Julie's blog

My dear Dad, Syd, passed away in 1999, and one of the most moving discoveries I made when clearing my family home, was that Dad had kept just about everything I had ever made for him. Cards of all descriptions (including every single Father’s Day card), plaster of Paris gnomes with only a trace of paint left on them, and an ancient jam jar pen holder with just one lonely shell left languishing in the Plasticine – all of which had been cherished well beyond their sell-by date.

This year, I have continued the crafty Father’s Day tradition, by creating this coaster for Nicho, my son-in-law.

He is a wonderful dad to Saha, my two-year-old granddaughter, and he’s a great fan of coasters! I made this one by gluing smooth white pebbles onto a piece of heavy-duty grey felt (which started life as the casing round an old scented candle in a glass).

I got the idea from a very similar coaster I spotted in an upmarket gift shop in Norway – except that one was £18, which I think is a high price for a coaster (understatement!)

Needle felt carpet tiles make a good base, so as well as being a fraction of the price, these are easy enough for kids to make (with mum or another adult cutting the tiles with a Stanley knife). Try to search out thin, flat pebbles that are evenly sized though, so cups and glasses can sit as steady as possible.

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