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oh, i wish there were any kiters where i live

What about the straps, any ideas?

DIY straps/pads is not worth it in my opinion, have to get the real deal to have a solid connection to the board.
That will help you learning fundamentals, edging, transitions, eventually jumps etc.
Becomes difficult when you realize you can get a used board for $150 or build a board for $50 and spend $100 on straps, pads and fins....
Scrounge ads for cheap gear/parts, but build a board for the love of it. It's fun.
Guess you could find some cheap windsurf straps and stick surfboard traction under them for <$50, but it might not work well.
If you go on and pay for good straps/pads, you can shift them to a new board as you progress...

Im not building the board primarily to save money. I would be building it because i like to build

I hear you.
Have built a bunch of boards over "a few" years since first learning to arrive at a couple I like.
Would have been easier/cheaper to just buy another good board or two,
especially before I had experience. The first couple I made were not that great, but it was fun.

If you think making bindings too will be fun, go for it.
I found it was a pain and the results did not compare to what I could buy.
Yes, it's possible but...
...maybe I just didn't put enough time into it.
Anyway, sliding into my liquid force straps is a "luxury" I can't duplicate at home.
Enjoy your build!

Here's my suggestion. buy a cheap second hand board. learn to ride on it. then you will get an idea what you like and don't like in a board. then you can go about making a sweet replacement. if you build one now without any riding experience you will have no way of knowing if its good or what to do to make it better.

If you DO go with the insulation foam, do your research. Not all are the same, some are higher density with higher compressive strengths. Home Depot type places may sell for 20 and 30 psi stuff. Dow makes stuff with 100psi strength for under foundations, but it's hard to find (depends on the climate where you are I suspect), and the one time I used that stuff 10 years ago, it was ony available 2" thick so had to be hotwired.

Peter

Sandwich Board. (formica - 4 oz cloth - 1/4" birch ply - formica) in that order from bottom up and
you can install the thread inserts in the ply and drill the top formica before apoxi sandwich within your own homemade press. makes a fast asome board. overnight. you can install fins after. Concave and rocker can be installed with what ever shape you want.

Cheers.

You must melt wax into your inserts to prevent the apoxi from srewing your threads.