Strawberry Moss Coaster Intro: ✨ 

 

What you'll find inside your kit:

 

Transferring your Stencil

Your first step is to transfer your coaster design from the stencil onto your latch-hooking canvas. To do this you'll need your canvas and a marker of some kind. We recommend using a sharpie or similar permanent marker, but a regular pen or even coloured pen will work just fine.

Simply lay the canvas on top of your stencil and use the marker to trace the design behind it. The stencil matches our design with the smaller shapes roughly indicating where we will stitch each type of 'moss' in the following steps.

Feel free to get creative with the shape of your design, as your coaster doesn't have to be exactly like the stencil. You could make it a little larger or smaller depending on how you'd like to use it. Just remember to leave a 1/2 inch space between your coaster shape and the edge of the canvas.

TIP: Why not move the smaller shapes around within your coaster? You can get creative with the layout.

 

Step-By-Step Guide

Below you'll find each of the steps to making your coaster, with recommendations on the order to stitch each element. If you're a newbie to crafting, it will be worth following this step-by-step guide, so that you can get comfortable with the techniques and tools used in this kit.

If you want to create your own variations, you can stitch each section in whichever order you want! Don't feel constrained by our guidelines.

Step 1: Bobbles (using classic green and warm green bobble yarn)

Step 2: Feather Yarn Grass (using grass green feather yarn)

Step 3: Making Strawberries (using red and green pipecleaners)

Step 4: Adding Mini Pom Poms (using light sage milk yarn)

 

You can also use the image below to see the details of each element on your coaster.

Step-By-Step Video Guide

This video will give you a step-by-step overview of exactly how to finish your Strawberry coaster! If you're already familiar with the techniques used for moss kits, this video will be the perfect guide to help you finish.

This video will show you the steps, but it is NOT a tutorial for the techniques. For detailed tutorials, please use the videos below. Each step will have a detailed tutorial attached so that you can fully understand the technique if this is your first time making a mossy creation. 

Our Strawberry coaster design is actually deceptively simple. It only has a few steps, which is great because it can be finished in one day! It relies on it's use of yarn texture and our thoughtfully designed strawberries to create a finished piece that feels lively and full of detail.

1. Weaving Bobbles

To start your coaster, you'll be stitching the textured Bobbles that loop around the top of your shape, almost like a halo. You'll be using two shades of your bobble yarn and your latch-hook tool for this step. Follow the video tutorial below to learn the technique.

Bobble Placement:

• In our example, we have separated our bobbles into four sections using different colours across each section. Going from left to right we've used our warm green yarn, then our classic green yarn, warm green yarn again finishing with the classic green yarn. These colours have just enough in common that separating them adds some dimension to the piece, whilst still blending the colours together.
• Alternatively, you can also mix the colours instead of separating them. This option will feel quicker and easier, because you can bobble-away without having to stop and consider the four sections separately. To do this, when you trim your bobbles, put them in one larger pile instead of keeping them separate.

 

2. Weaving your Feather Yarn Grass

Now it's time to weave in the Feather Yarn 'Grass' on your mossy coaster, this section will be the flat area that you'll rest your mug on if you're planning on using it as a functional coaster. Our Strawberry coaster only uses one colour of feather yarn, so this step is nice and easy. Using your grass green feather yarn, weave across the entire remaining space on your coaster.

When you are filling in the edges of your grassy section, remember to weave under the edges of your bobbles as well! This will ensure the bulk of your coaster is covered securely and you wont have any gaps.

Follow the below video tutorial to learn how to weave your grass section. Its a very simple technique, using your weaving needle you'll be stitching back and forth to cover the canvas section.

3. Making Your Strawberries

Now that your coaster is covered, we're moving on to the decorative elements! Starting with your Pipe Cleaner Strawberries, this step is by far my favourite because its so creative and fun! I designed these strawberries to be open on one side so that they can really nestle into your bobble yarn and they really feel like you're looking at a patch of berries in a garden.

Creating your strawberries will add dimension and texture to your piece. Using the red and green pipe cleaners included in your kit, watch the video below to learn the technique. You'll also need your white milk yarn and weaving needle to add the seed details.

Your Strawberries:

• Each strawberry will use the following materials: 1 + 2/3s red pipe cleaner, 1/2 green pipe cleaner, a small length of white milk yarn.
• In this kit we've intended for you to make around 4x full strawberries, with a few pieces of pipe cleaner leftover in case you make any mistakes.
• Optional extras: if you have some leftover pipe cleaner after creating your full sized strawberries, I've also included a tutorial on how to make some mini berries. These can be added next to your larger berries to look like they're sprouting little buds!

