Make Your Own Inexpensive Rope Coasters

Rope coasters are an easy craft that add a unique touch to your house and are great for gifting to friends and family members. In addition to being easy to assemble, they also have a short supply list, making them come together quickly; so gather what you need and get ready to make some coasters!

For this project you will need: cotton clothes line, craft glue, a piece of scrap cardboard, T-pins, and rubberized shelf liner material.

Start by cutting the end of the cotton clothes line at a 45 degree angle, bending it back on itself, and then gluing it down. Hold this for a minute and allow it to dry.

Next, draw a 4 inch circle on the piece of scrap cardboard. This doesn’t have to be exact, but somewhere close to 4 inches. Trace around a big glass or small plate to get your circle. Now pin the cotton clothes line to the center of the circle drawn on the cardboard. This circle is going to be your template for the coaster. You will use this template for all of your coasters so try not to get glue on the cardboard.

Twist and wrap the rope around the center. Every couple of inches, apply some glue and hold it tight with a T-pin. Keep wrapping until you have filled the template. Cut the rope and glue the end in place, tucking any raw edges under. Allow the coaster to sit and dry for a few minutes while you cut the same circle that you used for the template out of the rubberized drawer liner. Once the coaster has had a chance to dry you can remove the pins and glue the bottom surface to the rubberized drawer liner.

Continue making as many coasters as you would like. Allow them to dry overnight before using. The cotton cording will be absorbent, so it will soak up the sweat from your glass, and the rubberized liner offers a non-skid surface that will protect your furniture from becoming wet.

By using acrylic paint you can paint the coasters to your preference, allowing you to tie them into your décor or that of the person whom you will be giving the coasters to. Keep in mind that the paint will stop the rope from absorbing moisture so it will no longer be a thirsty coaster after you paint it.

Create a holder for the coasters. For the holder you will need to start by creating another coaster, but this time you are going to go all the way around the circle an extra time. Next, start wrapping the roping on top of the final row of the circle so that now you are building up. This would be how to make a bowl too, but you wouldn’t go straight up. Continue gluing as you build up the sides. How tall you make it will depend upon how many coasters you want it to hold.

Give a fancier look to the coasters with cork. You can also find thin rolls of cork at your craft or home improvement store. The cork is very soft and easy to cut so you should be able to use your scissors to cut out a 4 inch circle out of the cork. Use a nautical epoxy to adhere the rope to the cork so that the glue will not come loose from the base when it gets wet. Buy some of the self-adhesive felt pads that are used to protect furniture from scratches or doors from banging closed. Stick 4 felt circles on the underside of the cork. This will create a non-skid surface for the coasters.

Create other shapes and colors of coasters. By using a decorative cording you can make your coasters in other colors. Just coil up the cording and hot glue every inch or so and allow it to cool. If you’d like to make your coasters square you can create your cardboard template in the shape of a square and wrap your rope into a square shape. For a different look you can use thinner rope or cording, braid it together before you start, and then coil it into a coaster.

Taken From Nanny Care