How to Make a Noodle Board
Because I had so much time on my hands in building all sorts of other things for Brooke With An E (<— read with heavy sarcasm…), I thought it might be kind of neat to make a board that would go over the stove top and create some additional counter space! After starting to search, I learned that these covers are called “noodle boards”, and no, I don’t know why…! I found a few tutorials online to make my own, but in good (read “typical”) behavior, I just decided to start building and seeing what I came up with!
I began with measuring the stove - the depth, width, and height. I used the instructions from Emily Shwake as a starting place. But, I basically used her first step in how to measure, and then did my own thing from there! ;) I used light-weight 1x4 scraps I had to create a “U” shape (the back would be open). I used wood glue and screws. Make sure to use a square to keep your corners at 90*!
Once the wood glue dried on the base, I replaced the screws with finishing nails. I then used scraps of 1x6 to top the board. I needed to cut one of the 1x6 boards in half (so it was a 1x3) so I could fit on the frame. I used wood glue and finishing nails to secure the tops to the frame.
I stained the board in my favorite stain, Olympic brand in “Cinder”, and I stained both the top and the bottom. I figured that the board made an excellent tray as well as a counter board! After a coat of polyurethane, the noodle board was ready to put in its new home!
Although I designed the board to fit over the stove (which it does perfectly!), it was a happy accident to find out that it also fits over the sink when the faucet was turned aside! Now I have counter space when I cook OR when I clean! It also fits very nicely in the narrow cabinet for storage and transportation. When I took Brooke camping for the first time, this board came in handy - both as a counter when placed over the sink/stove, but also as a tray! It was so easy to load it up with plates/cups and bring it outside, or load it with stuff from the cooler to bring to my brother’s site or inside the camper! Total cost for this project was free since I had all of the scraps and stain from other projects. I debated on handles on the side, but decided not to and after using it for a camping trip, I think that’s the right decision.
