DIY Blocking Board

Make this quick and easy blocking board with just a couple tools and scrap wood!

Crocheted (or knit) squares are relaxing and fun. When all your squares are complete the key to assembling your squares for a blanket, pillow or project is uniform squares. Finish several squares, load them onto your blocking board spritzing each square with water as you stack. When the yarning is all done, you’ll have blocked squares ready to assemble with military precision!

Materials

You will need:
•  Wood (see note)
•  3, 1/4" x 48" Wooden Dowels
   OR Stainless Chopsticks*
•  Pencil & Felt Marker
•  Ruler
•  Power Drill with 1/4" Wood Bit
•  A Light Cutter or Small Saw
•  Optional Pencil Sharpener
•  Sand Paper
• Thompsons Water Seal or spray paint.

WOOD Note: You can use scrap wood on hand cut into a square at least 1" larger than the finished size of your yarn squares. I used a length of 2 x 8 pine cut off to make a 7-1/4" square* which is ideal for these 5-1/2" grannies. However, a larger or smaller piece of scrap wood that's bigger than the finished size of your squares will do. If your scrap wood is thinner in depth, you might want to glue 2 pieces together to make the drill holes deeper to give extra support to the dowels*. The 2" depth shown here is perfect. *Most 2x8 pine boards are 2" deep x 7-1/4" wide; not 8"!?
*See dowel update below!

Assembly

Measure and mark your square accurately corner to corner as shown. Mark the center intersection with a cross.

Mark the center intersection with a cross. Next measure and mark your square at an equal distant around  the board from the center point outward as shown. I made this for a 5-1/2" Granny Square project, measuring 2-3/4" out from the center to form a square as shown. Mark a big dot at each of the nine intersections. These are your the drill holes.

Drill each hole testing each hole with a piece of doweling as you go. The dowels should slide in/out easily without being too loose, allow extra space for wood swell (caused by water when you spray your squares). TIP: You can spray the board and dowels with Thompsons Water Seal or paint all the parts to avoid swelling when the project is done!

Two* Dowel Options...

Mark the dowels every 12" and cut. You’ll have 12 stretcher dowels (3 extras). If you have a pencil sharpener, sharpen to a point. Note: this step is not crucial, a smooth flat end works fine.

Sand the dowels smooth so they don’t snag your squares; blunting each end if you made points. Test that they slide easily into the holes; drilling the holes a bit bigger if the dowels don't slide in/out of the drilled holes easily.

Spray the dowels and blocking board with Thompsons Water Seal –or a light spray of paint or poly to seal the wood to prevent swealing when you spray your squares.

*UPDATE! Wooden dowels have worked well as specified for 2+ years; after sanding them smooth as outlined, squares were easy to thread on the dowels, but I'm picky. The yarn didn't slide as well on these dowels as the chopsticks I've always used to hold my square wip. However, most chopsticks are square on one end. 

After a deep search on Amazon I found a very inexpensive set of stainless steel chopsticks that perfectly fit the 1/4" holes and they slide like a dream! Here's the link to purchase in sets of 5 (10 Chopsticks:) ​

Voila, You're Ready To Block!

Multi-size Blocking Board Option

HINT! Use a larger board, and drill several sets of holes to make a multi-size blocking board with drill guide as shown sized to your preferred sizes.