Cutting Board Wood Strips
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Build your own cutting board kit with our hardwood cutting board wood strips. These pre-cut wood strips are great for DIY cutting boards, edge grain cutting boards, charcuterie boards, serving boards, and small woodworking projects.
Choose from a variety of domestic and exotic hardwood strips including maple, walnut, cherry, padauk, purpleheart, wenge, curly maple, black limba, canary wood, leopardwood, ash, and more. Order individual species or choose a mixed pack to create a custom cutting board layout.
Hardwood Strips for DIY Cutting Boards
These cutting board strips give woodworkers, hobbyists, and DIY builders an easy way to create their own hardwood cutting board without starting from rough lumber. Instead of buying a fixed cutting board kit, you can choose the species, length, and quantity that fits your project.
Cutting Board Strip Sizes
Each cutting board strip measures approximately 1.75" wide x 3/4" thick and is available in multiple lengths. These strips can be used in two different orientations depending on the style and thickness of board you want to build.
Face-Up Layout
Glue the strips edge-to-edge with the 1.75" face showing. This creates a cutting board that is approximately 3/4" thick before sanding and finishing.
On-Edge Layout
Rotate the strips onto their edge so the 1.75" dimension becomes the thickness. This creates a thicker cutting board that is approximately 1.75" thick before sanding and finishing.
How Many Wood Strips Do You Need for a Cutting Board?
The number of strips you need depends on the finished board size and which orientation you choose. Our cutting board strips measure approximately 1.75" wide x 3/4" thick and can be used in two different ways.
Face-Up Layout
Glue the strips edge-to-edge with the wider 1.75" face showing. This creates an approximately 3/4" thick board before sanding and finishing.
On-Edge Layout
Rotate the strips onto their edge to create a 1.75" thick board before sanding and finishing.
Quick guide: Use the face-up layout for a thinner board, serving board, cheese board, or charcuterie-style board. Use the on-edge layout for a thicker cutting board with a more substantial feel.
Note: These measurements are approximate and based on the strip dimensions before trimming, sanding, glue cleanup, or additional milling. Final board size may vary slightly depending on your process.
Cutting Board Strips vs Cutting Board Kits
A traditional cutting board kit usually comes with a fixed mix of wood species and a set number of pieces. Our cutting board wood strips give you more flexibility because you can build your own cutting board kit by selecting the exact species, lengths, and quantities you want.
This makes them a great option whether you want a simple maple and walnut cutting board, a colourful exotic wood cutting board, or a custom layout with accent strips.
Great For These Projects
- DIY cutting boards
- Edge grain cutting boards
- Face grain cutting boards
- Charcuterie boards and serving boards
- Cheese boards and small kitchen projects
- Mixed species woodworking projects
- Beginner cutting board kits
- Exotic wood accent strips
- Small craft and woodworking projects
Choose Your Species
Pick individual hardwood strips like maple, walnut, cherry, padauk, purpleheart, wenge, and more.
Build Your Own Kit
Create your own DIY cutting board kit instead of being limited to a fixed cutting board pack.
Use Two Ways
Glue the strips face-up for a thinner 3/4" board or on-edge for a thicker 1.75" cutting board.
Cutting Board Wood Species Comparison
Use this comparison to choose the right wood species for your cutting board design. Classic hardwoods like maple, walnut, cherry, and ash are great for main board layouts, while colourful or dramatic species are often best used as accent strips.
Maple
Light, clean, classic
Best for main board bodies, simple layouts, beginner projects, and clean modern cutting boards.
Walnut
Dark brown, rich contrast
Best for premium boards, accent strips, mixed layouts, and classic contrast against lighter woods.
Cherry
Warm reddish-brown
Best for warmer colour palettes, classic cutting boards, and softer contrast with maple or walnut.
Ash
Light with visible grain
Best for lighter boards with more grain character and a brighter overall appearance.
