One silver lining to more time at home? An opportunity to spruce up your space—or to help your loved ones beautify theirs. These colorful paracord coasters are as stylish as they are durable, doing double duty as defenders against water stains and an easy way to liven up your coffee table. With a massive range of paracord colors and patterns available, you can customize the perfect gift or create your own bespoke home accessory. This DIY project will show you how to work with up to three colors of paracord to make a set of 4-inch coasters. If inspiration strikes, you can modify the instructions to fashion a mix-and-match set, an eye-catching trivet, or even a dinner party–ready placemat. Cheers!
At a glance:
Time: 1 hour or less
Difficulty: Beginner

You will need
- Paracord (in multiple colors, if you wish)
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun
- Hot glue sticks
- 2mm-thick felt, in a color that coordinates with your paracord
- Self-healing cutting mat
- Permanent marker
- Acrylic ruler
- Rotary cutter
- Lighter
Step 1: Pre-heat glue gun
Plug in the glue gun and allow it to preheat.
Step 2: Cut the felt

Measure out four 5-inch-by-5-inch squares of felt. Using the rotary cutter and the self-healing mat, cut the squares (these will become the base of your coasters).
Step 3: Mark each square’s center

Use the acrylic ruler to find the center of each felt square. Make a small mark at each center with the permanent marker.
Step 4: Begin coiling the paracord

Take your first color of paracord and begin wrapping it into a tight coil. The initial coil should be a circle about 1 inch wide.
Step 5: Glue the center

Add a small dot of hot glue directly over the center mark on your felt. Next, line up the center of the paracord coil you just made with the center of the hot glue mark and place the coil onto the hot glue, being careful not to touch the glue directly with your fingers (remember, it’s hot!).
Step 6: Continue coiling and gluing

Working on a flat surface, turn the felt base. As you go, apply a small amount of hot glue while continuing to wrap the paracord and press it onto the glue. Keep going until you’re happy with the size of your first color segment and you’re ready to add another.
Step 7: Add the second color


Trim off the first length of paracord and use a lighter to singe the end of the cord (this will help keep it neat and prevent fraying). Glue the finished end of your first color down to the felt, then glue down the beginning of the new color where the first color ends.
Step 8: Continue gluing

Continue gluing your second color to the felt as you did the first, turning the felt as you go and guiding the coil as it grows. If you wish to add a third color, follow the same process. Tip: Changing colors at the same spot each time gives the coaster a nice, neat look.
Step 9: Finish the coil

When you have only a half-inch border of felt left around all sides of your coil, it’s time to stop gluing. Cut and burn the loose end of your paracord near the same spot where you changed colors before. Glue the burned end to the felt.
Step 10: Trim the felt and repeat

Trim the excess felt from the edge of your coaster so you’re left with a circle. To make an identical set, count the number of coils per color and use that number as a guide, matching the number of coils in each subsequent coaster.


Looking for more bright ideas for your home? Try these ready-to-shop picks:

Project and photographs by Julie O’Boyle, Aleksa Brown, and Clare McGibbon.
28 comments
Giannis Dendrinos from Artyianni said 276 days ago
Beautiful and very creative products! I love the photos with the creation process.
Mariya from MagicArtForYou said 276 days ago
What an amazing lesson! Thank you for it! And really, with the help of seemingly simple things, you can make a bright accent in the room. Thank you for the idea!
Karima M from KvisionbyKarima said 276 days ago
like the decorated ballo'ons just need markers!!!!. Interesting and very different for a plain balloon. lol I'm definitely going to surprise my sister on her 65th birthday.
Svetlana Hrybach from FairyTaleUA said 275 days ago
Thank!!! it was very interesting)
Gaitrie said 275 days ago
I am hoping to be a happy Customers with you guys
isabelle0409 from isabelle0409 said 275 days ago
These coasters are so bright and charming, the possibilities are endless! My 12-year-old granddaughter and I have a new project to work on while we pass these "stay inside" days of summer. Thank you!
Will Paragon from ArtDeals said 275 days ago
That's amazingly cheerful and simple in a best of way!
Shanise from SERENITYMERCHANDISE said 275 days ago
I didn’t realize how much more we can do with Paracord!
John from JDSalesUSA said 275 days ago
Love the handcrafted artsy feel of the idea. Takes coasters to a new level, looks really fun as well, definitely on my "Try It" list, thanks for sharing!
Honeysuckle May from HoneysuckleMay said 275 days ago
Great way to add color and texture to any room!! Love this DIY!!
Barbara Gable from CrazyLovely said 275 days ago
These are so fun! Great idea.
Nicole from KarmaCodeOne said 274 days ago
Very cool and joyful coasters ~!~
Gillian Northcott from esanivintage said 274 days ago
A great Christmas in July present.
Tatiana Pavlova from KnittedLoveFinds said 273 days ago
Thank you very much! I really liked the idea!
Liz Hamilton from LizHamiltonDesigns said 272 days ago
What a great idea for coasters! They are so cool. also could recommend cork instead of felt on the bottom?
Eric Everett said 272 days ago
Thank you for sharing!
Natalya from TashaOliviToys said 271 days ago
This is a perfect project! Thank you for sharing! Now i have an idea how to upcycle that pieces of paracord i've been saving for something special.
Ekaterina from katrinshinesupplies said 270 days ago
So nice idea to do with children!
Christie P from Thejeweledhippo said 267 days ago
Fun I love these! I’m going to give this a try:)
Rhonda Stubbs from RhondaCorner said 266 days ago
Oh my gosh! I just gave all mine away and I could have made these! What a great idea! Thank you for sharing. Rhonda
Aleksandra Bahir from SiberianGrizzly said 265 days ago
excellent master class, thank you very much.
Ginger from ElasticcordCrafts said 265 days ago
Love the look of the Paracord Coasters. Simplicity at its finest. Thank you!
Nick Herbert-Jones from CameoGlassPrints said 258 days ago
Really creative idea! Rich, vibrant colors on small shapes stand out without being too intrusive, and natural materials....And it will absorb the moisture from cold drinks, which is a big plus...
Rosa from RosaSVGStudio said 252 days ago
I love this! Thank you for sharing!
Sue Ricard Danko said 225 days ago
love the coasters
MiaJewelryStudio from MiaJewelryStudio said 151 days ago
I really liked the idea!
Amanda N. from FlowerAndEarthSoaps said 121 days ago
What a cool craft! I wish I would have seen this earlier -- they would have made great DIY holiday gifts to bundle in baskets with snacks & drink fixins.
emmy from emmydoesdesign said 66 days ago
so fun! love the bright colors!