How to Make Miniature Braided Rug Coasters
In today’s post, I am going to show you the process of making miniature braided rug coasters so that you can make some for yourself or to give as a gift for everyone who wants to protect their furniture while enjoying their favorite beverage.
If you read last week’s post, you will know that I am making a braided rug Christmas tree skirt. I want to make it about 16” wider than it is currently so I do not have final pictures to show you yet; however, the process that I am using to make the tree skirt is very similar to the process for making these coasters. For the coasters, I am using long enough strips of fabric that I don’t have to join ends of strips like I do when braiding the tree skirt.
You can use any fabric that you have cut or torn into 1” strips. I am using Kona Cotton 57" PFD Bleach White. PFD stands for “prepared for dye” which is one of the reasons that I bought the fabric. I thought it would be fun to play around with some natural dyes to make unique fabrics. Although this fabric says bleach white, it is an off-white, not a pure white color. But I prefer the off-white color because it has more of an antique-like appeal to me.
The 57” width of fabric allows me to use three 1” strips of fabric that I have torn from selvage to selvage to make a large coaster, measuring about 4 1/2” or 5” inches in diameter, depending on how tightly you braid. If you only have 42” width fabric, you can still use this method, but your coaster will probably only measure approximately 4” across when finished.
What you will need to make 1 coaster:
Three 1” strips of fabric measuring at least 42” to 60” long
A sewing machine
A heavy duty jean-size (100/16 or 110/18) needle
Thread
Scissors
About 20 minutes of time
I like to tear my fabric instead of cutting it for this project because it provides a beautiful, feathered appearance on the raw edges and keeps the grain of the fabric straight. Also, any loose strings are long (not short and messy) and can be removed to use for filling for other projects or snow in a Christmas vignette if you are using white fabric.
Step 1: Braid the strips of fabric together, securing the ends of the strips by sewing or clipping together.
Step 2: Take the end of the braid and shape into a circle in a clockwise direction.
Step 3: Zig-zag the braid together, securing the ends by backstitching.
Enjoy!
Here is a tutorial video:
And if you are just interested in seeing the process without step by step instructions, here is a timelapse video of me braiding and sewing:
If you like these coasters, but have no interest in making your own, you may order them from my Etsy shop: Set of 4 Miniature Braided Rug Coasters. As always, if you have any questions about this tutorial, please let me know in the comments below!
I hope you have a great week!
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