Recently I got one of Cooper Oaks’ acrylic coasters. These are designed to be self-finished and are part of the company’s extensive line acrylic items. The coaster holds a 4″ square project. Other items that are made similarly include a trivet (9″ square) and a 7″ square frame. I couldn’t tell from the pictures, but I believe several of their other items are also made this way.
The structure if the frame is that of a flatened U. The two ends wrap around to the back and end about 3/8″ apart, see below. The sides are open and the acrylic is about 3/16″ thick and clear. To finish, you just slide the needlepoint into the coaster.
Yes, it really is that easy to finish! As long as your needlepoint is relatively flat (textured stitches are OK for it) and the right size, it will fit.
The coaster itself is a great size and thickness. It is about 3/8″thick which means it’s substantial but not heavy. Because it’s acrylc and has a completely covered top, it’s waterproof. That means you don’t need to worry about colorfastness in your threads used for the needlepoint.
The one problem is that the back of your needlepoint shows. To finish my coaster I just folded under the sides of the needlepoint. I cut areas out at the corners to reduce bulk. Otherwise I did nothing to my project. You can see that the back looks messy.
You can fix this easily enough with a little care before finishing. Begin as I did by trimming the needlepoint, cutting out the corners to reduce bulk, and folding over the edges. Glue down all edges with Tacky Glue and let dry.
Iron onto the back heavy-duty two-sided fusible interfacing.
Cut the interfacing to fit the finished needlepoint. Cut out a piece of Ultrasuede, fabric (Fray Chek the edges), or thin felt. Iron this backing onto the back of the needlepoint fusing it with the interfacing.
Be careful that your backing fabric is thin and will not ravel. It still needs to fit inside the coaster!
Creating a finished back mean that your coaster will look great from both sides!
Think about these as an elegant way to use small needlepoint for a gift.
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Hi! Could you tell me where you purchased the acrylic coaster? I am having a hard time finding Copper Oaks products for sale online.
I bought it from a shop that is no longer in business, sorry. Cooper Oaks canvases are sold by many shops. I would search for shops carrying their canvases. They’ll have accounts with Cooper Oaks & should be able to get the acrylic items for you.
Most shos will find cost & availability for a customer. Then, if you want it, they will order it.
Keep stitching,
Janet