You know those last frenzied moments of cooking Thanksgiving dinner, when all of the dishes get done at the same time? And you try to get everything on the table so it doesn't get cold? All the while yelling to everyone who's watching TV that dinner's ready, and could people come to the table please? That's the precise moment that, every year, I realize I don't own enough trivets.
This year I'm heading that moment off at the pass, and adding some more to my paltry collection. I didn't want to spend a lot of money, so I used some stuff I had lying around to create my own.
I give you the DIY suede & brass trivet. (Call it Suass? or Bruede? No matter.)
What You Need:
Materials
• 8" x 8" suede square (on the thicker side, at least 4 oz.)
• Brass studs with prongs, like these from Tandy Leather, in various sizes
Tools
• Awl or other piercing object (I used a very large upholstery needle)
• needle nose pliers
Instructions:
1. Print out your chosen design on a piece of paper, then tape it in place on your square of leather. I used Adobe Illustrator to map it out in advance.
2. Using your sharp object of choice, pierce two holes where the studs prongs will go.
3. Push each stud through the holes and into place.
4. Flip the leather over, exposing the prongs. Using the pliers, bend the prongs as flat as possible against the leather.
(images: Dabney Frake)
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This looks really cute, but I'd be worried about the prongs on the back scratching up a wooden table finish if they weren't really well pressed flat. Maybe sewing a backing piece of suede would help both to thicken the trivet (protecting more against hot pans) and to sandwich any sharp prong metal between two pieces of fabric?
exactly
I'd assume that if it's on a table cloth then it wouldn't matter so much? But a backing would be ideal if it is used on a table with no table cloth.
I'd still be concerned about snagging threads, if it was a nice or heirloom table cloth - a plain one wouldn't matter so much. Stains can usually be laundered out but snagged or ripped threads are more difficult to fix.
hi guys - thanks for the comments. for the most part, you can bend the prongs enough so they are "inside" the hollow part of the studs.
Great look, but I definitely agree with the addition of a backing to protect the table and also lend some heft and stability to the trivet. I would also worry about staining the suede, as my family cannot seem to ladle or spoon anything out of a serving dish without sloshing it all down the sides. Is there a faux-leather material out there that is heat resistant? Thanks for the inspiration, Dabney!
Besides the potential for scratches, it's gonna get nasty as food is spilled on it. It does look good, though.
Am I the only one who had to google "trivet"? So this is like a pot holder?