DIY Home Decor: How To Make a Modern Beaded Wood Trivet

This simple DIY trivet is perfect for tea-brewing winter months and a great gift for design lovers. Not only does it embody two of my current obsessions— geometric shapes and color-blocking against unfinished wood—but it also is super practical and can be separated into three individual trivets. Here’s how to make your very own:

1. Start by mixing your paint color of choice. I decided to use neutral colors and have only a single bright neon bead.

2. Eyeball the center of your bead and, using a steady hand, paint half of the bead with a light coat of paint.

3. Because acrylic paint dries quickly, I was able to paint them while carefully rotating them. I let them dry by gently placing them on a plastic bag (you can always touch them up if needed). I painted two beads black, one neon yellow, one white, one half white, and one half grey.

4. If you’re going to use neon colors, prime the bead with white paint and let it dry before adding color. I found that this will give you brighter results.

Tip: Neon paint is really hard to work with. It looks somewhat translucent with one coat. Try at least three coats and let them completely dry in between each coat.

5. While your beads are drying, start stringing the unpainted ones.

Tip: If you’re having a hard time getting the string to pass through the beads, use a large needle or do what I did: unfold a small paper clip and bend a tiny hook at the end. Take the string and tie a knot around the hook. Now use the paperclip to thread the string through the beads.

6. It’s time to admire how pretty they look.

7. To figure out how large you want your trivet, place a teapot over it to see how it sits. I used 19, 13, and 7 beads for each of my three trivets.

8. Once you found your trivet size, snip and…

9. Secure as tight as possible with a double knot.

10. Using your scissors, trim the excess string at the end of the knots.

11. To hide the seam, simply slide a bead right over it while tucking the knot into the hole.

12. String your second trivet, while making sure it fits snugly inside your larger one.

13. String your third trivet and you’re finished.

This little trivet is adding a touch of happiness to my kitchen already. Oh, the little things… Enjoy!

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