How to Make an Ironing Pad

Ever since I was in college and working on my Home Ec degree, I have wanted my own ironing table. Ironing boards are good for clothing items, etc, but when it comes to ironing yards of fabric, it's just really nice to have a wider space for ironing. I finally decided I was going to make my own ironing pad because it's just not practical to have a large, permanent table taking up space in my house.

The ironing pad is great if you're needing to travel with your iron or need to use a bigger space than the ironing board. It came in very handy for this sewing class. I just laid it on a countertop and because our projects were small, two people could iron at the same time. It worked like a charm! Want to make your own? Here's how...

You'll need a cotton fabric for the front and back, 1 layer of Insul-Bright, and 1 layer of Warm & Natural batting. I bought one yard of fabric, 1 yard of Insul-Bright or you can buy prepackaged and 1 package of batting 34"x45" for this project. You'll also need quilt binding for the edging.

First, cut all of your layers to the same size. I kept my fabric the same, no cutting. I just opened it up and layered the other two layers inside then laid the fabric back down.

Once you get the layers adjusted, pin the edges.

Now, you're going to quilt through all 4 layers in a few spots. You can do as many or as few as you like. The objective is to quilt it enough to keep all the layers in place.

Finally, pin the quilt binding around the edges and sew it on making sure to sew through all layers.

You're done! Literally takes about 30-45 minutes from start to finish! I can't believe it took me so long to make one for myself!

Is this something you'd get a lot of use out of? I know mine will be used often!