DIY Orange Slice Coasters

When I shared my citrus and turquoise tablescape, I left out one detail: my DIY citrus slice coasters.  You can spot a sliver of them in the photos:

Keeping with my orange and aqua theme, I made a dried orange slice garland for the window, made use of my vintage orange pitcher, decorated with mandarin oranges - and made these coasters from birch slices!

They were SO easy to make and now I'm dreaming up some other slice fruit variations - I'm making pink dragon fruit slices next.  I love dragon fruit.   

If you saw the etched birch slice ornaments I made with a friend, my "dipped" painted birch slice coaster, or my Komondor stamped birch slice coasters, you might have gleaned I have a thing for birch slice crafts.  It's such a rustic anomaly for me.  We have so many wood piles around the property for our wood burning fireplace, sauna, and fire pit, that I think birch slice crafts sort of seeped into my subconscious.  I've actually been wanting to slice a big birch log for a charger or serving platter, but our chop saw can't handle the diameter and we don't own a chainsaw.  So I have this huge birch stump in the garage, tempting me, until I can figure out a way to slice it.

Birch slice coasters are way easier!

Supplies: 

• Unfinished birch slices
• Sandpaper
• Acrylic paint or paint pen (cadmium orange and white)
• Super tiny paintbrush
• Felt (optional)
• Craft glue (optional)

How to Make Birch Slice Coasters:

If you missed my other tutorials, the steps are simple!  Either purchase pre-cut birch slices or grab a branch or log and chop it into even slices, preferable with a chop saw for a nice smooth cut.  Peel off any loose birch bark and give the top and bottom surfaces a light sand.

For this citrus slice, I first painted the entire surface white.  Once the paint was dry, I used an orange acrylic paint to paint the "rind" - birch slices are perfect for this, because I just followed the bark line.  Then I hand-painted the orange segments and let the paint dry before going back in an adding a dab of white paint here and there.  Sketching the shape lightly with a pencil (or using a paint pen like this one) might help create a more symmetrical orange segment design but I was overconfident and just started painting.  Then I realized it's been ages since I even held a paintbrush!

If you prefer, you can cut out a circle of felt and affix it to the bottom with craft glue to provide a smooth, soft surface between your drink and table.  But that's it!

Imagine how cute a set with lemons, oranges, and limes would be.  But I want to make a set of dragon fruit coasters next.  These birch slice projects are addictive, I cannot stop myself.

Komondor Stamped Birch Slice Coasters - Make a Set With Your Own Dog's Breed!

This is one of those easy DIY projects that was just so. much. fun.  Photographing it was the best.  While other bloggers were carefully curating their craft projects with pretty washi tape rolls and cacti, I was over here doing this:



It's no secret that I've become on of those people: totally smitten with my pup.  I had a dog before Szuka and, although she was wonderful, I do not remember being as deeply committed to my Jack Russel Terrier as I am to Szuka.  That says a lot because sometimes Szuka's stubborn Komondor ways make her difficult to love (like when I'm frantically running down our road and crashing through the woods, bra-less and in my pajamas in the pitch black - because there aren't street lights in the country - trying to lure her home after she escaped during her bedtime pee break).

But still, look at that face!   

Sometimes she's just the coolest dog around.  We took her for her first canoe ride this summer and she was so chill!  Now when we paddle around the bay, she rests her head and watches the shore, stopping to bark at that bitch Gracie (a miniature Schnauzer she loathes), but otherwise just enjoying the ride.  I can't help but be smitten with this dog!

When I came across a shop on Amazon that makes rubber stamps of various dog breeds, I immediately looked for a Komondor.  Sold!

I bought it to hand stamp some fabric, but I thought I would do a little experimenting first.  I used my stamp to make a set of DIY Komondor coasters and I love how they turned out:

Obsessed with your dog too?  Here's how I made my Komondor emblazoned coasters (they're SUPER simple):

Supplies:

• Birch log/branch and chop saw - or purchase ready-to-go birch slice
• Varathane Ultimate Wood Stain in White Linen (optional)
• Dog shaped rubber stamp
• Acrylic paint (I used Artist's Loft, metallic cobalt blue)
• Watco Spray Lacquer (Clear)

How to Make Personalized Birch Slice Coasters:

Just like with my painted birch slice coasters, I cut birch slices with a chop saw and then sanded them smooth - peeling off any really loose layers of birch bark.  Next I applied a thin coat of white stain, to lighten the wood a bit so the stamped Komondor outline would stand out more clearly more.  The stain is totally optional, though!

