How to Make An Alternative Padded Work Area for Sewing
sewing area
Padding A Door Or A Plywood Sheet
A great improvised work surface would be either a sheet of plywood or a hollow flush door. In this case, the latter will be lighter and likewise smaller. Use a table as a base for either one. Be sure to protect the top of the table first by putting a blanket over it. You could also us a pair of sawhorses. If you prefer sawhorses, you'll have to get plywood that is rigid—3/4 to 1 inch in thickness. Plywood supported by a table can just be 1/2 inch thick.
What you will need:
- A 4 by 8-foot sheet of 1/2 to 1-inch-thick plywood or a door of the same size
-A staple gun
- 2 or 3 blankets or smooth coverlets (cotton batting recommended, do not use polyester)
- plain sheet or 3 yards of 60-inch-wide canvas
- Somebody to help you, so it would make the job faster with two people working.
1. Place the blankets on the floor. Make enough layers to put up at least 1/2-inch thickness. Double the blankets as needed. However, they should still be large enough to cover and fold around wood. Put your plywood or door on top and be sure it is centered.
2. Start at middle of one long side. Fold blankets over edge and secure using 4 staples, placed about 2 inches apart .
3. Proceed to the opposite side and, pulling blankets as tight as possible, secure with staples just like in step 2.
4. Follow steps 2 and 3 on the remaining sides.
5. Go back again to starting point. Then keep on stapling blanket in 12-inch segments (staples 2 inches apart) on both sides of center, always pulling blankets taut.
6. Repeat step 5 on all sides until you've worked all the way out to corners.
7. Staple corners securing the diagonal fold that are created by the overlapping sheets.
8. Put down the canvas or sheet flat on floor. Now center the blanketed wood on top. Fasten the way you did with the blankets. If you used canvas, dampen whole surface using water from a spray bottle. The canvas will shrink tightly over padding as it dries.
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