Mini Ironing Table Tutorial

I finally made myself a mini ironing table. I wanted something I could put beside my sewing machine and not get up every time I needed to press a small seam. It was super easy to make.

What you need:

-20 charm squares or 5" squares (I used a Happy Go Lucky charm pack) You may need more if you      have a different size table than the one I used
-Staple gun and staples
-Insulbright batting (batting made for ironing or hot pads) 2 inches bigger on each side as your table top measurements
-wood TV tray
-Sewing machine and thread
-Optional:  spray paint for table legs, 505 spray baste, safety pins (I like the bent ones), Frixon pen

What You Do

-if you want to spray paint your table do it first. I laid mine upside down on a piece of cardboard on my gravel driveway and sprayed a couple of coats on. No need to spray the top.

-lay your 5" squares out in 4 rows with 5 squares in each row
-sew the squares together in each row and press the seams to one side. You can press the seams of the next row of squares in the opposite direction if you want your seams to nest and "lock".
-sew your rows together

-baste your top and your Insulbright together using your preferred method of basting. I like a little 505 Spray and a few pins.
-quilt the 2 pieces together. I marked a diagonal line through my squares using a Frixon pen (the ink disappears with your iron heat!). You could also do some free motion quilting or stitch in the ditch

Lay your quilted top right side down on the ground and place your table on top. Line up the edges so all sides are even.
-start in the center of one side and attach the fabric to the wood with one staple. Do the opposite side  and with one staple in the middle of the other 2 sides. This helps prevent your top from slipping. Fill in the sides with staples
-for the corners pull (gently) the corner diagonally and staple. Gather the fabric around the corner on each side and staple.
-you could serge the edges first if a raw edge bothers you or trim the extra but I left it since I wouldn't be able to see it when the table was upright.


Ta-Da! One little table that can fold up when you don't need it. It would also be good to take to classes or retreats.

Speaking of retreats...you still have time to enter for a $100 gift certificate to either or shop or our Etsy shop. Click on this link to take you to our Name Our Retreat blog post for more details.