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Nesting Cutting Boards

A pair of cutting boards in two contrasting woods, shaped to nest flush together for storage.

Materials

Item	Qty	✓
Contrasting hardwood scrap (two species)	3 board ft	☐
Food-safe mineral oil	8 oz	☐
Spray adhesive For the optional egg-holder template transfer.	1 can	☐
Painter's tape For the optional egg-holder template transfer.	1 roll	☐

Overall cost: $. Lumber varies by region, species, and season, so we give a band rather than a figure.

Jigsaw
Random Orbit Sander
Drill / Driver — optional
For a starter hole if the handle opening is fully enclosed.
Router — optional
Roundover bit as an alternative to sanding the edges.

1. Sketch and cut the first board
Tools: Drill / Driver, Jigsaw. Materials: Contrasting hardwood scrap (two species)
Sketch a freehand cutting-board silhouette with a wide handle opening onto the first board blank. Drill a starter hole if the handle opening is fully enclosed, then cut the outline out with a jigsaw.
2. Trace the second board from the first
Materials: Contrasting hardwood scrap (two species)
Lay the finished first board against the edge of the second blank and trace along it, then complete the second board's outline so the two will nest together once cut.
3. Cut and shape both boards
Tools: Jigsaw, Random Orbit Sander, Router
Cut the second board to match your tracing, then sand or rout-round the edges of both boards to match each other.
4. Finish
Materials: Food-safe mineral oil
Finish both boards with food-safe mineral oil.
5. Optional: build a matching egg holder
Tools: Drill / Driver, Jigsaw. Materials: Food-safe mineral oil, Spray adhesive, Painter's tape
Tape a printed egg-holder template to a board with spray adhesive, jigsaw-cut along the untaped edges, drill the egg wells, then remove the template and finish the same way as the boards.