With Labor Day behind us and the weather getting cooler (at least here in Seattle) it finally feels like Fall. And I for one am beyond excited! Cozy sweaters, Sunday football, pumpkin beers, and so much good food! It's Cathy here from the Grit and Polish, and I put together a quick tutorial for a DIY cheese board that will make serving up that Fall food that much more fun.

By pairing marble tiles and wood cast-offs, you can create an inexpensive, party-worthy cheese board in an afternoon.

Supplies //

Wood supports. These need to be long enough to extend the entire length of the board A clamp or something to hold the board together while the glue dries. Sander and sanding discs Wood treatment Wood glue Marble tile and wood slats. I went with these honed marble tiles and had a local tile shop cut them to width for me. The top wood slats can be any wood, but need to be the same thickness as the tiles to work!

For my board, I went with 3" tongue-and-groove walnut remnants bought on the cheap from a hardwood company's sale bin. I cut the top pieces and supports using a table saw and chop saw, but if you don't have those tools at home, try buying wood from Home Depot and use their saw to cut them to length.

Step 1: Place the wood and tile on your wood supports to figure out the exact configuration you want.

Step 2: Once you have it laid out the way you want it, glue all of the top sections (wood and tile) together and glue each top piece to the supports. I used gorilla glue, because it can be used for both wood and marble and it's waterproof.

Try to keep the glue off the top of the board, but if you do end up with some peeking through your slats don't worry, you can sand it down later.

Step 3: Once the board is all set, you can carefully wipe down any excess glue with a cloth then clamp the board together and let the glue dry. If you don't have a giant clamp, you can always stack something heavy like old textbooks on the board.

Step 4: Now it's time to sand this beauty! I used an orbital sander to sand down the top and sides of the board using 150-grit paper and then finished with 220-grit. If you used honed marble tile, you can sand the top and sides of that too. Once you're done sanding, give the board a good wipe down with a damp cloth to remove all the dust.

Step 5: You can leave your board raw if that's the look you want, but I recommend a conditioner/sealer such as Daly's Kitchen Treatment to improve longevity. It's a food safe, non-toxic product meant for butcher blocks. You simply rub it on the entire board (wood and marble) with a lint-free cloth, let it sit for a few minutes, and then wipe off the excess.

Now it's time to gather up your favorite cheeses, hearty crackers, and fall produce to create a killer cheese platter! And if your friends are lucky, maybe you'll share it with them too ;)

Notes: After each use, the board should be hand washed. And if the wood starts to look dry or feel too rough, give the top another quick sand with the 220-grit paper and re-condition it with your wood treatment. This can be done as often as you like!

photography: meghan klein