did. Maybe there are better matts, I don't know. Like you I'll stick to tried and true. Thank you.

Great idea. Would you consider putting the wool mat on your wood foundation? Do you think you would have the same issues? Combining the two might save using all the other fabrics to cover the surface of your board.

glad i found this, was just looking for a way to iron big pieces of fabric. what was the thickness of the plywood? 1/4 inch seems a little to thin..

Maybe glue the wool pressing mat to the bottom? Just an idea.

Thank you for your comparison and I have to say I am in agreement on the wool pressing mat. Special consideration to the surface you place the wool mat on when you are pressing fabrics on it. Definitely would not use a wool mat on top of a wood table or a cutting mat. :-( For that reason I am not a fan of the wool mat at all. I love the idea of making a portable ironing mat & your tutorial is very helpful. With that said I have a question for you. Do you think a car window sunscreen visor could be repurposed for the layer of heat resistant sheet used for the portable ironing mat? Thank you for your input.

How about just putting the wool mat on top of the board?

I use U-Haul moving blankets cut into what sizes I need. I am highly allergic to wool! Epipen allergic. My daughter had to take a shower and change clothes before entering the vehicle when picking her up from work. She works with sheep and goats at a zoo.

I did the same thing with the big table and it is my cutting table at the right height and I put the 3 draw cabinets under for fabric storage. Never have enough storage space for fabric. Loved your video!

That warped cutting mat out in your garage.... any chance you could cut it and make a back for your ironing board? Your own 'cut and press'.

Why do you use muslin and not gray metallised fabric?

Why the aluminum foil on the plywood?

Did you ever consider using a piece of elastic in the corners, just like a fitted sheet? No staples needed.

I have a wool ironing pad. Like it for the most part. However, it does allow the steam to go through the mat. Disappointing. It does also hold my quilt blocks and pieces very well and allows for a really good press. I thought if I put a very thick bath towel under the mat, it would keep the steam from going through to my table. I was wrong. So, now I just use the mat atop my ironing board. It works well, but I wish I could find a way, maybe a piece of wood, to keep the steam from penetrating so I could use the mat immediately beside my machine on my table!

Couldn’t you use a pillowcase to cover your pad?

My wool mats actually came with a large protective silicone mat to go under them, specifically to prevent the problems you encountered (heat and moisture reaching the underlying surface). You can also buy them separately though; just look for a heat-safe silicone baking (or clay/crafting) mat in the same size as (or slightly larger than) your wool mat. Amazon definitely has them, and they're fairly inexpensive.

I think I would lay the wool mat on the wooden board.

Why did you not just use the wool mat on the board?

It's the steam, not the heat that damaged your surface. Wool mats are packaged with instructions that warn about this! You don't need steam to press well on the wool mat. That is the selling point. Not the small size.

Why couldn’t you just put your wool mat on top of the wood? Also, I would of expected it to damage a cutting mat since the wool absorb the heat.

Why couldn’t you just place your wool mat on the TV tray?