I’ve been busy crafting in the kitchen again this week.  With Mother Nature getting a bit cranky this time of year, I avoid her bitter blasts of cold by huddling in my kitchen with craft projects as much as I can!

This week’s project was something I’ve been wanting to try ever since our family trip to Maine this past summer.  While we strolled through the quaint shops of Bar Harbor one afternoon, I saw a set of adorable coasters made using mason jar lids with a bit of cork on the bottom.  “Hmm . . .” I though to myself, “I’ll bet those would be pretty easy to make at home.”

Fast forward a few months, and you find me surfing the Internet a few weeks ago, looking for tutorials on crafting some mason jar lid coasters.  I found this stamped coaster design on a wedding site, and another coaster tutorial using heat transfer vinyl letters.  Along the way, I also found a lot of general coaster tutorials, including this one for simple fabric coasters put together using tiles and Mod Podge.

I happen to have quite a few fabric scraps left from the cloth napkins I made last year, so I though it might be fun to combine all these different coaster ideas and create a set of mason jar lid coasters that were lined with fabric.

I had most of the supplies I needed on hand already, so after a quick order from Amazon to get some cork circles and wide-mouth mason jar lids, I was ready to get crafting.

This project was fairly easy to put together, but it did take a bit of time to do all the Mod Podge layers that make the fabric waterproof. I’d recommend tackling this project on a day when you have a few household chores to get done:  You can get your craft started and then tick off a few chores during each 20 minute interval while your Mod Podge dries!

In the end, I created eight coasters and absolutely loved the way they turned out!  I have fond memories of many childhood trips to my grandparents’ farm, and these coasters stir up that farmhouse nostalgia with their simple charm.

Want to give these coasters a try for your own home?  Or maybe you’re just looking for a sweet, homemade gift to make for a friend?  Grab the following supplies and check out the instructions below, and enjoy some creative time putting your own mason jar lid coasters together!

Supplies:

• cork circles  (or cork board that you cut into circles)
• wide-mouth mason jar lids (at least 3.5″ wide)
• Mod Podge
• foam brush
• fabric
• scissors
• pencil
• craft glue (or hot glue gun) *not pictured below*

How To Make:

*Please note that steps 5-7 are optional.  I wanted my fabric to show on the bottom of my coaster as well as the top so that I could flip my coasters over for wider-based coffee mugs that wouldn’t fit inside the lid. (We drink a lot of coffee around here, what can I say?)  I also wanted to make sure the bases were extra sturdy so they could be used either way.  In order to accomplish this, I added these steps

Step 1: Remove a lid from the wide-mouth mason jar.  Trace this lid onto all of your cork pieces.

Step 2: Cut out the cork circles.

Step 3: Using the same jar lid, trace circles onto your fabric.  You will need one fabric circle per coaster.  (*If you do optional steps 5-7, you will need to do two circles per coaster.)

Step 4: Cut out your fabric circles using a sharp scissors.

Step 5 OPTIONAL: Apply a layer of Mod Podge to the back side of your jar lid. (The non-shiny side.)  Press the cork board on top.

Step 6 OPTIONAL: Apply a layer of Mod Podge to the other side of the jar lid. (The shiny side.)  Press a fabric circle to this side.  Allow 15 minutes for both sides of the jar lid to dry.

Step 7 OPTIONAL:  Apply additional layer of Mod Podge to the top of your fabric (on the lid).  Allow 15-20 minutes to dry.

Step 8: Apply a layer of Mod Podge to the top side of your cork circle.  Place a fabric circle on top and press in place.  Allow 10-15 minutes to dry.

Step 9: Apply a layer of Mod Podge on top of the fabric that’s now covering your cork.  Allow 15-20 minutes to dry.

Step 10: Apply additional layer of Mod Podge to the fabric on top of your cork. (no picture. See Step 9 image.)

Step 11: Gather the metal jar rings.  Using craft glue or a hot glue gun, apply a layer of glue around the inside edge of each jar ring.  Press the fabric-covered cork piece down into the ring and allow time for glue to dry.

Once you’ve finished all that mod podging and gluing, I’d recommend giving your coasters about a week to dry really well before actually using them.  In some tutorials, I also heard of people adding a coat of varnish at the end, to avoid any stickiness from the Mod Podge.  (I opted to skip that step, and I do occasionally have my glass stick a bit to the coaster, but it’s not really a big deal to me, so I didn’t mess with the varnish.)

I hope you enjoy this coaster project!  When it’s all done, you can kick your feet up and enjoy a glass of your favorite beverage while you enjoy your handiwork. Happy crafting!