Upcycling Craft: Sew a Coaster By Hand
You’ll Need:
- Two squares fabric 5" x 4" (12.7 x 10.2 cm). Cotton works well; I used a thrift-shop curtain.
- Scissors
- Measuring tape or ruler
- Needle
- Thread (color that blends with fabric
will hide seams) - Tailor’s chalk or pencil
- Straight pins or sewing clips
Note: Fabric has a right side (front) and a wrong side (back). The colors on theright side will look more vibrant.
Step 1: If starting with a larger piece of fabric, measure two 5" x 4" (12.7 x 10.2 cm) squares and mark with tailor’s chalk or a pencil. Carefully cut out fabric squares.
Step 2: Place fabric pieces together, right sides facing each other. Use straight pins or sewing clips to hold them in place. Thread your needle. Pull thread through and knot ends together. (This will give you double-strength thread.)
Step 3: A) Start sewing at the bottom right corner. Poke the needle through back and pull it through front. (Knot in thread will prevent it from going all the way through fabric.) B) Sew all the way around using a running stitch (basic up-and-down stitch). Your stitches will look like a dashed line. Check out this how-to video for details. Stop sewing 2" (5 cm) away from the start, leaving an open gap.
Step 3A:
Step 3B:
Step 4: Turn fabric over. Tuck the needle under one stitch and knot thread to secure. Snip thread about 1" (2.5 cm) from the knot.
Step 5: Snip off corners of fabric to round them (this makes corners less bulky when finished).
Step 6: Find the corner we left open. Push the opposite end of fabric through opening and pull to flip it inside out.
Step 7: Push the flaps down with your fingers for a neat, even seam. To close the coaster, we’ll make another seam. Thread your needle and knot the end (as in Step 1).
Step 8: Choose one of two stitches: the running stitch (from Step 2) or the invisible stitch. The invisible stitch is (you guessed it!) less visible. Here's a quick how-to video. I used the invisible stitch.
Starting from inside the opening, poke your needle through one side and catch the other side of the fabric. Repeat until you’ve sewed the opening closed. Make a knot to secure.
Step 9: Push needle down under the seam and back up through it for extra security. Snip thread about 1" (2.5 cm) from the seam.
Step 10: With needle, push tail of thread inside seam to hide it.
Yay! We finished our coaster! Now we can use the coaster or gift it to someone we love. There is so much we can make from things we already have. What will you create next?
Sevda Fakhri has a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Washington and is currently studying Fashion Design. After long days of sewing and learning new crafts, she loves coming home to her gray kitty named Toosi.
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