It’s one of those funny things in life; when you need a coaster, you usually don’t have one on hand. Yet, after you create an ugly ring on your wooden side table with your hot drink, you vow to go out and buy new coasters soon. How about a better idea? DIY tree coasters. These are coasters made of wood that you can craft yourself and finish off in any way that pleases you.
If you don’t know how to make tree coasters, keep reading and we’ll help get you started.
Coasters Made of Wood
The job of a coaster is to slide between a table and a hot or cold beverage. The coaster goes on the table and the drink goes on the coaster. If you don’t use a coaster, that drink may leave a circle mark that will mar your tabletop for a long time.
Coasters can be made of almost anything, as long as the material will protect the tabletop. You see disposable paper coasters in restaurants or marble coasters in fancy hotel bars. For your own home though, nothing is better than coasters made of wood.
DIY Tree Coasters
Wooden coasters can be rustic or elegant, but one thing is for certain, they protect your furniture. That’s why DIY tree coasters are so much fun. You can use any type of finish that fits your décor, yet be certain they end up being effective.
How to make tree coasters? To get started you’ll need a saw, ideally a power miter saw. A hand saw will do if you have the muscles and stamina. You’ll also need a seasoned log or tree limb about 4 inches (10 cm.) in diameter.
Cut off the end of the log so that it’s smooth. Then cut slices of log about ¾ inches (2 cm.) wide until you have as many tree log or tree limb coasters as you need.
Finishing Tree Limb Coasters
Cutting the wood is fun, but finishing the DIY tree coasters is more fun. That’s when you let your imagination run wild.
Do you want smooth wood coasters that show off the circles of the wood? Use sandpaper or a sander to smooth down rough edges on top and bottom then apply varnish.
Do you want the coasters painted in bright colors? Decorated with paper cutouts? Stickers? Take your best idea and run with it.
If you like, you can add felt or small felt feet to protect the table even more. Another cool idea? Drill a hole through the center of each coaster to allow stacking on a metal spike when not in use.