Since wooden palettes are all the rage right now, I decided to take it up a notch and make mini palettes to use for coasters. They’re pretty simple to make, hope you enjoy!
The first thing you need is something to make the coasters out of. I tried popsicle sticks first and just wasn’t liking how they were coming along, so I found some balsa wood at Hobby Lobby that looked a lot more like real palette wood would look.
I got two pieces of the square wood, and four of the rectangle, which came in 3-foot long sections. This only allowed for me to make two with a bit left over.
Now decide how big you want your coasters to be. I chose 3.5 inches.
Cut 3.5 inch sections out of all of the wood.
Palettes, while they aren’t clean, aren’t the dirtiest looking either. Balsa wood soaks up stain very fast and comes out extremely dark. I decided to go with a lighter stain: coffee. It doesn’t take much, I dipped each piece in the coffee and left it for 15 seconds.
Worked like a charm! I left mine on a paper bag to dry overnight, but if you put them in the oven on a low temperature, you could continue in an hour or so.
When I thought I would use popsicle sticks, I was using a glue gun. It was very messy and left the sticks crooked. I decided to use super glue this next time around.
Take one of the square pieces and two of the rectangles and attach them on the ends.
I used six pieces on each side. Space them evenly first, then begin to glue.
Once you get all six glued, glue two more squared pieces, one on each end.
Next, glue six more rectangle pieces on the opposite side.
Now let the glue sit for a few minutes.
Balsa wood is very absorbent, which doesn’t mix well with the purpose of a coaster, so you’ll want to seal it with polyurethane.
Once you spray it, sand each side just a little bit and spray again. Repeat once or twice; until you feel like the wood is sealed and won’t absorb water.
Let it dry and you’re all set! : )
I must admit, I felt kind of defeated when the popsicle sticks didn’t turn out. After that mess, I gave it a rest and hadn’t thought about these coasters for a couple days. I had to run to Hobby Lobby for something unrelated and as I was browsing I stumbled across this balsa wood. It was perfect. It was a sign that I had to continue and I’m glad I did. So next time I’m feeling defeated, I know now to just take a breather and new inspiration will come when I least expect it. I absolutely love how these came out. Now I just need to make a few more to make it a set. : )
Stay inspired,
Caroline : )
like me on facebook for more updates! : )
