This plan is inspired by the old- fashioned hideaway ironing boards found in New England apartments. The “Three Stooges” shorts and movies often made use of this item, smacking Larry on the head when he least expected it.
I was browsing the internet, and saw a beautiful cabinet on Woodstore.net. Inspired, I looked around and saw a pie cabinet that would be perfect. Any tall, slender cabinet will work for this project, or one can be built from plank wood and decorated with molding.
This article assumes the reader has basic to intermediate woodworking skills.
You will need:
· Pie cabinet or tall, slender cabinet at least 48″ tall and at least 6″ deep · Cut out of ironing board, 36″ to 40″ long made from furniture grade plywood or OSB strandboard · Ironing board cover and padding · Cabinet hinges, two each · Woodworking tools, markers, measuring tape, jigsaw · Paint or stain · French cleats for mounting cabinet on wall · One 8- foot board 1- by- 4 · Screen door latch
Step One:
Refinish the cabinet if necessary. Remove the legs and save for future projects. Use a helper to measure from the floor to the height you want for the ironing board. Make a light mark on the wall.
Step Two:
If the shelves inside the cabinet are against the front door, cut each shelf back one inch to accommodate the ironing board.
Build up the third shelf with the 1- by- 4 boards. Attach directly to the sides of the cabinet and the shelf. The ironing board will have something solid to attach to.
Step Three:
Attach the ironing board to the 1- by- 4 boards using the cabinet hinges. Close the cabinet door and attach to the wall using a French cleat.
Open the door and lower the ironing board. Measure from the ironing board to the floor, and if necessary, attach a leg for added stability if ironing heavy items will be done.
Do this by centering a 3/8″ x ½” t- nut 12″ from the end. Thread a 3/8″ hanger bolt onto a table leg or 2- by- 2 blank that will reach from the board to the floor. Store the leg inside the cabinet, hang it on the side, or across the top.
Step Four:
Cover the ironing board with padding and the ironing board cover.
Step Five:
To keep children safe, attach a latch to the bottom of the ironing board and the inside of the cabinet. A simple screen door latch will work. This will keep little heads from being hit if they open the cabinet door.
If desired, attach a lock to the cabinet to keep laundry and ironing items away from little hands.
Paint the cabinet if desired to match the décor.
This maximizes the use of space in laundry rooms and keeps the ironing board concealed. In an apartment, the cabinet might not be mounted on a wall. Stack it on top of a wooden storage cabinet instead.
Reusing old furniture in new ways saves money and gives a new look to your home. This would make a great housewarming gift.
Source: Staff Plan, “Ironing – Board Hideaway Woodworking Plan,” Wood website, no date given
Source: Staff Article, “How To Build An Ironing- Board Cabinet,” HGTV website, no date given