I wouldn’t call myself a pro when it comes to crafting, but I definitely relish the opportunity to make something out of nothing.
After all, what’s more satisfying than seeing odds and ends turned into something beautiful and useful?
From simple upcycles, like making milk cartons into bird feeders, to complex ones, like this renovation of a beat-up school bus, it’s all incredibly impressive.
Of course, not everybody comes equipped with the skills necessary to totally revitalize an old vehicle.
Fortunately, there are many other crafts available that require nothing more complicated than a hot glue gun and plenty of determination.
Our favorite example at the moment? Gorgeous and thrifty coasters that turn loose pennies into utilitarian statement pieces!
These coasters not only protect your furniture from ugly water spots, they also put to use all those pesky pennies most of us have floating around.
They also make for wonderful statement pieces — guests are sure to get a kick out of these unique, handmade coasters!
Check out how it’s done in the gallery below!
First thing's first, you're going to need a whole pile of pennies!
Many of us gather up all of our loose change with vague plans of bringing it to the Coinstar machine sometime soon — it seems like a great place to start.
Gather up as many pennies as you can. You can even collect them up in old-fashioned coin sleeves to make the process more organized.
From there, it's a simple matter of organizing your materials to create the perfect coaster.
You'll need at least 41 pennies per coaster, depending on the look you're going for.
You will also need corkboard, a sharp craft knife, and a hot-glue gun to create your masterpiece.
Start by lining up your pennies along one edge. The corkboard should be sized so that five pennies fit snugly, without cramming or spilling over the side.
Map out each row of pennies, and how you want it to look ahead of time.
The goal of this layer is to have a five-by-five square with 25 pennies total.
Glue your first 25 pennies into place with the hot-glue gun.
Your next step will involve filling in the gaps between pennies, for a staggered, two-layer effect.
Begin filling each diamond-shaped space between pennies with glue, then fix another penny into that spot, until each gap is covered.
Next, you'll want to eliminate any leftover corkboard or bits of dried glue.
You should be able to pull any strings of glue off by hand.
Then, use your craft knife to carefully cut away any unwanted sections of corkboard.
When all is said and done, you should have a beautiful, distinctive coaster with a pretty scalloped edge.
It's the perfect place to rest your evening cocktail or your water glass.
Best of all, you can create as many coasters as you need. Your only limit is how many pennies you have!
You may even want to consider a slightly different approach to the penny coaster project.
This round shape also makes for a very cool project, since the coasters almost look like supersized coins in their own right.
We would even consider mixing and matching the two shapes, though, be warned — the round coasters require 76 pennies each!
What do you think of this clever and cost-effective project? Let us know in the comments, and don't forget to SHARE with friends who love a new crafting idea!
