crafts
“Braided Rug” T-Shirt Yarn Coasters
Did your grandma have braided rag rugs when you were little? Mine did, and I loved them. I loved driving cars on them, and playing with dolls on them {I was a multi-faceted child} and just looking at all of the colors. I was fascinated by them then, and I still am to this day. Every time I see one, I get nostalgic for my grandparents' house.
So when I made some t-shirt yarn recently, I immediately wanted to try out a braided rug. But then I told myself: "Hey, dummy, you know you don't have time to make a whole rug." {Wow, that was kinda harsh. I can be mean sometimes.} So I decided to make some t-shirt yarn coasters instead. And they are just about the cutest things ever.
You can whip some up in no time. I think these would make a great gift, too. You could do them in your favorite team's colors, to match your home's decor, or just make them totally random like those old school rag rugs. The beauty is that every one is different, so there's no end to the possibilities.
How to Make Braided T-Shirt Yarn Coasters
To start, cut your t-shirt yarn into varying lengths, no more than 18" long. {Click here for a full tutorial on how to make t-shirt yarn.} Pieces more than 18" long can become tangled when you begin to braid. Adhere three pieces together with tiny dots of hot glue. Secure the end under something heavy and start braiding!
When you come to the end of a piece, unroll it and put a dot of hot glue inside. Place a new piece of t-shirt yarn onto the hot glue, press to adhere, and roll it back up. Then, just continue braiding. Keep repeating these steps until you have a piece of braid approximately 24" - 28" long.
Trim all your pieces so the ends are roughly the same length and glue together with another dot of hot glue.
Cut a circle approximately 3.75" in diameter out of felt. I used black, but the color doesn't matter, you won't see it because it will all be covered with your braid. Cover the center of the circle with hot glue.
Quickly, before the glue dries, place one end of your braid down in the middle of your felt circle and start winding it around. If your braid's end is a little funky, just cover it up as you wind the braid around.
Continue gluing and winding the braid until you've covered your entire felt circle. If your braid is too long, just trim it off and glue the end of the braid down on the outside of the circle, pressing down tightly {but be careful not to burn yourself! Not that I am sharing this warning from experience or anything... Ahem.} to adhere the ends.
That's all there is to it! Now go grab yourself a cool drink and relax while admiring your adorable new coasters!
I'll bet you have some old t-shirts laying around. What colors would you choose for these?
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