Citrus Coasters
Ever since the weather turned warm, I’ve had visions of pink lemonade and iced tea with lime wedges dancing in my head. Summer also puts me in the mood to entertain so I thought it would be fun to have a set of coasters to match this citrus drink theme.
I love to have a summer sewing project that is portable so I can take it with me to the beach! Felt is often my material of choice for portable projects since it’s ideal for hand sewing. It’s also great for making durable home items like these cheerful coasters.
I love that each coaster is slightly different from the next due to the handsewing. They will add a breezy, summery vibe to any table. This is the kind of project you can do with very little experience since it requires absolutely no special skills or equipment.– Molly
Designed by Purl Soho designer, Molly Schnick. Click here to see even more of Molly’s work!
Materials
- A Spring Felt Bundle. NOTE: This bundle has been discontinued. We used Ecru, Yellow, Dark Orange, Pink, Bright Pink, and Lime.
- A Citrus Coaster Template, available for free download here, printed and cut out
- DMC Pearl Cotton Embroidery Thread #8 to match the colors of the felt bundle. You could also just use ecru on all of them if you don’t mind seeing the stitches.
Pattern
Cutting
For each coaster cut the felt as instructed on the template. You will have:
- 2 large colored circles for the peel and the backing
- 8 colored segments (4 cut from each segment template)
- 1 ecru circle for the pith
Cut “seeds” out of two or three of the segment pieces by folding the segment piece in half lengthwise and then taking a small snip across the fold to take out a small triangular chunk out of the piece.
Sewing
Place the pith circle in the center of one of the colored circles. Then arrange the segments on top of the pith circle as shown above.
Pin all of these layers together.
Using thread to match the colored felt and a very small running stitch sew on the segment pieces around their edges.
Sew on all of the segments in this manner and press the piece flat.
Pin the other colored circle to the back of the piece.
Hiding the beginning knot in between the front and back colored circles sew the back on with the matching embroidery thread and a small running stitch all the way around the coaster.
Once you’ve gotten all the way around tie a small knot on the back piece and then pass the needle through the two layers and pull it out in the middle of the back. Snip the thread at the exit point thus hiding it.
Trim edges to make the front look nice and neat.
Repeat all steps to make 2 coasters from each of the colored felt pieces.
Update 2024: You can explore our current collection of beautiful fabrics and supplies on our page of Sewing Tools + Notions!
Love these! I think I'll whip up a set today!
This is so cute I could weep! Just wept.
These are adorable. I need to make some!
Those are so cute!
Great! These are fantastic!
Hugs
Paola
Oh these are so cute 🙂
Should try making them
Soooooo sweet! TFS
Oh my goodness…I am IN LOVE with these coasters! They are absolutely perfect…just wonderful. Thank you for sharing them!!!
So.Flipping.Cute!! I love all things citrus, and love all things crafty – marriage made in heaven!
Is anyone else having trouble accessing the template, though? This is simple enough that I know I could do without, but now it's just bugging me!
These are splendid. So bright and cheerful and summery. I'm making them now as gifts, and after making the first one, I re-printed the template out at 105% to get them just a hair bigger; our kids can knock over a glass from 6 feet away, and I felt the bigger size would be more stable for our family. They end up being about a centimeter wider in diameter, still citrus-scaled and quick to stitch together. Also, the Container Store sells a 4″ circular metal box, into which these fit beautifully for presentation or storage. Thanks as always for the inspiration!
Do you wash the wool first before cutting out and sewing? I just made a birthday crown for my son with woolfilz, and I washed it on the wool cycle in my machine first before cutting and sewing. Though it is lovely, and the crown came out lovely, the texture certainly changed after I washed it (and air dried it).
Woolfilz is such a delight, both in color and touch.
Thanks so much,
Kathy
i LOVE these! I wish I had the patience to make a million!
Hi Kathy-
I did not wash the felt beforehand. As you mention, it does change the texture quite a bit. I would spot cleaning theses or treating them with something like Scotch Guard instead of washing them in a machine.
Thank you!- Molly
Hi LIsa-
The template should be working OK- but I've sent you a copy via email in case you're still having problems with it. Thanks for the comment!
These are freakin' adorable!!
Awesome!!! I will try them with paper and laminate them afterwards to prevent them from getting dirty. Thanks so much for this great project!
these look absolutely yummy! i really want to make these 🙂
So cute and perfect for the summer! And a great project to work on with my daughter who is learning to sew.