When the stain dried, I brushed some paint onto the stencil, evenly spreading it out.  I tried a few stamps on a scrap piece of paper to get a feel for it.  I was never much of a scrapbooker or card-maker so this stamping thing was new to me!  I found that trying to apply even pressure took some practice.  With the stencil evenly covered in paint, I eyeballed the center of the birch slice, pressed down and lifted straight up - no wiggling or it smears the design.

I let the paint dry overnight, then applied a few coat of spray lacquer.

You can glue on a felt bottom or flip it over and spray the other side as well.  You could even paint the other side the same color as the stamp for a reversible coaster.  So many options!

I am really pleased with my Komondor stamp, which is from a company called Rubber Hedgehog.  They have a cute paw print stamp, if your pup's a lovable mixed breed.  There's also a dachshund rubber stamp that's too cute for words.   I can't even look at its face...  Next up, I want to stamp a white blouse with an all over Komondor print.  Then a tea towel.  Then everything Hubby owns while he's at work.

P.S.  Have extra birch slices?  Check out my painted birch slice coasters and these DIY wood burned birch slice ornaments!

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DIY Painted Birch Slice Coasters

I have a spray painting confession that you might not expect from an avid DIYer: I have the tendency to rush my spray painting jobs.  Too often, I'm so antsy to be done and see the finished project (yay!), that I don't wait long enough between coats or I apply some coats too thickly. 

It's a problem!  A rookie problem (I'm so ashamed). 

BUT - I have solution that's worked well for me the last couple of years:  having smaller spray painting projects on the go at the same time!  See, I just need to keep my hands busy.  So while I was recently spray painting a fire pit Hubby welded (it's so gorgeous), I distracted myself by applying the topcoat to an Ikea hack we stained grey (details soon!) and whipping up these "dipped" birch slice coasters as well.  With three projects on the go at once, I was occupied enough to allow my projects time to dry in between coats.   

And, as an added bonus, we now have this adorable set of DIY birch slice coasters!  Aren't they the sweetest?

In our allotment of firewood this year, most of our logs were split but we did have a few whole birch logs that I squirreled away for crafts.  You could easily buy all of the supplies for these birch coasters online, though.

Supplies for Making DIY Birch Slice Coasters:

• Birch log/branch and chop saw - or purchase ready-to-go birch slices
• 220 grit sandpaper
• Painter's tape
• Spray paint (this is a great project for using up leftovers!)
• Watco Spray Lacquer (Clear)

How to Make Painted Birch Slice Coasters:

Using the chop saw, Hubs and I quickly chopped one of the birch logs into even slices.  I peeled off the loosest layers of birch bark and then gave each slice a light sand with 220 grit sandpaper, just to smooth out any roughness:

Easy, peasy.

When my friend Ashley and I made her wood burned birch slice ornaments, we left all of the birch bark on, which you can do, but for coasters I just didn't want too many loose bits. 

Then I taped off half of each birch slice coaster with a good painter's tape.  I really had to press down on the tape with my fingernail to get it to adhere to the uneven wood surface.  I propped each coaster up with a rock and gave each a blast of a different spray paint, including Rust-Oleum Ocean Mist (left over from the candle holders I painted for my bottle brush tree mantlescape), Rust-Oleum Harbor Blue (which ended up not working for my painted terracotta planters), and dribs and drabs of different silvers, gold, and copper (the latter is actually Rust-Oleum High Heat Enamel Paint in Copper...hint, hint).

To seal them - probably the only step that really needs explaining - I lightly coated each handmade birch coaster with three thin coats of my newest favorite product, Watco Spray Lacquer, which is such a great alternative to laboriously brushing on a clear coat.  I'm loving how easy it is to use!

Since trying those wood burned wood slice ornaments, I'm really on the birch slice craft bandwagon.  The materials are cheap and I'm two for two finding super easy projects to make with birch wood.

Best of all, while I was fiddling with these DIY wood coasters, I was occupied enough to properly let our fire pit project dry.  I just need to do a little finessing (i.e. rake the goose poop) and I can share that project soon!

I love that guests can choose their own unique coaster colour!

I call dibs on the mint.