Padauk
Bold orange-red
Best for colourful accent strips, exotic wood cutting boards, and high-impact contrast.
Purpleheart
Purple accent colour
Best for decorative contrast, colourful boards, and bold accent lines in mixed layouts.
Wenge
Very dark, dramatic
Best for thin contrast lines, modern layouts, and strong separation between lighter woods.
Canary Wood
Yellow and orange variation
Best for warm accent strips, colourful layouts, and boards with natural colour movement.
Black Limba
Creamy base with dark streaks
Best for decorative boards, natural streaking, unique visual patterns, and mixed species layouts.
Beginner Cutting Board Recommendations
If you are making your first cutting board, keep the design simple. A maple, walnut, and cherry combination is a great starting point because it creates contrast without being too busy.
For a more colourful board, add a few exotic hardwood strips as accents. Padauk, purpleheart, wenge, canary wood, and black limba can all create interesting contrast when paired with lighter or darker domestic hardwoods.
How to Use These Cutting Board Wood Strips
- Choose your preferred strip length, species, and quantity.
- Lay out your cutting board pattern before glue-up.
- Decide whether you want a 3/4" thick face-up board or a 1.75" thick on-edge board.
- Arrange the strips in the order you want them glued.
- Glue and clamp the strips together using a suitable waterproof wood glue.
- Allow the glue to cure fully.
- Flatten, sand, and trim the board as needed.
- Apply a cutting-board-safe finish before use.
Important Finishing Note
These wood strips are unfinished. After your cutting board is glued, flattened, and sanded, apply a finish that is suitable for cutting boards and food-contact surfaces. Reapply finish as needed to maintain the board over time.
Why Buy Individual Cutting Board Strips?
Individual hardwood strips are ideal when you want more control over your cutting board design. Instead of buying a pre-selected cutting board pack, you can choose exactly how many strips you need and which species you want in the board.
This is especially helpful if you are building multiple boards, testing different colour combinations, adding exotic wood accents, or creating custom cutting boards to sell or gift.
Helpful Cutting Board Guides
Learn more about choosing the right cutting board wood, planning your board size, and building better DIY cutting boards.
Related Woodworking Supplies
Cutting Board Wood Strips FAQ
What are cutting board wood strips?
Cutting board wood strips are pre-cut hardwood strips used to make DIY cutting boards, charcuterie boards, serving boards, and other small woodworking projects.
Are these the same as a cutting board kit?
They can be used to build your own cutting board kit. Instead of receiving a fixed set of species, you can choose the exact hardwood strips, lengths, and quantities you want.
What size are the strips?
Each strip is approximately 1.75" wide x 3/4" thick and is available in multiple lengths. Final board size may vary after trimming, sanding, glue cleanup, or additional milling.
Can I use these strips two different ways?
Yes. You can glue the strips face-up to create an approximately 3/4" thick board, or rotate them on edge to create an approximately 1.75" thick board.
How many strips do I need for a cutting board?
It depends on the finished board size and strip orientation. For a face-up board, each strip adds approximately 1.75" of width. For an on-edge board, each strip adds approximately 3/4" of width.
What wood is best for cutting boards?
Maple, walnut, and cherry are classic choices for cutting boards. Exotic woods like padauk, purpleheart, wenge, canary wood, and black limba are often used as accent strips for colour and contrast.
Are these for edge grain or face grain cutting boards?
They can be used for both styles depending on how you orient the strips. Face-up glue-ups create a thinner board, while on-edge glue-ups create a thicker board with a different look and feel.
Do the strips come finished?
No. These strips are unfinished wood. After glue-up, sanding, and flattening, apply a cutting-board-safe finish before use.
Build a Custom Cutting Board Your Way
Choose your hardwood strips, plan your layout, and build a cutting board that fits your style. Whether you want a simple maple and walnut board, a colourful exotic wood cutting board, or a custom mixed-species layout, these cutting board wood strips make it easy to get started.