These are so cute.
I love this project, so summery cute!!! When will the colors of the thread come in?????
Thanks!
Gay
Hi Gay-
The thread takes a while to come back in stock but you don't have to use the exact colors I did- it's pretty forgiving. If you want to order it now I would use the following colors: 72 for the orange and bright pink coasters , 46 for the light pink, 12 for the yellow , 1262 for the lime. Alternatively you could use color 4, which is an off-white, for everything.
Thank you for the question!- Molly
I'm totally digging these–perfect for summer. I included them in a craft round-up on our blog….here's the link: http://bit.ly/kO1ZEN
Cheers,
Allison
http://www.thecheddarguppies.com
Do I need to buy several felt bundles or do you have these colors in a bundle?
very cute! but i'm having trouble finding your spring felt bundle (only spring greens). am i missing something?
HI CJ-
We are currently sold out of the spring bundles but if you'd like to be emailed when they come back in stock please email [email protected] and let them know.
Thanks so much for your question!
These are so cute! Such bright and vibrant colours, making coasters fun and perfect for the summer parties! I will have to have a try at these when I get some time!
Just got my felt bundle and thread in the mail! Can't wait to get started…but I cannot seem to open the template. Such an adorable, fresh idea!
Hi Karen-
The template seems to be working fine from this end but just in case you're still having trouble we will send you a template via email. Thanks for your comment!- Molly
These are so cute!! 😀 So colorfull and creative! I love them.
I loved these the instant I saw them. I made some but turned them into a garland to hang on my mantle. Thank you so much for the idea and the template!
http://www.naptimecrafting.blogspot.com
Thanks for sharing your version Serena. We always love seeing finished projects!
Hey there,
I've just started a blog and these lovely little coasters were my first post! My colours weren't quite as good as yours but I thought you'd like a peek…
http://poppy-fox.blogspot.com/2011/07/citrus-coasters.html
Becca 🙂
Hi Becca-
Thanks so much for sharing! We LOVE seeing finished projects!
– Molly
I wanted to say thanks, I made some of these for my friend who is home dealing with her cancer treatments and it was nice to send her something she could use and a little note that says “when life gives you lemons, use them as a coaster, you'lll need a good drink!” she loved it..
oh, I did change the “seeds” to heart shapes for her and that was all I did differently
I love these! I am DEFINITELY making them, how perfect for the summer. I also shared them on my blog today: http://vixenmade.blogspot.com/2011/07/summer-projects-to-inspire.html
Very cute and a great idea. Thanks for sharing!
so wish we had these colours in New Zealand with spring still to come. The colours have just brightened up my dreary winter day…so very cute
love these so much, have made my own version but linked it back to you 🙂 thanks for sharing 🙂
http://deezkatz.blogspot.com xx
I fell in love with them the moment I saw them….they are really cute!!! I am making them right now as I write and have completed 2 Orange, 2 yellow and 2 pink await their turn……One thing I am worried about is their care. What do I do if they get dirty? Can they be laminated…if yes, how?
Thanks for the tutorial.
Hi Sonai-
They can't be laminated but they can be sprayed with a stain resistant, like Scotch Guard.
They can also be hand washed by soaking them in a gentle cleanser and then drying them flat. We carry a great phosphate free cleanser called “Soak” here:
https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/search/?search_keywords=soak#searchResultTop
Thanks for your question!
So I decided I had to make these….between making marmalade and citrus coasters I can make it through the last of the winter blahs….but after cutting the template my fruit looks odd. Guessing its the nature of the cheap felt I have to use instead of the fancy stuff….had to do some creative trimming. Love how they came out though.
I loved this idea and featured it on my blog. Thank you for sharing your great tutorial!
How would you wash these if they were to get dirty? spilt drink etc?
They are really lovely, i love all things citrus, especially lemons.
Hi Julie-
You can treat them ahead of time with a stain resistant spray like Scotch Guard or just spot clean them by hand when they get dirty.
Thank you for your question!
Molly
Hi!
I found your blog, with wild olive's blog. I Just started to sew with felt, that's so funny way!
I tried your citrus!
I wondered what is the right size of the circle?
thanks for your answer!
