DIY Coasters & Trivets using Turk's Head Knot

"The “Hey, I bet I can do that!” crafter who loves a challenge is the one who saw these Turk’s Head Coasters & Trivets in a charming little shop in New York last month and came home determined to make them. Lest you think that these lovely knots take some sort of knotting expertise, I can attest that they don’t. The extent of my knot tying expertise starts and ends with the square knots I learned many years ago as a Girl Scout. And to all the bona fide knotters out there who may be aghast at my ‘knotting’ technique. This is the Lynn ‘layman’s’ version of making Turk’s Head Knot Coasters & Trivets and is in no way to be interpreted as the ‘official’ sailor, Boy Scout, mountain climber or what-have-you version of the Turk’s Head. I’m sure that the ‘real’ knotters out there don’t use a little cushion with push pins, I mean they’re scaling a mountain or rigging a boat or surviving in the wilderness with only beef jerky and a piece of rope and surely wouldn’t have, or need, such cushion, cardboard and pushpins. OK…now that we have that out of the way, let the knotting shenanigans begin."

Materials List

• I used 3/16″ triple-ply cotton rope. You’ll want to find the stiffest you can. I had to look around and finally found my best option on ebay at a storefront that sells bird toy supplies! Here’s the link to the rope I used. I bought 100′, which will make 12 (3.5″) coasters and and 1 (6″) trivet or 2 trivets and 8 coasters.
• Cardboard, either one thick piece (think from corrugated box) or 2 thinner pieces (like from the back of a pad of paper or notebook)
• Foam or cushion or corkboard. I used the backside of a computer lap desk.
• Pushpins
• Ruler or Yardstick
• Tape
• Needle and Thread (I used a heavy duty thread)

NotesOnce you have made 1-2 of these coasters or trivets and get the hang of it, you'll be able to whip them out rather quickly. I made the 6" trivet in the video in less than 13 minutes, complete with all my editorial comments! You could easily whip up quite a stash of coasters & trivets in a weekend and have a store for giving as a gifts when you need them in a pinch.