Easy Fabric Coasters

Today on Beginner Sewing Projects, we are going to show you how to make these Easy Fabric Coasters! Homemade coasters are a quick and easy sewing project for beginners, and a great scrap buster to use leftover fabric and batting. These DIY fabric coasters use two layers of batting to protect flat surfaces from the heat of hot drinks like coffee and tea. They are also extra absorbent to catch condensation drips from cold drinks. No more marring water rings on your furniture! Coasters are one of those items that you can never have enough of. They are great to keep around the house, plus they make great gifts to give to friends and family. This sewing project is super simple and you can make these coasters in about 20 minutes. If you have antique furniture, these coasters are a must. You can make these easy fabric coasters with or without a quilting pattern on them. Quilting them helps keep the batting and fabric layers in place and makes them a little more durable and rigid to stand up to general use as well as your washing machine. There are so many different patterns you can quilt into these, so get creative and have some fun.

Quilted stitches in the center hold all the layers together in a decorative way, so they are pretty enough to give as a gift. Pick out some fabric to match your decor and make some of these easy fabric coasters for yourself! Let’s get started!

Supplies

• Cotton Fabric Quarter(s)
• Cotton Batting
• Coordinating Thread
• Rotary Cutting Set
• Sewing Clips
• Point Turner
• Thread Snips

This project is fat quarter friendly. Choose one fabric or several to mix and match a set of coasters. Cotton fabric and two layers of batting make the coaster absorbent, yet washable. It is also a great way to use scraps of batting from other projects to save on money and waste. All the supplies are linked on Amazon below for your ordering convenience.

This tutorial uses a straight stitch with a standard presser foot. However, you can use a free motion foot when making designs in the center of the coasters.

Tutorial

Step 1 – Cut

We will start this easy fabric coasters sewing tutorial by washing, drying, drying, and pressing our fabric. This works as a preshrink so that your stitches don’t get messed up when you wash these coasters later. This step is my personal preference, so if you don’t want to do it ahead of time you can skip this step. Next, we will cut the fabric and batting into 5.5″ x 5.5″ squares. A rotary cutter and cutting mat make quick work of this step.

You will need two squares of fabric and two squares of batting for each coaster.

Step 2 – Assemble Layers

Choose one fabric square for the top of the coaster and one for the bottom. They can be the same fabric or different, coordinating fabrics. Stack two squares of batting and your two fabric squares on top of each other.

Step 3 – Clip

Next on this easy fabric coasters tutorial, we will clip or pin all four layers together. You may want to leave space between two clips on one edge to remind yourself not to sew between them. This will leave an opening for turning.

Step 4 – Repeat

Repeat steps 2-3 for the number of coasters you are making. In this example, we assembled four coasters. These easy fabric coasters make fantastic gifts because people always need coasters and these are inexpensive to make! Win-win.

Step 5 – Sew

Next, sew around all four sides of each coaster with a 1/4″ seam allowance. Remember to leave a 2″ opening on one side for turning.

Step 6 – Repeat

Your coaster should look like the photo below with raw edges and and opening. Repeat step 5 until all your coasters are sewn.

Step 7 – Trim

Now on this easy fabric coasters tutorial, trim the sides and corners to reduce bulk in the seams after turning. DO NOT trim the side with the opening. This will make it easier to sew closed later.

Step 8 – Turn

Insert your fingers through the opening and pull all but the top layer of fabric through the opening. Use a point turner to gently press out the corners. Take care not to press through the fabric.

Step 9 – Close

At the opening, fold the fabric inside the coaster 1/4″ and clip or pin to hold it closed.

Step 10 – Top Stitch

Then top stitch around the perimeter of the square as close to the edge as possible. Make sure you close the opening as you sew.

Step 11 – Repeat

Your coaster should look a lot like a coaster at this point. Continue sewing around the perimeter of all your coasters. You can stop here, or continue to quilt the center. Quilting the center of the coaster holds the layers of batting in place so they don’t shift during use or washing. It also adds some extra durability and rigidity.

Step 12 – Quilt

You can sew any design you’d like to accomplish this. We used a simple square pattern that was done by lifting the presser foot and turning the coaster several times until reaching the center.

Step 13 – Repeat

Stitch or quilt the center of each coaster.

Step 14 – Trim

Use thread snips to trim any threads. Pressing can also help if your coasters do not lay flat. In our case, it was not necessary.

And that’s it! You made fabric coasters! Now you have some cute and functional ways to protect your surfaces from water rings and spills. If you have antique furniture like me, coasters are a must.

Use and Care

Stack them up and tie with twine or ribbon to present them as a gift.

Or grab a coaster and slide it under your favorite mug of coffee or tea to use it right away.

The coasters can be machine laundered as necessary. Give them a press if needed.

Don’t forget to pin this project for later, and check out some other fun sewing projects for fall that our friends are sharing below.

If you liked learning how to make these easy fabric coasters, make sure to pin it to your favorite Pinterest board or share it with friends on social media. If you decided to make this simple project on your own, make certain that you take a picture afterward and tag us on social media as we love seeing the fabrics and color choices that people use!