6 Ways to Make Your Own Decorative Coasters

Coasters never go out of style, allowing you to both protect and decorate the tables and surfaces in your home. One of the best things about coasters is that you can make them from a wide range of different materials, by recycling objects you have lying around the house. In this article, we’re going to show you 6 different ways to make your own decorative coasters, and show off those hidden artistic talents.

Beautiful decorative coasters

A cold drink or cup of hot tea can easily spoil a wooden table or scratch glass surfaces. Fortunately, decorative coasters aren’t just a pretty face and can be used when you have guests round, or on special occasions. In this next section, we’ll show you some of our favorite ideas.

1. Crochet or knitted coasters

Do you enjoy knitting or crochet? Is your living room full of cushions and blankets you’ve made yourself? Then you’re going to love this first idea. It involves making miniature knitted coaster designs where you can place your cups and glasses. Simply cut out a piece of card in the size and shape you need, and then attach your design.

If this isn’t really your thing, you could simply braid pieces of wool or thread together, and attach them side by side. Another option is to use crochet to create a more elaborate shape. As you can see in the image above, this technique can produce some really beautiful and delicate designs.

2. Bottle corks

If you’re a wine aficionado, you might have been trying to think of a way to reuse all those old bottle corks. This material is super resistant to high temperatures, and won’t get damaged by cold or damp.

Making decorative cork coasters is a great way to upcycle. The simplest way to do it is to glue all the corks together to form a square or rectangle. Alternatively, you could cut the corks into slices approximately half an inch thick and then glue the edges together to form a circle. As a finishing touch, you can then add a ribbon to tie them all together.

3. Jar lids

DIY allows you to use all different kinds of materials that are just sitting around your home, and recycle all those bits and bobs that you were hoping you’d someday get to use. For example, it’s a great opportunity to make good use of spare metal or plastic lids.

You can use them exactly as they are, or use heat-resistant paint to decorate them. Another option is to turn them upside down and place a circle of cork or another durable material in the center, just like the coasters in the image above.

4. String coasters

These are super easy to make and will look great in a rustic-style dining room. String is the perfect coaster material, and can easily withstand the heat from a steaming cup of coffee, or the cold from a glass of freshly squeezed fruit juice.

You’ll need a circular piece of rubber (whatever size you like) and a glue gun. Simply glue the end of the string to the center of the rubber, and lay it in a spiral pattern until you reach the edge. Then, cut the string down to size and glue it down. And there you have it!

5. Newspaper coasters

Yes, you read that right. You can even make fun, decorative coasters out of old newspapers. You’ll need white glue, vinyl paint (whatever color you like best), a wooden stick (though a pen would do the trick) and clear varnish.

Take a sheet of newspaper and fold it in half several times, until you have a thin strip. Wrap one end around the end of the wooden stick, and continue wrapping to form a circular shape. Once you’ve gotten to the end of one sheet of paper, simply grab another and carry on. Keep going until your coaster is the size you want. When you’re done, carefully remove the stick.

The next step is to paint it. You can then leave it to dry and add a layer of clear varnish to make it more durable.

6. Scrabble letters

If you’re a fan of scrabble, or you have an old set you no longer use, you can reuse the letters to create some beautiful decorative coasters. You can create any words you like, choosing those related to drinks or cooking, people’s names, or simply arranging them at random.

You don’t need to waste money buying coasters from the store. Take a look around the house, and you’ll be sure to find everything you need to make some really beautiful designs. Next time you have a day off, or you’re stuck inside on a rainy afternoon, be sure to do some DIY projects, and get recycling. If you want, you could even give them as gifts to family and friends.