In my home coasters are like socks. They seem to disappear or if I can find them they’re not matching ones. The one good thing about this is that it’s the perfect excuse to make some more.
Today I’m sharing some super quick DIY coasters that are easy to make. The design is a minimal X shape which I decided to finish with a granite paint effect. I had considered leaving them natural wood however the wood I used was very slim and somehow they didn’t look finished so I decided to go for the granite look.
These DIY coasters are handy not just as coasters but they would make cool trivets too. Simply make them bigger so they can accommodate pots and pans.
Quick DIY coasters with a granite effect
Materials:
square wooden sticks * (US readers find similar here)
hand saw
sand paper / sanding block
wood glue
white acrylic paint
granite spray paint (US readers find it here)
water resistant matt varnish
*I used very slim sticks as I wanted the coasters to look as minimal as possible but you can go for thicker sticks if you like.
1. Using the hand saw, cut the sticks to size. I made them approx 4.5″ x 4.5″ (11.5 x 11.5 cms). You’ll need one 4.5″ stick and two 2.125″ (5.4 cms approx) sticks for each X coaster.
(The two smaller pieces will be less than half the length of the longer stick as you have to account for the thickness of the main stick – so bear this in mind with whatever size coasters you go for).
2. Gently sand down all the cut edges using fine sand paper. Be gentle as otherwise the sticks can splinter fairly easily as they are slim.
3. Mark the middle of your longer stick. Glue the two smaller pieces either side and hold together for a minute or two till they are bonded.
4. Leave to dry and do another gentle sand if needed.
5. Paint the coasters white and once they’re dry spray them as per the instructions and leave to dry completely. I did 5 coats of the granite as you get a better granite effect with more coats.
7. To make these DIY coasters waterproof or at least water resistant, seal with matt varnish but make sure the spray paint is completely dry first.
Here’s a short video of the making of these quick DIY coasters:
As you can see they’re super quick to make. The only thing that takes time is all the drying time involved!
If not for yourself, you could whip up a set of these and give them as a fun handmade gift.
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