The cutting table is one of the most used tools in a sewing room. But a proper cutting table is expensive and sometimes ugly. So, like many before us, we’ve resorted to the Ikea hack for our cutting table. We have two cutting tables, both made using furniture from Ikea. In this post I’ll discuss the two different versions we use and the pros and cons of each.
“Kallax” Cutting Table
Our first cutting table was made using three 2 x 2 Kallax units, although you can add more if want it bigger. For those of you unfamiliar with Ikea, “Kallax” is the name they use for this particular furniture range. These units are very sturdy and provide loads of storage space.
To create this cutting table, you need to purchase a strong base and top made from something like plywood or MDF. Using 3 Kallax units, we made our top from 2.2cm thick plywood cut to 118 x 80cm. We then fitted 4 castor wheels that can be locked. This unit isn’t light so make sure you get heavy duty castor wheels, and we also recommend getting the ones that lock, as a table that wanders round the room while you’re cutting your fabric won’t be helpful. The finished table, including the wheels, is 86cm tall. We’ve now had this cutting table for about 3 years, and it still works brilliantly.
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“Tornviken” Kitchen Island Cutting Table
When we created our new sewing room (future blog post coming) we decided we wanted a new cutting table that was slightly bigger and a bit taller. Jo and I are 5′ 10″ and 5′ 11″ tall and we found the other table a little low for our cutting needs. This table didn’t need as much storage so we took a different approach. This table is made using the “Tornviken” Kitchen Island from Ikea. This wasn’t the cheapest option but it was a lot easier to assemble compared to our old cutting table as we didn’t need to add the additional support or wood.
If you’re on a tight budget, look out for second-hand/used versions of this kitchen island. They can be as cheap as £100. The surface area of this cutting table is 126 x 77cm. The only amendment we had to make was chopping 7cm off the legs and adding castor wheels. The finished table is 90cm tall which is a more comfortable height for us. As you need to chop the legs, you can adjust the height to your needs which we found really helpful.
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Both of these Cutting Table Ikea Hacks are similar. So, what are the differences?
| Cutting Surface | Finished Height | Cost (New) | Pros | Cons | Useful Links | |
| Tornviken Kitchen Island | 126 x 77cm
50″ x 30″ |
90cm
35.5″ |
£342
$430 |
Quick to assemble
Can easily be made to your preferred height Lighter than using Kallax units |
Expensive
Lacks storage |
Ikea Tornviken Kitchen Island
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/tornviken-kitchen-island-off-white-oak-40391657/ Threaded Caster Wheels |
| 3 x Kallax Units | 118 x 80cm
46″ x 31″ |
87cm
34″ |
£170
$214 |
Cheaper
Good underneath storage Can be made bigger using more Kallax units |
Heavy
Requires more assembly |
Ikea Kallax Units
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/kallax-shelving-unit-white-20275814/ Castor Wheels |
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Verdict
It’s clear that the Kallax unit is cheaper, gives more storage and gives you the option to make it bigger by adding more units but, we feel the Kitchen Island looks nicer and it’s so much quicker to make. If we could only keep one of our cutting tables, we would keep the Kitchen Island version.
What version would you have? Or do you have a better cutting table hack? Let us know in the comments below!
Ive admired the Tornviken Kitchen Island as ive passed it in Ikea. Like you,my first thought was ‘wouldnt this be a fabulous cutting table’ 😂😂.
My hubby made me a Kallax cutting table a few years back out of 2 2×4 units. Its on locking castors and has a table top from Ikea, accompanying drawers and cupboards on the top shelves and pullout boxes on the bottom. I was a paper crafter too at the time so had one side for sewing items and the other for crafting. If i need to, its a tad heavy to move around in my cabin but its a great size for laying out fabric. I have 2 A0 cutting mats on it which overhangs on one side, but it works. Id love a cutting mat that fits the top but that size is scary money lol.
if you need to change living places often i would go wt the kitchen island, it is sturdier and stay nice.
i only put a small curtain that slides so i can keep the vision minimal clutter.
Hi Adam,
I enjoyed reading about your two cutting table hacks. Although the Tornviken kitchen island is your preferred choice I would go for the Kallax one myself because of the storage. and because it is cheaper although saying this I am a short 5’4 so I understand why you both prefer the kitchen island version. I have recently had a cutting table made and using an old diningroom table. A new top has been put abover the old dining room table to give me a place to lay any items that need to be kept flat, The table legs were cut down so that it could be attached to a base baord with lockable castors underneath the table thereby bringing the height of the table back up to 80cm. I have a peg board on oneside for hanging rulers while on the other I had two brackets attached to the side to hold my rolls of interfacing making it easier to unroll and cut this or foam (depending which one I wish to use). The base board also provides a large shelf area under the table where I can keep tubs for extra storage.
My old dining room table cost me A$20 from the op shop, 5 weighted brackets A$23.32 (so more than the table did) The new table top was at no cost as it was left over from another building project, the base board was from salvage at A$20 and the brackets for the side were at no cost as also left over, and the peg board, was around A$25. Paint for sprucing it all up was left over house paint. Total cost was less then A$100, I think around $88 maybe a little more. It is amazing what one can hack if they think outside the box.
Cheers, happy sewing
Kathleen
Thank you for sharing these two solutions.
I have too little space to permanently set up a cutting table with a large surface. Therefore, after much research for alternative solutions, I decided on a foldable version.
Maybe this is interesting for the one or the other
The base I used is the Kallax unit 77×147 cm white 8 compartments which stands crosswise on 6 castor wheels. On top of the unit a top with the dimensions 147×50 cm has been screwed, to which another top of the same size is attached with folding hinges, so that it can either hang down at the back or build a continuous surface when folded up.
Attached to this second top are two height adjustable folding table legs that support the top when folded up.
This gives me a cutting area of 147×100 cm when needed and when I don’t need the table, it is only half as deep and can stand against the wall.
This size is enough for me, but the fold-down part could also be a bit deeper if necessary to get an even larger surface.
The desired height can be determined by the size of the castor wheels. I opted for 10cm wheels to get to a comfortable height (91 cm) for me