Although...I do love the contrast of the glittering metallic spray paints and the rustic birch slice:

I just have to chat about the napkin for a second.  It's such a gorgeous colour, isn't it?  I scooped a set of four from Value Village.  There was a bright orange set with a looser weave (bought that too) and a pretty speckled yellow set with the original 1960s tags (Mom scooped that).  They were all crisp, brand new, with such a strong mid-century modern vibe.  This colour pairs so beautifully with turquoise and the gorgeous texture of the linen totally makes me happy - I love a good linen!  I don't even mind ironing them, it's soothing to set the ironing board up facing the lake on a rainy day and iron linens.

Anyway, these days I find so few gems at the thrifts, I just wanted to share!

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Uncommon Goods - Stylish Fireside Storage

Have you heard about UncommonGoods?  They are a really interesting company because they're hyper-aware of the world around them and strive to offer unusual finds and beautiful handcrafted goods, while trying to respect the world in which they are created and the people who produce them.  Much of what they sell is made in the USA, where even the lowest paid, seasonal employees earn 50% above minimum wage.  About a third of what they sell is made from recycled/upcycled materials.  As a feminist, what excites me most is that they work with not-for-profits - donating $1,000,000 to date and raising awareness - including RAINN (the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the States), Women for Women International (which provides tools for self-sufficiency to refugee women and survivors of war), and Reach Out & Read (a network of doctors and nurses working to promote literacy and language skills in the States).  I try to support socially conscious businesses, who sell goods manufactured in North America - or at least under livable/ethical conditions that don't exploit workers overseas - but I'm far (far!) from perfect.  The Siren Song of something cheap and cheerful sometimes beckons me, even though I know what factors drive prices down.  I know I should make more of an effort to learn where and how the things I buy are made, and I've been working on that as a personal goal, so I appreciate when a company makes it their policy to try their best to make a positive impact on the world.  If we each do a little...

I was given the opportunity to hand select items to review from UncommonGoods, and this gave me a chance to not only peruse the website but also test out the services.  The first item that I chose is a handmade lidded basket (click here to get the full scoop), which I actually really needed (okay, wanted).  After our paper shredder gave up the ghost, we started using all of our sensitive documents and receipts as fire starter instead of shredding and recycling them.  We needed a place to store this paper (which amasses so quickly).  We'd been searching for something with a lid to hide the mess, to no avail.  No local shops had what we were after so we were using a weird, tiny, orange pail that we had received some beer in.  This handmade basket caught my eye because it's aqua, but the lid and handles made it perfect for our intended use.




The basket is handmade in Senegal.  You can read more about the designer and her desire to bring independence to rural African communities right here.  (Click here to see the matching pink knitting basket - it's just as cute.)

Right now, the basket is sitting beside the firewood cubby but if I want to stash it in the office, the handles make it easy to maneuver - even when it's full.  It would look cute anywhere in the house (the bonus of a limited whole home colour palette).

Apologies for the horribly ugly wood in the cubby.  I mentioned on Instagram that because I carefully selected the prettiest rounds all winter, now I'm saddled with some real uggos.  We are going to call them organic and rustic.  Every room needs a rustic touch, right? 

 
Once I had a "practical" item chosen, I decided to pick something fun and decadent.  I really contemplated an agate cheese plate (click here to see) because the hunk of teal agate was calling my name, but I decided that a set of agate coasters (this set, to be precise) would be more practical for me.  Remember how I regretted not buying that second set of agate coasters when I made my DIY Framed Agate art?  Even though I have my solid wood DIY hex coasters, I can always make room for more.  I'm actually keeping this agate set in my office, to protect the solid wood top Hubby made for my treadle sewing machine desk.  I always have a mug of piping hot tea close at hand (it's getting chilly again and snowed a few days ago!).

You can buy these agate slice coasters gilded (click here), but I happen to prefer the raw look of the stone.  It's dyed agate so it's not completely "natural," but I like the organic quality.  It complements my rustic log pile ;)

Everything was shipped carefully and beautifully.  The agate coasters, for example, had some neatly trimmed foam between each slice for protection, but it looked nice enough to gift as-is, so you could easily order something from UncommonGoods and have it shipped directly to a recipient.  Both items were shipped separately, so there was no chance of them damaging each other in transit.  One thing that really impressed me about UncommonGoods is how nicely they handle customer reviews.  When they first contacted me, I perused their website and read reviews on many of the products I liked.  All of the reviews are uncensored - some products have hundreds - and any negative reviews (which are few and far between) have been dealt with politely and thoroughly - I love that!  You can shop with confidence thanks to that transparency.  And, if you're in a hurry or looking for something specific, you can shop by theme, like "Personalized Jewelry" (click here if you're curious), or "Housewarming Gifts" (which you'll find right here).  It's perfect if you have a specific occasion, person (like a recent grad!), or price range in mind.

