Don’t let your friends mess up your coffee table during your America celebrations. Save your table — on theme — with these DIY Patriotic Painted Coasters.
For more crafts, check out all of our DIY posts.
We have a lot of coasters in our house. Some of them were taken from bars, some of them were given to us as gifts, and we have a really nice set that we got for review once upon a time. What we lacked, though, were any sort of patriotic coasters. And with the amount of America-themed backyard barbecues we host each year, we really needed some.
We’re the house that hosts the annual cul de sac July 4th party, so patriotic décor is necessary.
So, of course, I did what any normal person would do. I painted my own coasters the colors of the American flag. They were pretty simple to make, so you could make them in an afternoon before this weekend’s fourth of July parties.
You can keep them after this party is over and break them out for all the other patriotic holidays: Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Veterans Day.
These DIY Painted Patriotic Coasters aren’t the only homemade coaster tutorial we have. Actually making coasters is sort of my thing. I’ve made three sets to give away for gifts, and my dad actually asked me to make him 10 for a gift for my mom.
So, for more ideas, check out our list of 7 Easy DIY Coasters for more inspiration.
DIY Patriotic Painted Coasters
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This DIY Painted Patriotic Coasters is made using wood slices that you purchase online. However, you can actually made your own wood slices for this project. This post explains how to cut the wood and how long it needs to dry before you’re able to use it for crafting.
DIY Patriotic Painted Coasters Supplies:
How To Make DIY Patriotic Painted Coasters:
Cut a circle from the felt that’s the size of the wood slice.
Glue the felt circle to the bottom of the coaster using the glue gun.
As you’re laying the felt down, you want to lay it down as flat as possible. You don’t have to worry too much about air bubbles, but you do want it to lay flat so that it lays flat on the table. Let the glue dry completely.
Use the pencil to draw two circles on your coaster. Drawing two circles will make three sections for you to paint.
I free handed the circles, but you could use a quarter to make the circle in the center, then a small glass to use the larger circle if you want to be more precise.
Paint the outer ring with a small amount of red paint. A little goes a long way when you’re painting on wood slices. Then, paint the inner circle with the blue paint. Let the paint dry completely.
Finally, paint the center circle with the white paint.
Let the drink coasters dry completely before using.
We used our coasters just like this, but if you would rather seal your coasters, be sure to read the tip below about that.
DIY Painted Patriotic Coasters: Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a tree you can chop down, plus a miter saw at your disposal, you absolutely can cut your own wood slices for these coasters.
If you use wood that has been laying out for a while, it’ll be too dry and brittle to cut. It’ll fall apart in chunks as you cut it and won’t be nice round circles.
So you need a fresh piece of tree. But, keep in mind that those pieces have sap in them, so you actually could end up with a really sticky blade when you’re done cutting.
Even if you get over those obstacles, you can’t make these coasters right away.
Wood needs to dry before you can actually craft with it. The general rule of thumb is that you want to air dry the wood for one year per inch. The good news is that if you cut these wood slices about a quarter-inch thick, you’ll only need to air dry them for about three months before you’re able to use them to make these coasters.
So, while it’s possible for you to use wood slices you’ve cut yourself, it’s a lot easier and quicker to just order unfinished natural wood slices online for this DIY craft.
We never sealed our DIY Painted Patriotic Coasters and never had any trouble with then.
But, if you’re worried about condensation from a cold drink potentially ruining the paint, you can spray the coaster with spar urethane before you use the coasters. Quick note: You can pick it up online or at your local hardware store (or big box store, like Walmart).
Be sure to read the instructions on the spar urethane before using it. It’ll let you know if you need multiple layers, how much time you need to wait between layers, and any other pertinent information.
You could also use Mod Podge on wood (although I’ve never done that because I always use polyurethane). But, I do use Mod Podge to seal my homemade photo coasters and I’ve never had a problem.
Purchase Patriotic Coasters Online:
Do you like the idea of patriotic coasters, but you don’t really want to make your own décor? That’s fine. There are so many great coasters with a patriotic theme available to purchase online, like the Fourth of July Star shaped wool felt drink coasters above.
Check out the links below to shop for patriotic coasters online:
Don’t forget to hit the store’s minimum for free shipping to avoid shipping charges. For other stores, choose instore or curbside pickup to avoid shipping costs.
More Patriotic Ideas
If you landed here because you’re looking for patriotic ideas, you’re in luck. We have a great post with Patriotic Recipes and Patriotic Party Tips.
That’s filled with patriotic crafts (specially for the United States, since that’s where we live), like our DIY Patriotic Toilet Paper Rolls Craft, and fun red, white, and blue food ideas, like our Patriotic Fruit Flag.
DIY Painted Patriotic Coasters
Don't let your friends mess up your coffee table during your America celebrations. Save your table -- on theme -- with these DIY Patriotic Painted Coasters.
Materials
- Unfinished natural wood slices (circles)
- Felt
- Hot glue sticks
- Red acrylic paint
- White acrylic paint
- Blue acrylic paint
Tools
- Scissors
- Glue gun
- Pencil
- Paint brush
Instructions
Cut a circle from the felt that’s the size of the wood slice.- Glue the felt circle to the bottom of the coaster using the glue gun. Let it dry completely.
- Use the pencil to draw two circles on your coaster. Drawing two circles will make three sections for you to paint.
- Paint the outer ring red. Then, paint the inner circle blue. Let the paint dry completely.
- Finally, paint the center circle white. Let the coaster dry completely before using.
Have you made these DIY Painted Patriotic Coasters? Comment below and let us know how it went.
Debrashoppeno5
Friday 30th of June 2017
I really like coasters for a quick project and a cute way to decorate. These are so adorable. Pinned.
Laurie
Tuesday 27th of June 2017
Cute and easy coasters! Perfect for the holiday parties this weekend! Thanks for sharing your posts with us! Pinned to share.