How to Make a Set of Drink Coasters

This is a wonderful craft project for recycling a used wool sweater. Wool fabric works great for making a set of drink coasters, because the material will not scratch your furniture. These drink coasters have a trendy look and are perfect for hot or cold beverages.

Materials:

100% wool sweater
scissors
chalk
tape measure
Exacto knife
cross grain ribbon
fabric glue

Tips:

Use a thick 100% wool sweater that you no longer wear or check out the local thrift shops or garage sales, they are usually quite inexpensive. Choose a sweater with a lot of detail or colors and use solid color cross grain ribbon or reverse the first option and choose a solid color sweater and use cross grain ribbon that has designs on it. This way you can add style to your drink coasters.

Directions:

The first step is to felt the sweater. Which basically means, washing the sweater until it shrinks. This will cause the wool fibers to cling together, which makes the wool tight and dense. To do this, simply wash the sweater with detergent in the washing machine using hot water and the normal cycle. Tumble dry with medium heat. To test whether the sweater has felted enough, cut a small edge of the fabric. If it doesn't unravel it is fully felted. If it does unravel wash and dry it a second time.

Once the sweater has felted, use the scissors to cut out 5"x 5" squares. Each square represents one coaster, so cut as many squares as you need for your determined amount of drink coasters.

The next step is to add the ribbon details. To do this you will need to cut slits into the wool coaster for weaving in the ribbon. Using the tape measure and the chalk, make 6 equally spaced marks. Use the exacto knife to cut a 1/2" slit at each marked point, for a total of 6 slits. Now use the same step to create 3 more rows, making sure the slits line up with the first row. You should have 6 slits going down and 4 slits going across for a total of 24 equally spaced slits.

Next, take the cross grain ribbon and cut 4 pieces that measure 7" long. Starting from the side with 6 slits, begin weaving the cross grain ribbon through each slit ( both ends of the ribbon should end up on top of the coaster at this point). Continue weaving the ribbon into the remaining 3 rows, in the same manner.

Now flip the coaster over with the wrong side facing up. Apply the fabric glue to the edge of the first ribbon and wrap the ribbon over the edge and tuck it into the nearest slit. Continue to glue and tuck all of the ribbon ends this way. Allow the glue to dry completely. After the glue has dried flip the coaster over and it is ready for use. Follow the steps above to complete your full set of drink coasters.

Make a set of drink coasters as a gift for family and friends. Stack six of them together, tie them with ribbon and add a gift tag for presentation.