I have leftover marble from a bathroom redo - do you think I can use it for a board. It is pretty thick and heavy, so I know I would have to have it cut down to size. Do I need to coat it with anything to make it food safe?

How big and how thick is it? I don't think you have to coat it with anything ... juts clean it with soap and water. Assuming you didn't coat it with chemicals and solvents, I think it should be ok.

why two ?

24 x 24 is a better work surface than 12 x 12.

They're not just for making candy. In hot weather, they give your kitty a cool place to rest. :)

A 24x24 would be pretty good sized surface, but if you put two together you'd only have 12x24- so in essence you'd need four...

Wouldn't that be 24 x 12?

@Kathryn - two tiles will give you 12 x 24, not 24 x 24 :) You'd need four tiles to give you 24 x 24.

Yes, I cannot do math. :(

However, I can cook.

And why would anyone want to place two tiles side by side? There'd be a huge seam in the middle, totally defeating the purpose. =(

Otherwise a terrific idea.

What about going to a countertop maker and asking for a marble remnant? Often they'll give that sort of thing away for free!

I like this idea!

I am drooling over this idea - right down to a remnant and a spot for the kitty... Thanks!

Ms. Kathryn Hill - May be a smiley or a winky after that "However, I can cook." Mucho Kudos :)

12x12 fits best into the fridge for cooling.

Also a good (and pretty) place to set pitchers/glasses of cold drinks in a party display, or for things like appetizers that you don't want to just to room temperature quickly.
Good idea on looking for remnant piece from countertops.

yes, the seam is why I was confused about needing two. I think you could use only one at a time. But I guess with a 12x12 space you might need to divide it in two and do it twice. Is that the reasoning?

Instead of Home Depot, try a tile store- you may be able to find a remnant or large tile that is a bigger than 12x12, thus making the need for two and the accompanying seam a moot point.

Anything larger, then you're just dealing with a counter top :p

Oh, and I can cook AND do math :)

already mentioned but i thought i'd add a bit more, countertop manufacturers are your absolute best place to get this kind of stuff.

talking to a few of them.... if they were odd cuts or small sizes (ie. a 12x12 piece) that wouldn't do for a counter, they easily landed in the trash and you could grab them as you pleased. they also had larger sized pieces (3'x2' let's say) that were still too small for most counters but they'd have it in the back for you to purchase cheap and they'd do a cut for $5 or less. i was also told that once a week they'd get so many of these larger pieces that they'd just leave them outside in the back as trash... ie free!

since i didn't have time to wait for the free large pieces... i had them make two cuts for a piece 18"x36" to fit onto a cabinet and my total cost... $30 for a marble top. fantastic.

Can you use these as a baking stone or will they crack?

I bought a 20x20 remnant from a tile store (they have reject or old style pieces out back) for $5. best bargain ever.

Um... unless that is a child cooking with a set of miniature utensils, I call shenanigans. No way the piece of marble shown is 12" x 12". And the price is considerably higher for larger sizes.

Two 12x12 tiles won't get you a 24x24 surface--you need four to get a work surface that big. With two, you'll only get a 12x24 surface.

Anyhow, I lucked out with this. My husband and I were on a walk when we found ~20 whole, still-packed white marble tiles set out for trash collection! My husband and I ran home for the car and brought those bad boys home. I cleaned up a few and put some felt lining on the bottom for use during parties. The rest we set aside to top a table my father-in-law is building for us.

And if I'd read the comments more carefully, I'd see that the math question had been cleared up.