How To Make A Beer Mug From Recycled Coasters

When I first approached with this idea it seemed like it would be a simple project. That should have been a warning sign right there, but my brain just thought, “Make a functional pint glass from discarded beer coasters? I wonder why no one has ever done anything like that before.” I now know the answer to that rather naive question.


33 coasters and 5 pieces of scrap cherry

The first trick was actually sourcing the material. Since the spirit of the ‘glass’ is a recycle project, buying new paper coasters was out the question. So I did what any logical person would do. I sent out several emails to bars that no one responded to. So, then I just started walking into places and asking for their coasters!


Getting all this glue on is under 5 minutes was quite tricky!

“Wait. You want to take our customers used coasters and make them into a glass?”
“Yeah, pretty much.”
“I’m sorry, we’re not interested.”
“Uh, why not?”
“Please leave now…”


At this point, I wasn’t sure this was a good idea

I was just on the verge of bringing a baggy pair of pants to happy hour, when I received an email from the first place I had emailed. Turns out they did get it! Thank you 3rd Street AleWorks in Santa Rosa, for coming through!

Not quite my original vision!

I’m very pleased with how it turned out (that it turned out at all) and I learned a lot. If I had to do it again, I would just use a hole saw, or scroll saw to cut through the paper coaster rather than turn them on the lathe! Regardless, the outcome is quite a conversation piece!