Hi Cecile-
You can download the pattern for the circle (and all the other pieces) here:
http://purlbee.squarespace.com/storage/citrus_coasters_template.pdf
Thank you for your question!
Molly
So cute! Thank you! 🙂
Such an adorable project! I think I'll make some myself!
Saw these at The thriftiness Miss! I love them. They are soooooo summery!
These coasters are really nice!!! Thanks for sharing the tutorial!
These little citrus coasters will be great to take to the hospital and make while I sit with my husband after his op. I dont know why, but I must make them, they are just such happy positive little things. Thank you for inspiring me.
Several yrs. later seeing these coasters and this Spring/Summer I need to make some of these. I like to sit outside in a lawn chair and sew on portable projects and your fruit coasters are just the ticket. Thank you for your post.
what a great summer hostes gift thanks for sharing, God Bless
These are the perfect accents for summer on our new glass-topped coffee table. I am adding the citrus features to.a set of placemats also. What a good project!!! Thanks so much!!!
What a great idea! Can't wait to get the supplies so I can make them.
I wonder if there is any way to prevent the condensation from the glasses from going through the felt and getting on the furniture.
Any ideas?
Hi Judy-
In our experience this hasn't been a problem. The three layers of felt seem to protect the furniture just fine. But if you are worried about it you could cut a circle of template plastic and sandwich it in-between the layers before sewing the two sides together.
Here is a link to our template plastic: https://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/item/4965-EZ-Quilting-by-Wrights-Template-Plastic-Extra-Thick
Thank you for your question and good luck with the project!
Molly
I can't get the template to load.
Hi Katie-
The template is working fine our our end. You might want to try downloading it from a different browser. If that doesn't work you can email me and I'll send you a copy.
Molly AT purlsoho DOT com
Thank you!
Molly
Hi! this is sooo cool! im so goning to try this!
soooooo SWEET
Thanks for sharing this great idea!
After adding these to my to-do-list months ago, I finally made some of my own! Check them out on my blog if you like.
I'm the Editorial Assistant for Fun Family Crafts and I wanted to let you know that we have featured these adorable coasters! You can see them here:
http://funfamilycrafts.com/citrus-coasters/
Thanks for another cute and fun project idea!
I was inspired by these coasters and your apple coasters to make some kiwi coasters. Thanks for the inspiration, Molly!
http://www.domestic360life.com/blog/projects/kiwi-coasters-tutorial-pattern/
I made them! So cute – I actually used pegs instead of pins to hold it all together though, so I didn’t prick myself. Thanks so much for the great tutorial, here are mine, they are super sweet: http://leatherandabel.com/orange-coasters/
These are so cute – perfect for summer! I can’t wait to make these!
Wonderful colours and easy to make. Just perfect to our summer cottage in Finland.
I’m not good at sewing. I think the stitches probably make these look extra cute, but do you suppose I could just glue them together instead?
Hi Shirley!
Yes, you can certainly glue them together! You could even glue them together and then add a few decorative stitches (after the glue has dried.)
Thanks for your question!
Molly
Omg! So cute! Have to make these!
I loved these coaster the first time I saw them and couldn’t wait to get started on them. I made a few sets and absolutely loved the hand stitching, it was very relaxing.
These are super sweet, cute, and so simple to make! Will definitely add the perfect summery touch to our summer cottage in Sweden. Absolutely love you’re crafts. Thanks a mill
I LOVE these coasters! I just made some. I used off-white instead of white for the pith, except for the lemon. They came out cute. Also, I used 3 strands of DMC floss instead of thread. On one orange, I used red thread and it’s looks like a blood orange. Thank you for sharing your pattern & instructions.
Can these be washed?
Hi Margaret,
Thanks for reaching out! Our wool felt can be either spot or dry cleaned.
Best,
Julianna
It looks like the Spring Felt Bundle has been discontinued – which colors were all included in it?
HI Liz,
Thanks for reaching out! I am happy to help! The Spring felt bundle contained Pink, Ecru, Yellow, Bright Pink, Dark Orange and Lime. Please know that the pieces in the bundles are 8 x 12 inches and the individual pieces that we sell are 18 x18 inches. In this bundle, we included 3 pieces of the Ecru. One 18 x 18 sheet of the Ecru should work for this project if you want to make 2 coasters of each color but you may need to be careful with your cutting to make it work!
Best,
Cassy