We Gave a Clever DIYer a Humdrum Set of Coasters and $25 — See What She Turned Them Into
We love a good DIY any time of the year, but we really love seeing how people dress up their DIYs for the holidays. That’s exactly what inspired this special holiday edition of Megan’s Mystery Makeover! That’s our series where our home projects editor Megan sends a DIYer some humdrum object and asks them to transform it into something bespoke and beautiful — all within a $25 budget. And today, Chelsea from Lovely Indeed has accepted the challenge.
Chelsea has been tasked with turning a set of plain wooden discs that you can find at any craft store into shimmery coasters to make the holidays extra festive. And, since no coaster is complete without a cocktail, we also partnered with Cointreau to mix up a drink that deserves a special landing pad at your holiday table. Cointreau is the iconic orange liqueur that’s essential to many cocktails, like the Cosmopolitan and Margarita. So without further adieu: Let’s get crafty!
Chelsea chose to paint her coasters in ombré shades of green ($5, plus $4 brushes) and topped them with gold leaf ($7) for a shiny accent. You could use any paint color, really, but just make sure you choose acrylic paint that will stand up to moisture. Give the wooden coasters a base coat or two, let them dry, and then lay down some sealer glue ($5). Apply the gold leaf by flipping a sheet upside-down onto the coaster, and then use a dry paintbrush to brush away the excess foil and reveal your finished coaster.
The contrast creates a look that is much fancier than simple wooden coasters, and it’s ideal for holiday entertaining. Of course, the whole point of a coaster is the cocktail! So Chelsea took it one step further by mixing up The Original Margarita. Cointreau, which is distilled from a blend of sweet and bitter orange peels, is an essential part of any margarita, lending aromatics and flavor to this classic cocktail. It’s also the je ne sais quois cocktail ingredient that should be a standard for any at-home bar. When it comes to margaritas, though, there’s only one way to make them: Here is the recipe for The Original Margarita with Cointreau so you can shake one up at home, and give your new DIY coaster some company:
- 1 oz. Cointreau
- 2 oz. Blanco tequila
- 1 oz. fresh lime juice
- Combine all ingredients in a shaker and add ice.
- Shake and strain into a salt-rimmed rocks glass
- Garnish with a lime wheel.
Chelsea’s DIY coasters pair perfectly with any cocktail for a festive occasion. For more inspiration, including holiday cocktail recipes, visit Cointreau online or follow them on Instagram or Twitter.