A Handmade Holiday, Volume 2: Cork Coasters and other Crafts!

As promised, here is the second volume of my “Handmade Holiday” series…

I am not sure what possessed me to do write a “crafting” post. I’m just not the crafty type.

I can’t knit, sew, embroider, or crochet. I can’t paint, sculpt, or draw. No, my crafting largely depends on a can of spray paint, a good pair of scissors, a roll masking tape, and some glitter and glue. (And by a “good” pair of scissors, I mean a pair that I got at the grocery store for $3.00.)

But, I wanted to provide a few more Christmas gift & decor options for those who aren’t culinarily inclined (or, for people like myself who like to make a whole bunch of different things). So I’ve included a big list of ideas and crafty projects, as well as a tutorial for making cork coasters. I know that Christmas is rapidly approaching (eep!), but these coasters are a quick and painless craft. If you are still looking for simple (and awesome) DIY gift ideas, look no further!

DIY CORK COASTERS
Inspired by Martha Stewart

Note: I cut out all my cork circles by hand, because I like doing things the hard way. (Plus, it gives me an excuse to watch horrible Christmas movies on Lifetime while I’m crafting.) If you don’t want to do things the hard way, you could skip a lot of steps and just buy blank cork circles on Etsy.

What you’ll need:
Cork Board: I bought cork wall tiles from Target.
Masking tape
Spray paint (A variety of fun, festive colors)
Scissors
4″ Circle Stencil (I used a cardboard coasters that I got at a bar.)
Other options: Stencils for coaster designs. You can buy them in craft stores, or print them for free from this site!

How to make em:

First, trace circles onto the cork tiles using your stencil (aka bar coaster!). Fit as many as you can onto each tile (I was able to fit 6 4″ circles onto one square tile), and then carefully cut out each circle with scissors.

Once you have cut out all the circles, use masking tape to create geometric designs. (Or, tape stencils to the coasters). Spray paint the coasters outdoors (or a well-ventilated garage or craft space). Allow to fully dry before removing the masking tape. It’s as simple as that! I am packing the coasters together in sets of 4, and tying them together with yarn or ribbon.

AND NOW FOR THE REST!
A HANDMADE HOLIDAY, VOLUME 2: HANDMADE GIFT & CRAFT IDEAS!

*Chalkboard Mugs
*Geode Bottle Stoppers
*Yarn Wreaths with Felt Flowers
*Jersey Knit Bracelet
*Awesome DIY Animal Bookends
*Wine Cork Trivet
*Cute Little Marble Magnets
**The Cutest Little Holiday Snow Globes
*Moss Terrarium | Tiny Terrarium | Hanging Succulent Terrarium
*Painted Wooden Bead Necklace
*Gold Leaf & Paper Mache Bowls
*(Really Cool) Vintage Tin Candles
*Vintage Postcard Calendar/Journal
*Chalkboard Globe
*DIY Wood Butter