Blue Jean Crafts: Blue Jean Drink Coaster

If you're short on cash and drink coasters, but high on torn up blue jeans, this blue jean craft drink coaster project is a great one to try. These coasters are absorbent, and can be washed in the clothes washer just like regular clothing.

What You Will Need:

Torn up old blue jeans with plenty of intact denim fabric
One pair of scissors
One straight-edged ruler
One needle
Several straight pins
Navy blue thread
Patience

First, collect your old scraps of blue jean fabric. Lay one scrap out on a table in front of you.

Next, use a straight-edge ruler to measure a blue jean square which is five or six inches on each side. Try to keep the edges at right angles to each other. Use a pencil to mark each edge. Repeat this process on all usable pieces of fabric.

Cut out the blue jean squares individually with sharp scissors, and lay them flat in a stack.

Take one of the blue jean squares. One at a time, carefully fold over each edge of the square approximately one half inch, and pin it down.

Using navy blue thread, start from the back side, and make one stitch in the blue jean square. Leaving some extra thread hanging out, tie a knot at the back of the coaster with the thread. Sew a hem across this fold. Then double back, re-sewing the whole hem a second time. This reinforces your hem, and makes sure it will not unravel in the washer or dryer. Then, tie the end of the thread with the extra thread which you left at the beginning of your hem.

Repeat this process until you have enough blue jean coasters to manage the drinks that you tend to have in your house at one time. You can always make more in the future.

If you'd like to decorate your blue jean coaster, there are a variety of ways you can do it. Whatever you do, it should be able to stand up to washing and drying. The best way is to water down some craft paint until it's very liquid. Don't water it down too much. Then use a brush to apply creative and interesting designs. One excellent idea is flowers. Experiment with different colors and designs, and come up with your own original ideas.

You can also try adding an Oriental flower design to your blue jean coaster. Try Googling "Oriental flower painting" in Google Images to get some ideas for your Oriental flower design.