A note from Kelly: Hey troop! Meet the talented Hannah of Homemade Banana, our new DIY contributor. Hannah will be sharing home and fashion DIYs here — they’re going to knock your socks off. Say hello to her in the comments! Take it away, Hannah!
Hi everyone — it’s Hannah from Homemade Banana with a cheerful DIY that brightens rainy spring days or adds a playful pop of color to any get-together. If you love a good cheese board, why not upgrade the usual rectangle and make a rainbow-shaped version instead? A wheel of brie surrounded by an arc of saturated colors is an easy way to make a spread feel festive and fun.
This project requires a handheld jigsaw, but if you prefer to avoid power tools you can simply paint a rainbow on a standard rectangular board and still get a lively result. I used food-safe milk paint shades sealed with finishing oil to create a surface you can wipe clean with a damp cloth after the party.
Ready to get started?
DIY Rainbow Cheese Board
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (plus drying time)
Supplies
- Piece of ½” maple or pine plywood, at least 12″ x 18″ (larger sheets can be cut down at the store)
- Pencil
- Jigsaw
- Safety goggles
- Milk paint in Soft White, Gypsy Pink, Pecan, Fresh Lemon, Caribbean Blue and Faded Denim (sample sizes are sufficient)
- Palette for mixing
- Paint brushes
- Milk paint finishing oil (food-safe)
- Sandpaper
- Cloths or paper towels for applying and wiping oil
Directions
- Draw your rainbow shape on the plywood with a pencil. I used the lid of a stock pot to trace a perfect arc and sketched clouds at both ends. Go over your lines so the cut path is clear.
- Put on safety goggles and carefully cut along the pencil line with a jigsaw. Tip: cut inward into tight corners (like in the cloud shapes) to get neat edges.
- After cutting, sand the edges and any rough spots until smooth.
- Lightly sketch the rainbow stripes on the cut board. I used six stripes, leaving out indigo; feel free to adapt the number and width of stripes to your taste. If you prefer not to cut the board, simply paint the stripes on a rectangular board instead.
- Mix the milk paint on your palette to achieve the shades you want. I lightened some colors with white to get softer pastels and blended a periwinkle by mixing white and pink into the denim shade. There’s no strict formula—mix until you like the result.
- Brush on the paint. One thin coat gives a washed, slightly sheer finish; two coats will produce a more opaque, saturated look. Allow paint to dry between coats.
- Once the paint is fully dry, apply a generous coat of finishing oil with a soft rag. The oil may temporarily darken or look splotchy as you work; it evens out once the coat is applied.
- Wipe away excess oil with a clean cloth. The oil can take up to 30 days to fully cure and provide a complete moisture barrier; while many use their boards before full cure, avoid prolonged contact with water until the finish has cured.
- Top the board with cheeses and any small labels or garnishes for serving.
Photos by Hannah Cross
That’s it — a simple, colorful way to serve your favorite cheeses with a bit of whimsy. What are your go-to cheeses for parties?
