How to Make Coasters

I don't know what happens in our house, but I can never find a coaster when I need one. (Which is pretty much all the time.) It's not from lack of trying. We bought a passel of lovely ones from Handmade Julz at a previous Renegade. However, with a massive amount of relatives set to show up soon, I decided now was the time to start making my own coasters.

These are so fast and easy to make. Plus, they're a great way to use up leftover bits of fabric. I think a small stack of these tied together would make a really great hostess or housewarming gift.

Here's what you need:

• Cotton for the top


• Cotton, flannel, or vinyl fabric for the back


• Batting


• Thread


• Sewing machine, or a needle and thread


• Scissors


• Double fold bias tape (optional)

Cut the following 4.5" x 4.5" (11.4 x 11.4 cm) pieces of fabric: 1 for the top, 1 for the bottom, and two pieces of batting.


Stack them together, quilt sandwich style. (Top piece wrong side up, bottom piece right side up, then the two pieces of batting.)


Starting in the middle of one side, sew around all four sides. Be sure to leave a 1.5" - 2" (3.8 - 2 cm) gap so you can turn it inside out.


Trim anything that's sticking out weird. (You want to have 1/4", nice even seams) (.6 cm)


Turn it inside out. Use a chopstick or a seam turner to get those pesky corners.


Sew up the open gap.


Iron it flat, and call it done!



OR, if you think it needs a little extra something:

After sewing up the gap,  and taking care to iron the bulky edges flat, attach a piece of bias tape around the edges.


Then call it done!

(You can probably do a much better job at this than I did. Oops. We'll call it, um..."rustic".)