Mar
okay so coasters are literally the fastest thing you can make
I made my first batch in spring 2022 when I needed something mindless to do while binge-watching The Office for like the third time. The basic circle pattern is stupidly simple and you can finish one in maybe 20 minutes if you’re not stopping to check your phone constantly.
Start with a magic ring. If you don’t know how to do that just youtube it real quick because trying to explain it in text is annoying. Make 8 single crochets into the ring, pull it tight, slip stitch to join. That’s your center.
Round 2 is just 2 single crochets in each stitch around so you end up with 16 stitches total. Round 3 you do the increase pattern where it’s like 1 sc, then 2 sc in the next stitch, repeat all the way around. That gives you 24 stitches.
Round 4 is 1 sc in the first 2 stitches, then 2 sc in the next one, repeat. You get 32 stitches. By now it should be about coaster size depending on your yarn weight.
the yarn situation
I used Lily Sugar’n Cream cotton yarn for most of mine because it’s cheap and you can throw the coasters in the washing machine. Cotton is really the way to go for coasters because acrylic gets weird with hot mugs sometimes and wool is just… why would you use wool for a coaster.
The Sugar’n Cream comes in those big balls and one ball makes like 6-8 coasters easy. I think I paid maybe $3 per ball at Walmart. The colors are pretty basic but honestly for coasters who cares. I did some in that “Hot Green” color which is very aggressively lime green but actually looks kinda cool.
Red Heart also makes a cotton line called Red Heart Scrubby Smoothie that works but it’s got this texture that I’m not totally sold on for coasters. It’s meant for dishcloths I think. My cat kept trying to lay on the coasters I made with that yarn so maybe it’s more comfortable or something.
the square version because circles slide around
One thing that really annoyed me about circle coasters is they don’t stay put on my coffee table. Like the glass just slides right off if you’re not careful. So I started making square ones instead.
For squares you can either do the granny square pattern which everyone knows or you can do a solid square which is what I prefer. Start with a chain of like 14 or 15 stitches depending on how big you want it.
Row 1: sc in the second chain from hook, sc across, chain 1 and turn. Row 2-12 or however many you need: just sc across each row until it’s square shaped. The trick is to keep your edges even which I’m honestly still not great at because I tend to accidentally skip the last stitch or add an extra one without noticing.
When you’re done just weave in the ends and you’re good. Takes maybe 25 minutes for a square one.
the hexagon thing I tried in summer 2024
So this summer I got really into making hexagon coasters because I saw some on instagram or pinterest or whatever and they looked different than the basic circles I’d been making forever. The pattern is slightly more complicated but not bad.
You start with a magic ring again, but this time you chain 3 (counts as first dc) then make 11 more double crochets into the ring. Join with a slip stitch. That’s 12 dc total.
Round 2: chain 3, dc in the same stitch, then 2 dc in each stitch around. Join. Now you have 24 dc.
Round 3 is where the hexagon shape actually happens. Chain 3, dc in same stitch, dc in next stitch, then do this corner thing where you make dc, chain 2, dc all in the next stitch. Then dc in the next 2 stitches, and repeat that corner pattern. You do 6 corners total to make the hexagon.
I used Bernat Handicrafter Cotton for these and the colors were really nice, more variety than the Sugar’n Cream. But it’s a little pricier, like $5-6 a ball. Still worth it if you want your coasters to look less basic.
The hexagons look really good when you make a bunch in different colors and stack them on the table. Very geometric and modern or whatever. My friend Sarah asked me to make her a set and I charged her $15 for four coasters which felt fair.
gauge doesn’t matter except it kind of does
Nobody talks about gauge for coasters because they’re coasters who cares right. But I made some with a 5mm hook and some with a 4mm hook using the same yarn and the difference was actually noticeable. The 5mm ones were looser and more floppy, the 4mm ones were tighter and held their shape better.
For cotton yarn I usually use a 4mm or 4.5mm hook. If you go too small like 3.5mm your hand will cramp up and it takes forever. Too big and the coaster looks sloppy and drinks might leak through the gaps.
Also tension matters more than I thought it would. When I first started making coasters my tension was all over the place and some would end up like ruffled and wavy instead of flat. You gotta keep it consistent which is easier said than done when you’re watching TV and not really paying attention.
that ribbed texture pattern that looks fancy but isn’t
There’s this pattern that uses front post and back post double crochets to make ribbed lines and it looks way more complicated than it actually is. People always think you’re some crochet expert when really it’s just… not that hard.
Start with a foundation chain of like 16 stitches. Row 1 is just regular dc across. Row 2 is where you start alternating front post dc and back post dc. FPDC means you insert your hook from the front around the post of the stitch, BPDC means from the back.
So it’s like chain 3, then fpdc around next stitch, bpdc around next stitch and repeat that pattern across the row. Every row after that you just do fpdc where there was a bpdc and bpdc where there was an fpdc so the ribs stay consistent.
Make it square shaped and boom you have a textured coaster that looks like you tried harder than you did. I made a set of these in this really pretty blue color from Lily Sugar’n Cream called “Denim” and they actually looked professional.
the double layer method for better absorption
Single layer coasters work fine but if you want something that actually absorbs condensation better you can make double layer ones. Just make two circles or squares in the same size and then single crochet them together around the edges.
