Book shaped cutting boards are functional cutting boards designed to look like vintage books. These cutting board books are made from hardwood like maple or walnut and feature routed “binding” grooves and custom titles, making them both decorative and fully usable in the kitchen.

*This post contains amazon affiliate links to items I’ve used to create this project.  For full Amazon disclosure, please see the bottom of the page.

If you’ve ever stood in your kitchen and thought,
“This room needs more literary flair… and also a place to chop onions,”
then congratulations — book shaped cutting boards are your people.

These charming little hybrids (also known as cutting board books) look like vintage novels stacked on your counter, but instead of tragic endings, they deliver charcuterie. And honestly? That’s the kind of literature I can get behind.

Today I’m walking you through how to make your own cutting board books, using basic woodworking tools, a router, and just enough confidence to ignore the part of your brain whispering, “Really? I’m decorating behind dirty dishes?”

(I am.)

This began as an Amazon Wishlist item that I thought I could make from dollar store cutting boards…

$4 sounds WAAAY more enticing than $130 US right?!

So I picked up a few boards from the Dollar store, and as fortune would have it, right next to them was this spice rack:

You’ll see the spice rack later in this post, but just imagine if 3 cutting boards needed a stand…

Why Book Shaped Cutting Boards Are the Best Kind of Kitchen Decor

Let’s be real:
Most cutting boards are either:

• Ugly but practical, or

• Pretty but “decorative only” (which feels rude)

Book shaped cutting boards solve that problem by being:

• Functional ✔️

• Decorative ✔️

• A conversation starter ✔️

• Proof you’re a person of culture ✔️

They’re perfect for:

• Open shelving

• Cookbook stands

• Charcuterie boards with personality

• People who own more books than common sense

I’m going to show you where I went wrong before I show where I (learned my lesson and) went right;

I followed all the steps I’m about to outline below, but the dollar store cutting boards just didn’t “cut it”.  There was no (safe) way to router out the rounded corners to give the look of pages inset from the binding, and the juice grooves on the front and the handles on the back took away from the look I was going for.

Which was a HUGE bummer because imagine how thrilled you’d be if I could show you how to make $120 cutting board books out of $12 in materials?!

Oh well, on to bigger and better.

Step 1: Choose Your Wood (Walnut or Maple – Not Pine – From the Scrap Pile)

For cutting board books, you’ll want a hardwood that’s pretty and durable, and approximately 5/8″- ¾” thick.

Best options:

• Maple (classic, hard, forgiving)
• Walnut (my favourite – it’s just SO beautiful)
• Oak (beautiful grain, a bit harder on your knives though)

You can:

• Cut a solid piece to size – I went with 8 ½”x10″ in keeping with the size of the dollar store boards

• OR glue up scrap hardwood pieces (great way to use leftovers)

Important:
Use food-safe wood glue. This is not the time to grab the mystery bottle from the back of your workshop.

Clamp everything tightly and let it cure fully before moving on.

Step 2: Router Table Setup (This Is Where It Starts Looking Like a Book)

Now the magic.

Set up your router table with:

• A straight router bit

• Bit raised approximately ¼” from the table

• Fence centred so the blade lines up with the centre of your cutting board (very important that you are CENTRED)

Important: please use practice scraps until you get the depth and centred-ness where you’d like.  Eyeballing isn’t always accurate (ask me how I know)

Create the “pages”

1. Router the long side of ONE side of the cutting board.

2. On the short sides, mark ¼” in from the long edge.

3. Router from the long grooved edge into the board, stopping at your mark. This gives the look of pages stopping at the spine of your book.

This creates the illusion of a book binding, which is what makes these cutting board books instantly recognizable.

(Also: wildly satisfying – I mean look at that little cutie rounded edge!)

Step 3: Make It Look Less Like a Plank, More Like a Novel

Grab a trim router with a roundover bit.

Lightly round the bound edge of the board so it mimics the softened spine of a well-loved book. Don’t overdo it — you’re going for “vintage hardcover,”.  

Step 4: Sand Like You Mean It

Sand all surfaces and grooves to 220 grit.

Yes, all of them.
Yes, even the grooves.
Yes, this is boring.
Yes, it matters.

Step 5: Title Your Cutting Board Books 

Use a cutting machine (Cricut, Silhouette, etc.) to create stencils for your titles.

I went with:

• Wuthering Bites

• Pride & Prejudish

• The Taming of the Stew 

(Totally plagiarized from a much wittier brain I found on Etsy. Check out all of the others they came up with!)

But if you’re feeling less punny, you could simply label them:

• Meat

• Bread

• Veg

(Still charming. Slightly less smug.)

Step 6: Add the Text (Fire or Stain — Choose Your Chaos)

Two great options:

Option 1: Wood Burning Tool

• Around $20 on Amazon

• Slow but precise

• Makes you feel very artisan

Option 2: Black Wood Stain (My Method)

• Place stencil firmly

• Dab stain carefully with a sponge or cloth

• Less pressure, more patience

Let the stain dry completely before moving on.  (Below you’ll see I oiled the entire book/board except for the titles – I was impatient, yet wise)

Step 7: Finish With Cutting Board Oil

Once everything is dry:

• Apply a generous coat of cutting board oil.

• Let it soak in and appreciate the gorgeousness of the grain.  (Drool)

• Wipe off excess

• Repeat if the wood looks thirsty

This seals your book shaped cutting boards and makes them food-safe and beautiful.

HEY! Remember I said I still had a use for the dollar store spice rack?  Turns out it is the perfect depth to hold three ¾” thick cutting board books!  I just cut it in half on the mitre saw and voila!

FAQ: Book Shaped Cutting Boards 

What wood is best for book shaped cutting boards?

Maple and walnut are ideal. They’re hardwoods, food-safe, and durable enough for everyday use without destroying your knife blades.  I went with oak because I had oak and I have cheap knives. lol

Are cutting board books actually usable?

Yes! These aren’t decorative-only. With proper sealing, cutting board books work just like any standard cutting board.

Do I need a router to make book shaped cutting boards?

Yes — the routed grooves are what create the book-binding look. A router table makes this much easier and safer.

Can I customize the titles?

Absolutely. That’s half the fun. Funny titles, labels, family names — all work beautifully.

How do I clean cutting board books?

Hand wash only. No soaking. No dishwasher. Occasionally re-treat with cutting board oil or wax.  Treat them like the refined literary objects they are.

Final Thoughts: Functional, Funny, and Slightly Pretentious (In a Good Way)

Book shaped cutting boards are one of those projects that feel wildly unnecessary — until you make them. Then suddenly you’re:

• Displaying them proudly

• Giving them as gifts

• Wondering why all cutting boards aren’t books

They’re proof that DIY can be practical and playful, and that cutting board books belong in every kitchen that appreciates good food and bad puns.

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Have a great one!