I have a collection of rings. I wish I could say that they were the type I wear on my fingers. Nope. They are on my furniture. (I have teenage boys.)
TIME FOR COASTERS.
Those of you that follow our blog know that I like really simple, inexpensive (cheap!) projects that just about anyone can do – BUT the project has to look like a million bucks when it’s done.
Mission accomplished! These coasters are made out of the simplest of materials, but they don’t look like it. These would even make wonderful gifts as a set.
Supplies you will need:
- AdTech Precision Pro® Glue Gun
Buy on Amazon here or here. Save 10% with this coupon: 10STUDIO1234 (expires 11/14/18) - AdTech® Multi-Temp Mini-Size Glue Sticks
Buy on Amazon here and here. Save 10% with this coupon: 10STUDIO1234 (expires 11/14/18) - Yarn (Cotton is the most absorbent. I used multi-colored “Sugar ‘n Cream” cotton yarn by Lily.)
- Felt (or any thicker denim-weight material)
- Scissors & tape
Step one: Prep and twirl the yarn
You will need about 5 to 6 arms’-length of yarn. (An arms’-length to me is the length of your arms from fingertip to fingertip, stretched out as far away as possible. This will depend on the length of your arms of course.) Don’t cut the yarn. Just pull an arms’-length out 5 or 6 times. (I would err on the side of caution and do 6 for the first one, so you have enough. Can you tell I hate measuring things?)
Alternate method: As you can see, I used multi-colored yarn that had the colors already in it. If you don’t have this type of yarn, you can use strands of different yarns. I would go with 2 arms’-lengths of each color on the first coaster to be safe, and then adjust as you do more coasters. For thicker coasters, use more strands or thicker yarn.
Next, put the two ends together and straighten the yarn out, then fold it in half and straighten it out again, so you have 4 even strands. Tape the folded (loop) top and tape it to your work table. Twist 2 strands of yarn (over and under) with the other two again and again until they’re twirled together pretty good.
Step two: Glue the yarn onto the felt
Today I’m using our Precision Pro® glue gun. It’s great for projects requiring… well…. PRECISION!
Cut a piece of felt that is close to the color of your design and a bit larger than the coaster size you’d like. Using your Precision Pro glue gun, add a small dab of glue to the center of the felt.
Carefully place the looped end of the yarn strands onto the glue. Let cure for a few seconds then add hot glue around it and start gluing the yarn strands around the middle.
Keep twisting the yarn more as you go around. Press down the design with your fingers to keep it as flat as possible as you go.
Step three: Tie off the end and cut the felt away
When your coaster is the size you’d like, tie off the end so it’s a little tassel. (You can just glue the end and tuck it in if you don’t want a tassel, or you can always add a bead or two if you want to get fancy.) Carefully cut the felt away from the yarn. I find it best to cut at a 45 degree angle, as you can see in the photo. If your coaster is not flat, just hold a warm iron on it for a couple of seconds.
Step four: Fluff the tassel
Use a toothpick or other pointy object to separate the yarn in the tassel.
How cute is that? These work well with both hot and cold cups. I haven’t had any issues with the hot glue using these under my hot tea mugs.
I hope you enjoyed this super easy, inexpensive craft. Be sure to check out our other projects by looking at the menu on the right. 🙂
Love what you created? We will, too! Tag us in your image on Instagram, @adtech. Use the hashtags #glueasamedium and #thisishotglue so others can see your creation!