Perhaps the most important thing to know, which you'll discover if you click over, is that UncommonGoods has a really beautifully curated collection of pretty and practical items that are perfect for gift-giving - or making your own space more special.  You don't need to sift through a million items but you're certain to find something special - from the comfort of your living room!

Disclosure: I partnered with UncommonGoods for this post but was not prompted to provide a positive review of their goods or service.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.  I will definitely purchase from UncommonGoods the next time I'm searching for a gift for that hard-to-shop for person.  

A note to my fellow Canadians: some items do not ship to Canada, unfortunately - but you'll know immediately which ones do and don't, which makes shopping easier.  I had my items shipped to a shipping depot across the border.  I might live in a small city, but proximity to the States makes it pretty sweet!  They do try to make it easy by immediately recognizing your location as Canadian, so all prices show up in our dollar and the shipping quotes include duties and taxtes, with guaranteed landing fees - which is a big deal for International shipments.  As a Canadian, I feel very proud when I can support Canadian businesses, which I try to do as often as I can, but supporting American businesses is important to me too.  I feel a close connection to the US (partly because I'm so close I could probably lob a rock onto American soil with a good quality trebuchet), but also because I think that keeping jobs in North America - and supporting ethical overseas manufacturing - benefits us all.

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DIY Wood Coasters - Two Ways

When my Mom wouldn't let me add some pink to the solid wood trivet Hubby and I made her, I needed to satisfy the creative craving so I made some DIY solid wood hex coasters and did two versions: one with a whitewash and clear coat, the other with a dark walnut stain and painted edges.

The DIY coasters above were stained with the same white stain we used for the counters.  The walnut stained coasters are shown below:



It felt good to get that out of my system, but the more natural finish has won me over!

Here's how to make your own solid wood hex coasters:

We started with this piece of wood, but I could have easily have worked with any scrap piece - any type, any thickness - but the thinner, the better.  Our piece was pretty smooth but if you start with something rougher, you might want to plane it or even just run a belt sander over it.

With wood in hand, we did some figurin'.  Hubby used a sliding T bevel to figure out the angles on our hexagon coasters.  You can also kick it old school with a protractor and straight edge - or bust out some high school geometry and just a ruler if you're super bad-ass. 

With the hexagon figured out and drawn onto the first section, Hubby used a bandsaw to cut out the first coaster.  After that, we traced the first coaster on subsequent lengths of the board and Hubby kept cutting.

This was such a fun and easy woodworking project - great for beginners!

After cutting the wood hex shapes, the edges were a little rough so I smoothed them over with sandpaper (first a 120-grit and then a sheet of 220).  I softly rounded the edges and sanded the surface as well.

For the dark coasters I used Restor-A-Finish in Walnut.  I used left over Saman Whitewash on the other set.  Here's what they looked like with just stain (after one coat):

Once the stain was dry, I painted the edges of the walnut-stained coasters.  I experimented a little, using both acrylic paint and household latex paint - the latter was terrible: super watery and took many coats.  The acylic paint from the craft store did a phenomenal job, especially the copper.  I used a small artist's brush and just free-handed it, painting the bottom surface too, just for fun.

Lastly, I gave each side and edge two thin coats of clear wood finish.  I gave the coasters a light sand between coats, using 220 grit sandpaper.  This is the same finish we used on the floating credenza top and I really like it because it dries in a flash.  The only tricky thing is that you have to apply it really thinly, otherwise it shows yellow (which it's not supposed to).

And, voila - the painted edge I was so eager to have:

Flipped over it's a totally different look: it becomes a colourful set of one-of-a-kind coasters!



Here's one last look at the white-washed ones:



If you make some, you could add some felt to the bottom (like I did to my tile-turned-trivet).

I have definitely just written the longest post on the easiest project, but I'm enjoying chatting about something so simple (and so complete!) because many of our lakehouse projects have been so involved.  This was easy peasy, and I learned a valuable lesson: turns out Mom's still always right.

Which do you prefer?  White-washed or walnut-stained (with a painted edge)?

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