I did this when I made coasters as a gift for my mom in like spring 2023 and she actually uses them which is rare because usually handmade gifts just sit in a drawer. The double layer makes them thicker and more substantial.
You can also put a piece of felt or cork between the layers before you crochet them together which makes them even better and keeps them from sliding. I bought a sheet of cork from the craft store for like $2 and cut it into circles with scissors. Works perfectly.
The annoying part is cutting the cork into even circles because I don’t have one of those fancy circle cutters so I just traced around a cup and hoped for the best. They came out kinda wonky but once they’re sandwiched between the crochet layers you can’t really tell.
color combinations that don’t look weird
Mixing colors is where people either make something cool or something that looks like a kindergarten craft project. I’ve definitely made both.
Stripes are the easiest way to add color without it looking chaotic. Just switch colors every 2 rows or every round if you’re doing circles. The color changes show up really clearly with cotton yarn so you don’t need to do anything fancy.
I made a set with navy blue and white stripes that looked very nautical and basic but in a good way. Used Sugar’n Cream in “White” and “Navy” obviously. Changed colors at the end of each round by just dropping the old color and picking up the new one.
You’re gonna have a million ends to weave in though which is the worst part of colorwork. I usually just weave them in as I go instead of saving them all for the end because otherwise it’s too overwhelming and I’ll just never do it.
Ombre effects are cool too if you have yarns in similar shades. Start with the darkest color in the center and gradually switch to lighter shades as you work outward. I did this with some purple yarns I had leftover from another project and it looked pretty decent.
the weird spiral pattern
There’s this spiral circle pattern where you don’t join rounds with a slip stitch, you just keep working in a continuous spiral. It’s faster because you skip the joining step but the problem is you have to use a stitch marker to track where your rounds start or you’ll get completely lost.
I tried this method once and kept losing track of where I was even with the marker because I’d forget to move it. Ended up with a coaster that was more oval than circle because I added too many increases on one side. Still usable I guess but it annoyed me.
If you’re better at paying attention than I am the spiral method is definitely faster. You just keep increasing the same way as the regular circle pattern but without the joins. Some people swear by it.
washing and blocking or whatever
Cotton coasters can go straight in the washing machine which is great because they get gross pretty fast if you’re actually using them. I throw mine in with towels on warm and they’re fine.
They come out kind of wrinkled and wonky shaped though so I usually just lay them flat to dry and put a book on top of them to flatten them out. That’s basically blocking without actually blocking because I’m too lazy to do the whole pin-it-to-a-board thing.
If your coasters are curling up at the edges it usually means your tension was too tight or you didn’t increase enough. You can try blocking them more aggressively with steam or pins but honestly sometimes they just curl and there’s not much you can do about it. I have a few like that and they still work fine for holding drinks.
selling them or giving them as gifts
Coasters make good gifts because they’re small and practical and most people can actually use them. I made sets for like five different people last Christmas and it was way cheaper than buying real gifts.
If you’re selling them though you gotta think about pricing. A single coaster takes maybe 20-30 minutes and uses like $0.50 worth of yarn. I usually sell them in sets of 4 for $12-15 depending on how complicated the pattern is. That’s probably underselling my time but if I charged what my time is actually worth nobody would buy them so.
Etsy has a million people selling crochet coasters so the market is pretty saturated. You’d need to do something unique or have really good photos to stand out. I sold a few sets locally through Facebook marketplace which was easier than dealing with Etsy fees and shipping.
The ribbed ones and hexagons sell better than basic circles because they look more interesting. People want something that looks handmade but not like homemade if that makes sense.
using up scrap yarn
Coasters are perfect for scrap yarn because you need so little. I have a whole bag of random yarn bits left over from other projects and coasters are basically the only thing I can make with pieces that small.
You can do scrappy rainbow coasters where every round is a different color which looks chaotic but also kinda fun in a maximalist way. Or just make solid ones in whatever colors you have enough of.
I made a bunch of random coasters with scraps and keep them in a basket by the door to use when I have people over and don’t want to use the nice matching sets. Works perfectly and uses up yarn that would otherwise just sit in a bag forever.
The only thing is make sure you’re using all the same type of yarn for one coaster because mixing cotton and acrylic or whatever looks weird and they wash differently. I made that mistake once and the acrylic parts stretched out while the cotton stayed the same and it looked stupid.
fixing mistakes without ripping everything out
If you mess up a stitch count on a coaster you can usually just fudge it and nobody will notice. Like if you’re supposed to have 32 stitches and you have 31 just add an extra increase somewhere. It might make it slightly wonky but probably not enough to matter.
I’ve definitely finished coasters that had mistakes and just went with it. Unless it’s really obvious like a huge gap or the shape is completely wrong it’s not worth ripping out and starting over for something you’re just gonna put drinks on anyway.
Sometimes I’ll notice I dropped a stitch like three rows back and just… keep going. The coaster police aren’t gonna come arrest you for having 23 stitches instead of 24 in one round.