If you're new to making pipe cleaner objects, it can take a bit of time to get used to. Remember that your strawberries don't need to be perfect to look really amazing from afar. Just follow the tutorial and trust the process - they're sure to look incredible!

 

4. Adding Trimmed Pom Poms

Now we're onto the final step! Starting with adding a range of fluffy Pom Poms to your piece. Below I've listed the types of pom poms that we have used on our coaster, but remember that you can customise these any way you like!

If you're using a set of our pom pom makers, we recommend using the second-smallest size for this project (the green size) and wind approximately 30x loops around each end.

3x Light Sage Mini Pom Poms

Start by snipping a short length of milk yarn and placing it in between your first and second fingers. Take the ends of your light sage yarn and wrap them around your fingers approx. 12x. Using that length of yarn in between your fingers, tie a loose knot around your pom pom and remove it from your fingers. Tighten the knot to secure and trim the loops. Finally give your pom pom a trim with your pink scissors to make it nice and even!

If you have one of our pom pom makers, I recommend using the smallest size for these pom poms. Loop your yarn around approximately 12-15 times on each side of the pom pom maker to get a similar effect - although you can make yours denser if you prefer!

 

TIP: Variations you might want to try with your pom poms include:

• Yarn colours used, including the colour you use to place between your finger
• Density of your pom pom (more or less loops around your fingers)
• Size of your pom pom (using two or four fingers)

 

Backing your Coaster

Congratulations on finishing the main part of your coaster! Now you're onto the home stretch, its time to back your coaster so its ready to be used.

Backing your coaster involves 2x steps: trimming/sewing your canvas and gluing/sewing your felt backing. If this is your first time backing your coaster, I recommend you scroll below to watch the full video tutorial! 

Trimming/Sewing Your Canvas:

Begin by trimming your canvas so that there is approximately 1inch of space around the edge of your coaster (you can leave more or less, it doesnt need to be precise). Use any sharp pair of craft scissors for this step, we recommend our new Moss scissors! Your pom pom scissors will do in pinch as well, although their curved blade doesn't make it ideal. Take your white thread and begin roughly sewing down the edges of your canvas so that they sit nice and flat on the back of your coaster.

Watch the first part of the above video to see this process in detail. 

Adding Your Felt Backing

Once you've sewn down your canvas its time to add your felt backing. This can be done with hot glue, fabric glue or sewing if you don't have any glue handy. If you're keeping your coaster to hang on the wall, I recommend not adding the felt backing at all and instead using a piece of milk yarn to tie as a hanger at the back. 

Sewing Option

Our kit includes all of the supplies you need to sew the backing of your coaster.

To sew your fabric you'll want to trace the shape of your coaster so that you can cut out the felt fabric to match the shape. You can do this with a pencil or pen.

You will then need to pin your felt backing to your coaster so you can begin sewing the edges. You can do this by using sewing pins, bulldog clips or even tacking the back with some bluetac (we're not craft purists here!). I find bulldog clips the easiest method of holding my coaster to the felt.

Using 3-strands of your cotton thread, begin stitching your canvas to your mossy coaster using a whip stitch. This just means that you will whip your thread around and around the edge of your coaster as you go around. Don't worry if your stitches don't look perfectly neat, they'll blend into the grass on your coaster and won't be visible when you're finished.

Gluing Option

If you have any fabric glue handy or a hot glue gun then you can also glue the backing of your coaster. We've included a glue stick for a standard craft hot glue gun, as well as a glue paddle if you have fabric glue.

To glue your fabric you'll simply place fabric glue across the middle of your felt square and place your coaster on top. Allow it to dry so that the coaster is secure - you may want to put a heavy book on top of your coaster to add pressure. Once it's dry you can take a sharp pair of scissors to cut around the coaster. 

You can then top up the glue on the edges, if any sections are lifting up. That's all there is to it!

Thank you!

I hope you've loved creating your very own moss coaster creation! All of these tutorials are personally written and filmed by me - Nakisah - the founder of Craft Club. I always love hearing from customers (whether you loved your experience, or there was something you'd like to give feedback on) so please come say hi at hello@craftclubco.com or send us a DM over on Instagram @craft.club.co.

I'm always working on ways to improve our kits so that they are as easy as possible for our incredible customers! So all feedback is welcome (but please be nice haha).

Nakisah x