Tutorial: Fabric Coasters

Yesterday I made the decision to make myself some coasters. My drinks "sweat" a lot here in New Orleans and my tables are not a fan of this. I have collected a lot of fun fabrics and figured this would be a great "stash buster" as some like to call it.

Materials:

fat square cotton fabric (2 colors if you'd like the front and back to be different)
batting
thread
cutting mat
rotary blade
scissors
sewing machine
thread
iron/ironing board
pins


Step 1

Wash your fabric. Washing your fabric first prevents shrinkage and awkward stitching after everything is said and done.

Step 2

Iron all your fabric. Washing your fabric will cause it to become a little wrinkly. If it's being stubborn, spray a little water on it and continue to iron.

Step 3

Cut your fabric and batting. You'll need your fabric and batting squares to measure 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"

Step 4

Pin your fabric together. Place your 2 pattern fabrics together with right sides facing each other. On top, then place your batting and pin along each side.

 Step 5

Sew around your fabric using a 1/4" allowance. Be sure to leave a gap of at least 2 inches so you can flip it right side out. I recommend back stitching at the beginning and end to ensure the stitches stay put and don't unravel when you are turning it right side out.

Step 6

Trim the edges of your fabric. Start by cutting the corners off then trimming any excess on the edges. Do NOT trim the excess where your opening is. You will need this fabric length to close up the hole. Turn it right side out.

Step 7

 Carefully pin shut the hole and top stitch around using a 1/4" allowance. I decided to go back and add a 1/8" allowance stitch as well. This is not necessary, just cosmetic!

Step 8

Because we are using batting, the coasters turn out plump or fluffy. You will need to press them (iron them) in order to make them flat and stiff.

I love how they turned out! I can't wait to make more! These will make excellent gifts for people!