How to Make a Raised Bar From a Kitchen Countertop

Measure the length of your countertop. Cut butcher block to this length and 18 inches wide. Place the butcher block over the counter so that 50 percent of the width is over the existing counter.

Position spacers in sets of two every four feet of length. Use six spacers for a 6-foot-long counter. Place the spacers approximately six inches apart and perpendicular to the counter. One spacer should be at least 1 inch from the inside edge of the butcher block. Adjust the spacers until the butcher block sits over the spacers in a secure way. Lift the butcher block off.

Place the butcher block over a piece of cardboard. Cut the cardboard to the same size by tracing around the outside of the butcher block and cutting the cardboard with scissors.

Place the cardboard over the spacers and poke a hole at the center of each spacer. Set the spacers aside. Position the cardboard in the location where you want your butcher block. Transfer your marks to the counter. Place the cardboard on the underside of the butcher block and mark. Drill a hole through the counter at each mark. Drill a hole halfway through the underside of the butcher block at each mark.

Place the spacers over the holes in the countertop. Empty the base cabinet so you can reach the holes from the underside of the counter. Thread a washer over the wood screw. Slide the wood screw through the counter and through a spacer. Have a second person align the screw with the right hole in the underside of the butcher block. Screw the screw into the block. Repeat for the remaining spacers. Tighten so the fit is snug.