A fabric cutting table is just as important—more important, perhaps—than the table on which your sewing machine sits. The beauty of your finished product depends majorly on the preciseness of your cut, and who can manage steady, perfect cuts in a cramped corner of the sewing machine table? Not me, and likely not you either.
Imagining Your Ideal Cutting Table
Room to spread out is one of the chief properties of a fabric cutting table; the one property that will probably be first in your mind. But there’s more than surface area to a table, and you should try to get a more definite idea of just what kind of table your ideal fabric cutting table would be even before you start your shopping. Once you have your ideal table nicely planned out in your head, it’ll be easy to choose among available ‘real life’ tables.
Here are some questions to ask yourself before you begin table-shopping:
- How much am I willing to spend? Would I be willing to spend more if it meant getting a table that was perfect in every way?
- How much surface area do I need? Minimally? Ideally?
- Is perfect stability important, or will anything that won’t collapse while I’m trying to work be okay?
- Do I intend to leave my table permanently in place, or do I need something foldable?
- What is the ideal height for a fabric cutting table?
Once you’ve got these answers down, you have the hard part of your shopping done.
Fabric Cutting Tables You Can Order Online
You don’t actually have to go to a furniture store to buy your new fabric cutting table—you can order it online and get it delivered. Here are a few options from everyone’s favorite online store, Amazon.com
Sullivan’s Home Hobby Table is a good general-purpose crafting table that can be put to good use as a fabric cutting table. The laminated surface is smooth and expansive. It is lightweight, and can be folded away or moved around on its casters. The height is that of a counter top; 34 ½ inches, so perfect for standing at while you do your cutting. This table has only one major downside: a tendency to wobble. Sturdiness is not its strong point, and though you can expect it to last fairly long with regular wear, it won’t do so unmoved. If you bump it, you’ll know.
So if you answered question number 4 with a yes, go with the Trucut Crafting and Cutting table. This fabric cutting table is pricier than the Home Hobby table, but you get what you pay for—in this case, a sturdy, solidly-planted surface on which to do your cutting. The Trucut Crafting and Cutting table has another really nice feature as well: height adjustment. Choose between heights of 32 to 38 inches and find the one that’s perfect for you and your back.
Downsides of this table? Well, the laminate isn’t all that thick, and may begin to show kinks and scratches after you’ve used it for a while. For what you’re paying they should have provided something a little higher quality, but it’s not the end of the world: stick a vinyl cover on top and you’ll be good to go.
If you’re looking for a little less table and a bit more storage, look at the Venture Horizon Project Center. It can do double duty as a desk or craft work surface.
Which table best fits your needs? Either one will make cutting so much easier for you—and do you know how much easier planning goes when you can spread out all your project pieces?