Drink Coasters
Vegetable-tanned leather is the perfect material for drink coasters—it develops a lovely patina with age and use, and most importantly, keeps your table protected and dry. This set of four coasters makes a perfect host and hostess gift, and adds a touch of class to any coffee table.
Finished size
Each, 3½ inches (9cm) in diameter
Materials
1 piece 7–8 ounce (2.8–3.2mm) vegetable-tanned leather, 7×7 inches (18×18cm)
Leather conditioner
Template
Drink Coasters Template (idiotsguides.com/leather)
Tools
Chipboard
Precision knife
Mechanical pencil
Leather shears
Clean rag
Stitching groover
Techniques Used
Working with Templates
Cutting: Using Leather Shears
Hand Stitching: Using a Stitching Groover
Finishing Leather: Dressing
1 Prepare the template. Transfer the paper template pattern to chipboard and cut it out.
2 Trace the template. Using a mechanical pencil, trace the template onto the leather four times.
3 Cut out the coasters. Using leather shears, cut out the coasters.
4 Dress the leather. Protect your work surface, then condition each coaster using a clean rag and neatsfoot oil or leather dressing. Allow to dry, and then buff the coasters.
5 Embellish the coasters. Run the stitching groover around the outside of each coaster to cut a decorative line on the inside edge.
For a cleaner edge, practice your edging technique with an edge beveler. The edge beveler will smooth the edges and remove any stray pencil marks.
