Wooden Coaster Set with Wool Tweed Fabric

Salvaged wood is something I love to work with when I find the right piece. I haven’t made loads of projects with it, simply because I tend to create smaller projects. But, I had an idea in my my mind for a wooden coaster set. I just needed to find the right salvaged wood to repurpose.

As it turned out, an architectural salvage store near me had closed. And the new owners were all but giving away the salvaged wood on the property.

The options for making my wooden coaster set were endless! No joke, the pile of salvaged wood went on…and on…and on…

I actually made a similar set of wooden coasters for my book, “Crafting with Flannel”, as well!

Anyway, back to the project at hand. I scored a few select boards that could fit in my little hatchback and headed home to work on my project.

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Testing the Salvaged Wood for Lead Based Paint

My original plan was to upcycle a board that had chippy white paint on it. But because I was working on coasters that would hold drinks and could come near food, I needed to do something first.

Check the paint for lead.

So, I purchased a 3M Lead Check to do just that.

The test kit was comprised of several swabs that you wipe on the painted surface in question. If the area turns red or pink, then lead based paint was detected.

And wouldn’t you know it, but the swabbed areas turned a bright shade of fuchsia.

So, I set aside my the bad board and went back to the drawing board, so to speak.

This time around, I selected one that was unpainted: a nice 4” wide plank that would yield a wooden coaster set that were safe to use.

Now I needed a new vision for how my coasters would look. Without the whitewashed (and lead-covered) board, my original plan just wouldn’t be as exciting. With my yearnings for autumn in full swing, I decided to add a little plaid my coasters. Would I use flannel scraps from my table runner or hand warmer project from last year?

No.

I’d use tweed! Tweed would coordinate nicely with the salvaged wood, like a cozy, Hygge, back-to-school feel that would match the nip in the air as Fall approached.

Recycling Tweed Jackets for a Wooden Coaster Set

First, we used our miter saw to slice the board into several 4” x 4” wooden coasters. Then, I used our orbital sander on each one until they were satiny smooth.

Next, I selected a rich, warm wood stain that would give the wooden coaster set a good foundation for the tweed material.

After the wood stain had thoroughly cured overnight, sealed them with butcher block oil and furniture wax.

I had already collected several tweed jackets from the clearance racks at various thrift stores. Cottonball took an immediate liking to them, as you can see!

I wanted mug-sized circles of tweed material on my wooden coaster set. So, I made a pattern with scrap paper, pinned it to a swatch of tweed, and used my pinking shears to cut it out.

Next, I swirled a very thin coat of Mod Podge in a circle on each coaster. After I fixed the tweed to the circle, I then dabbed a wee bit more Mod Podge under the circle’s edges.

I wanted enough “glue” to hold my tweed in place, but not so much that it would bleed through.

Finally, I set the wooden coaster set aside to allow the Mod Podge to dry thoroughly!

Wooden Coaster Set with Wool Tweed Fabric

And there you have it! A wooden coaster set that looks just like autumn to me.

Perfect for holding steaming mugs of tea or hot cider, and they act as fall home decor to boot

Maybe I didn’t get to try my original idea thanks to some pesky lead paint, but these turned out better than I could have imagined. So I think it was meant to be after all!

Along the same lines as this project, did you know I wrote an entire book on flannel crafts? If you enjoy small fabric projects like these coasters, then I think you will LOVE my book!

If you enjoyed this upcycling idea with a tweed jacket, then you’ll also love these decorative acorns for fall decor, too!

Craft on (and welcome Fall!)!

S

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