An ongoing project we've had around the shop is working through our stash of leather and burlap scraps. The leather scraps come from our stock of hides that were intended for high end upholstery and we get a steady supply burlap bags from our local coffee roasters. Given all this excess, I whipped up this tutorial on how to sew your own burlap and leather coasters.
I was inspired to sew up a few of these coasters after I was browsing Pinterest and came across some similar ones on Mama In A Stitch. It seemed like a great way to use up leftovers so I was inspired to put my own spin on the idea.
With this method, I found the edges turned out a bit tidier and that I didn't need to iron due to the real leather.
What You'll Need:
- Scissors or Rotary Cutter
- Ruler
- Cutting Mat
- Sewing Machine (preferably with a walking foot)
- Leather or Heavy Duty Machine Needles (I had no trouble using a regular needle for mine, but you may need to upgrade if your leather is thicker)
- Burlap
- Leather
Begin by cutting out 3.5" squares of leather. You can either draw the squares and cut them by hand or use a rotary cutter to make the process a little faster.
Next, cut out 4.5" squares of burlap. Because burlap is so loosely woven, keeping the grain line straight is important. Make sure the threads of the burlap are matched up to the edges of your square when you cut. Pressing with steam can help stabilize the burlap with the threads aligned correctly.
Tip: Burlap shifts easily out of the square shape due to its loose weave. The thread pull cutting method will hep keep the fabric squared up. To do this, cut along one thread at the edge of the burlap to make sure your edge is straight. Then, pull a thread 4.5" from that cut and make you second cut where the thread was removed.
Decide which side of the leather your prefer to have showing and center it in a square of burlap. I hold the leather in place by hand while I sew, but you can use binder clips or clothespin to hold it in place if you prefer. Stitch the leather down using a zigzag stitch.
Next, sew a second line of zig zag stitch through just the burlap around the edge at about 1/4" from the edge of the leather.
Finally, pull the outer threads of the burlap from the edges of the coaster until you reach the stitching to create a cute fringe. Then you're ready to sip and enjoy!
Happy sewing,
Liv