I’m sure you’ve all heard someone complain about using a coaster when you’ve put a drink on a surface without one. I know I’ve definitely heard my mom’s critique on more than one occasion. We’ve got a lot of pre-cut squares at the Innovation Wyrkshop, so I decided to make some coasters of my own. This project doesn’t require a sewing machine, but it’s a lot quicker if you’ve got one. Since we’ve got one at the Wyrkshop, I may as well use it!
A note about fabric:
Fabric has two sides, a right side and a wrong side. The right side of the fabric is the one that has a more defined and clean pattern to it. This is the outside of the fabric. The wrong side of the fabric has a less defined pattern that is usually also lighter in color. This is the inside of the fabric.
Some fabrics don’t have a noticeable right and wrong side. That’s okay! Just make sure you notate for yourself which side is going to be the right and wrong sides.
You’ll need the following items:
2 10”x10” squares of fabric
1 sheet of felt
Sewing scissors or a rotary cutter
Ruler
Sewing machine (or needle and thread)
Iron and Ironing board
Let’s put them together!
Start with your fabric squares. Cut your fabric into 5”x5” squares. You should have a total of 8 once you’re done cutting.
Next, cut your felt. You’ll want 4 pieces that are 4”x4”. This will be the lining for your coasters that will help protect your surfaces.
Once you’ve got everything cut out, layer your pieces. Lay the first square right side up. Put the second square over it, right side down. You want to make sure that both your fabrics have the right sides touching.
Time to sew! You need to stitch along three full sides, but leave the fourth side with an inch-and-a-half gap unsewn. This will be where you turn your fabric so the right side is out.
Clip your corners. This can be a bit daunting when you take scissors to a corner where you’ve just sewn, but snipping the corners really helps when you turn your fabric. Snip as close to the corner as you feel comfortable with.
Turn everything right side out. Use a seam ripper or chopstick to help get the corners and edges nice and crisp, including the part you left unsewn. Iron as you go to make sure everything lays nicely.
Once everything is ironed, go ahead and slip your felt square into the inside. It should fit nicely into the corners, but feel free to trim it down if it’s not quite right.
Sew a topstitch around the whole piece. This goes around the outside of the coaster and keeps everything in place while also closing off the opening you used to turn everything out. Press one more time and you’re done!
Add embellishments! This step is entirely optional but makes for a funky twist to your project. Because of the nature of my fabric, I’m making my coasters look like a crazy quilt.
So, are you going to keep these coasters for yourself, or gift them to someone else? You can easily tie them up with a ribbon and give them as a housewarming gift. I made some for my mom a while ago with a fun kitty print and they’re still used around my childhood home!