Monday, May 20, 2013

How to make your own fabric coasters



    Having fabric coasters at your table can be one way to express your creativity. They are easy to make, look great, and are also washable. You can use them on both sides (something unusual for coasters) and store them in the same drawer with your dishcloths.
    You can impress your guests with these sustainable coasters and start a conversation about sewing!
All you need is some squares of fabric, a very thin quilting filling that you can buy at a fabric store, and a sewing machine.
    I started with different color fabric squares in  5" x 5" sizes. They were pre-cut, but if you have a few fabrics that you love, or you want to follow your kitchen's color scheme, make your own squares. You can find some “fat quarters” at the fabric store which are already grouped by the predominant colors.
    The filling is 1/16" thick, which I purchased by yard. Here are some of my fabrics: light, natural, greens.



    You need to cut the filling the same size as the fabric squares, at 5"
    You will place the 2 fabrics facing each other on the right side, and position the filling on top. Sew the 3 edges of the square and 3/4 of the 4th edge all around at 1/4"seam allowance. My picture has one side open, but I had to close 3/4 of it later, for better-looking product.
Trim the corners, and flip the coaster on the right side. Press it flat.
Close the opening by pressing the seam allowances in and sew it by hand with a small blind stitch. Press.
Sew the coaster on the right side, by making 2 X's in the middle, and then going around the edges at 1/4". You can also make the "X" and the 3 sides in one step, then you add the last step at the end, running over the ends to secure it.
You are going to have a 4.5" square coasters. Here is one of my 4, viewed from both sides:

Happy sewing! Send us some pictures with your finished product, and we will post them here!



No comments: