Recovering the Ironing Board

Ironing board under a quilting project

I have a small, portable ironing board that was purchased 10+ years ago at Gruber's Quilt Shop in St. Cloud Minnesota. It came with a set of fold up legs that can be used to make a table, but I prefer to set it on top of a table or counter so that it is not too low down. Over time, the fabric top has become worn and torn. Several times it has gotten nicked by overzealous scissors when trimming loose threads.

Got a bit careless with the scissors

This was a fairly quick project. My neighbor kindly lent me a staple gun and I had a fabric remnant ready to go. After gathering my supplies, I set up my workspace on the back patio table.

Everything is ready to go

First step was to pull out all the staples holding down the fabric. There was a layer of batting under the fabric but that did not get replaced so those staples did not need to be removed.

Staples about every two inches along perimeter

Layer of wool underneath fabric remained in place

Next, I cut a rectangle from the remnant that was a little larger than my board. Then, T came outside and we worked together to stretch, fold, and staple the new fabric layer into place. We were almost done when the staples ran out.

Only a few staples short

After only a brief delay, I was able to borrow another sleeve of staples from my neighbor and then tack down the last corner. This fabric is quite a bit brighter than the last cover and it will be fun to use for the next decade.

Finished board ready for action