A good cutting board is perhaps one of the most useful kitchen instruments. It is also a fixture in your kitchen that can be simply utilitarian or used also as a style accessory. With current kitchen design styles focusing on stone counter tops and stainless steel faced appliances, a hand made, wooden, cutting board may be the perfect accent of warmth your home needs.

Here is a design I came up with for a butcher block like cutting board. Designed as an expression of love for someone for a Valentines day gift, but also created to be strong enough for every day use and durable enough to last for generations.

Drawing of my cutting board concept with hearts.

I wanted to make it apparent as a Valentines day present, but not so overtly that it would be cheesy and she would not want to leave it out or use it for everyday cooking. After all, the most loved gifts are the ones we actually use.

The size ended up being 12″ x 16″ x 1.5″. Large enough to cut any steak or all your stir fry veggies at once. Also the hard wood construction at 1.5 inches thick gives the cutting board a quality of permanence and enough weight to stay in place when cutting anything.

Hard Maple Wood

Purpleheart Wood

Black Walnut Wood

2″x2″ squares of alternating hard maple and black walnut create a great contrasting chess board like pattern for the bulk of the butcher block. These two are woods domestic to the United States and are readily available at most good lumber yards for a reasonable price. This light and dark field of wood tones creates the perfect ‘background’ for the heart shapes cut from a naturally deep purple wood to stand out and make the cutting board unique and cherished. Purple heart is considered an exotic wood and can be found at specialty wood suppliers at a premium price.

Digital mock-up of the cutting board.

Now, obviously, no matter how amazing it is, you can’t just give a woman a cutting board for Valentines day and get away with it.     She’s going to think you just want her in the kitchen cooking all the time, which may be somewhat true if she cooks really well or enjoys cooking.

Which reminds me, most women I have known bake much better than they cook and can use the cutting board to roll out dough or cut out cookies.

You can also use it as a serving tray.

But my point is that you can’t just give a cutting board! Plan to use it to prepare a special meal, or at least serve the Champagne on it while she’s taking a bubble bath.

I have prepared a list of extras that will hopefully complete an amazing Valentines day of happiness for all who partake in the holiday.

• Hand-made Cutting Board
• Pink Champagne
• Bubble bath
• Massage oil
• Flowers: orchids, irises, or more traditional roses(white and red roses make a striking combination for something just a bit different).
• Ingredients for a great meal..  something you need to cut or chop, even if it’s just bread.
• Candles, candle holders(perhaps some candle holders that match the cutting board).
• Coffee Heath bar crunch …  or your valentines favorite ice cream.