Money is tight this year, so I was looking for some decent handmade gift ideas for the holidays when I ran across this free pattern from Purl Soho for hand-knit Calla Coasters. The patterns for both the knit and crocheted coaster tops are super simple, so it’s perfect for folks who are looking for a beginner’s knit or crochet project. And because the coasters call for an optional fabric backing, they make a great activity to work on if you’re looking to brush up on your sewing skills.
For my coasters, I chose to make both the knit and crocheted tops. I used five different colored balls of worsted weight cotton (Lily Sugar’n Cream), and was able to produce roughly 6-8 coaster tops per ball of yarn. Once you’ve finished your coaster tops, you can soak them, lay them flat to dry, weave in the ends as outlined in the instructions, and call it done. Or you can continue on with the fabric backing to make a more durable coaster.
Personally, I’m really happy with my choice to use the fabric backing. It was a little more work for me, but it was worth it because the coasters are much sturdier this way. I especially enjoyed choosing fun and contrasting fabric and thread colors to go with the tops.
In total, I was able to produce five different colors of coasters, so I’ll be bundling them together in packages of five for Christmas and housewarming gifts. To make them extra special, I’ve chosen to package them with personalized tags in the style Champagne from Evermine. I think these are going to make the perfect gift, along with a mug full of teabags for cold winter nights this year.
Used In This Project:
- Circle Gift Tags • I chose the “Champagne” style in Turquoise.
More homemade gift ideas from Lindsay:
Gingerbread Cookies Homemade Almond Roca Orangettes Waffle Knit Dishcloths
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Lindsay is a writer/blogger from Oregon who loves crafting, cooking, gardening, and simple living. You can find her writing about all of this and more on her blog A Wooden Nest.
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