Scottie Dog Cookie Cutter Project #3: Easy Felt Coasters

What's on my table today? My Scottie Dog coasters!   (Click any photo to enlarge to see details!)

This is the third of what will be over 30 craft or cooking projects, all using cookie cutters! Every project will use a cookie cutter in one way or another. For most of them I've selected my favorite cookie cutter, the Scottie Dog! I hope you will be able to join in the fun and make some (or all) of the projects. And my desire to inspire you to think like a cookie cutter, making a "cookie" daily in a fast and fun way. Many of the projects are easy enough to do with children, though various precautions should be taken (ie: scissors, pins or hot glue guns).

PROJECT #3: Scottie Dog Felt Coaster

The ease of working with felt makes this project fun for novices and experts. A set can be crafted in just an hour, making it the perfect craft to make for gifts when you are short on time. As always my Scottie Dog cookie cutter jumped front and center to my craft table and offered his services as my pattern.

I first traced the cookie cutter onto a piece of cardboard. This way I could turn the cutter back and forth to fit in the most cuts per piece of felt. If your cookie cutter doesn’t have a “handle” as my Scottie Dog cutter does, you can just use the cutter to trace back and forth, skipping the cardboard pattern cutout.

Select your contrasting colors, I used red and white. I figured these could be used all year long, but especially at Christmas and quickly again for Valentine’s Day. Plan to make sets of four (or six), as coasters usually come in those size sets. I used a thicker white felt for the coaster, and a thinner red felt for the appliqué cutout. To trace on the red felt you could use a pencil, but I used a white Dress Maker Pencil so that it would show up nicely for my cutting. Cut 4 Scottie Dogs (or your chosen pattern) from the red felt.

If you use a pencil for tracing, plan to turn the pattern over to use on the coast so there is no evidence of pencil led. Also, if you mark your best pair of scissors for “Fabric Only” it helps keep them sharper long. Unfortunately I break my own rule and use these for everything. I was good at first….

Next cut 4 squares of the thicker white felt. I cut mine to 4 ½ inch squares. You can adjust your size as desired to fit your chosen pattern. Use a pair of Fiskars’ Scallop scissors for the squares, which makes a fun edge. If you don’t have a pair of these, maybe you have a zig-zag pair? Or, just cut them out with a flat edge. If you cut with a flat edge you could add red embroidery thread as a trim later. But, do put the Fiskar Scallop scissors on your “wish list”, they are load so fun and cut fabric, paper and more.

  

Now place your cut red felt pieces on your cut white felt coasters. Put a small dab of felt glue on the back of the red piece and set on the white coaster, centering and placing the pattern in the direction you want it to be. You can use a fabric glue or even a tacky craft glue as well. Let this set about ten minutes to hold the pattern in place. You can skip this step, but it makes it easier to sew on if attached somewhat.

Next, pull out a contrasting thread color. I used a red and white bakers’ string. Sew on your pattern using a running stitch and then you are finished!

If you feel like doing a little more stitching you could stitch around the perimeter of the white coaster, too.  Now tie up the set in a sweet little bundle and go to the kitchen for some White Hot Chocolate.

Heidi’s White Hot Chocolate Recipe

(Makes 4 cups)
2 cups whipping cream
3 cups milk
6 ounces white chocolate, shaved or chopped for easier melting
½ tsp. vanilla extract

In sauce pan on stove top mix all ingredients on medium high until white chocolate melts. Bring to near boil, but do not boil. Pour into four mugs and top with a dab of whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

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Here is another hot white chocolate recipe I found at “about.com”:
White Hot Chocolate Mix by Linda Larsen
Ingredients:
• 2 cups grated white chocolate
• 1 (3-ounce) package white chocolate pudding mix
• 2 teaspoons vanilla powder
• 1-2 teaspoons dried orange peel, finely ground, if desired

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place.

To make White Hot Chocolate for Two:
 1-1/2 cups milk 1/4 cup White Hot Chocolate Mix

 In a small saucepan, heat the milk until bubbles form around edges. Add the White Hot Chocolate Mix and whisk until the chocolate is melted and beverage is blended. 2 servings

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 As an additional gift to give along with the coast you could mix up a batch of White Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix, put in pretty bags. Be sure to give a tag with directions, too.

Here's another mix recipe:

Heidi’s White Hot Chocolate Cocoa Mix

2 cups instant nonfat dry powdered milk
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup nondairy powdered cream (one with your favorite flavor is a bonus!)
8 ounces cup shaved or shredded white chocolate

Mix first three ingredients and place in a plastic bag. Put the shaved white chocolate in a smaller bag; place that bag in with the powdered mix, to keep it fresher longer. Seal the bag, attaching the instructions for making the hot white chocolate drink.
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Another even easier way to give out White Hot Chocolate mix with your coasters is to buy the mix premade here. This mix is the Big Train mix (this link is for prepacked individual servings) we use here in the summer for blended iced coffee drinks. It also mixes up great as a hot drink. I buy this in bulk at our local grocery outlet store. Around here we use this all summer long for blended drinks, saving tons of money over going to the coffee shops. Plus, when you live in the country it’s not economical to drive into town for a blended iced coffee at your whim.

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White Hot Chocolate Tags:   Add this to your packaged mix using red rick-rack:
White Hot Chocolate Mix TAGs for Scottie Dog Cookie Cutter Project Number 3

Cut tags out with scalloped scissors and attach to bag of mix. Pre-measure 16 tablespoon per bag, enough for 4 cups of white hot chocolate to go with your Scottie Dog felt coasters.

This felt coast craft can be made with any of your favorite cookie cutters.  For Valentine's Day use a heart:

Here’s a set of coaster I made a few years back for autumn, using a leaf cookie cutter. I doubled up the coaster felt for contrasting colors, and used brown embroidery thread to sew on the leaf appliqué to the first coast layer before attaching the two layers. The coaster layers were attached with felt glue.

So, go sew, create, craft, mix stuff up in the kitchen and enjoy the new year!
   Blessings, Heidi

(Linked with Romantic Home's Show & Tell Friday)