How to Make Sliced Wood Coasters 2026

If you are a DIY lover, then today we will teach you how to make wooden coasters in a simple and practical way.

I love finding new ways to reuse things, like old tree branches that lie discarded on the side of the road.

I must also like the coasters, since this is the second time I have made wooden coasters.

Last time, I really liked that it was clear that the coasters were made from a tree, and with this project I wanted to remix the idea by cutting the wood into discs.

These coasters had a process to create, but they were pretty easy. The best part is that I made loads so I could give them as gifts 🙂 Here's a video of how I made them and a full review below.

I decided to leave the coasters just stained, without sealing them, allowing rings from drink condensation or stains from spilled drinks to add to their character.

Steps on how to make wooden coasters in the shape of slices:

Step 1: Source of branches

Finding dead tree branches is really easy, if you're looking for them.

The next time you are on a hike or cleaning up your garden you will see branches of all sizes that can be used for this project.

I came across a very large tree branch near where I live. It had been dead for a while and there was very little moisture on the branches.

This is important because if the tree branches are 'green', then the wood still has a lot of moisture in it and will warp as it dries over time.

Look for dead branches, but don't try to tear branches off the trees.

Step 2: Cut Slices

To make these cut coasters, I used branches approximately 0.5″- 1.5″ (12mm-40mm) in diameter.

I used a tabletop band saw to cut these slices into the branches. Buying a new bandsaw isn't that expensive, and once you have it, there are all kinds of new projects you can tackle.

Using branches approximately 1.5″-0.5″ in diameter, slices were cut on the band saw approximately ¼” thick. To help stabilize the wood (and protect my fingers) I used a piece of PVC to help guide the wood through the sword.

I separated the wood slices into small, medium and large piles. These stacks helped me space out the range of cuts in the plywood and ensured there was an even distribution of sizes across the board.

Step 3: Plan sizes

Before gluing any of the wood slices to the sheet of plywood, I drew some sizes to get an idea of how big I wanted my coasters to be.

Using a carpenter's square, I made some square shapes to see what looks best on the six. I ended up stealing one of my wife's cute coasters to use as a template, which was 3.5″ x 3.5″. I would use this as a cutting measurement after gluing the slices to the board.

Step 4: Start gluing

Attach the slices to the plywood with Titebond III wood glue. I used this specific adhesive because it's waterproof when dry, and since these are drink coasters, I thought it would make the most sense. However, any wood glue would work fine. A little glue is applied to one side of each slice, which is then glued to the plywood board.

In my woodworking class, I teach that gluing end grain is not recommended, as porous wood cuts do not offer a long grain for the adhesive to adhere to. In this case, since there is no load moving the slices away from the back of the plywood, end grain gluing will work. Making a bit of a mess here is fine, as any spilled glue will seep between the slices and bond to the sides, and any residual glue on the backThe top of the slices will be removed once the glue has dried.

I made sure to have some of the slices over the edge of the plywood, which would give a cutting edge when arranged in the next step. I also didn't cover the entire board, leaving a square edge as a reference for cutting the plywood strips.

The glued slices were allowed to dry completely overnight before any cutting.

Step 5: Make slices

The end of the plywood board that was not covered with slices was the reference edge. This square edge was placed against the table saw fence to make nice straight cuts.

The fence was moved to cut only the edge of the plywood board, cutting the protruding slices first. Using my measured coaster size of 3.5″, the fence reset to make a 3.5″ wide slice. The fence was readjusted for each successive cut, creating 3.5″ wide strips of plywood until there was no more cutting board with slices glued to it.

Step 6: Milling machine

To get the irregular height of all the glued slices consistently, I used a router router. This is a regular manual Router attached to a wide base that will ride on rails over the piece to be planned. A wide, flat bit will be run over the strips of glued slices and lowered after each pass, slowly trimming the tallest slices until a smooth surface is achieved. It's like a wooden haircut 🙂

A thick piece of scrap plywood was used as a base, and the openings were drilled to match the screw holes in the base plate, and the large opening for the router bit to pass through.

The strip of glued wood scraps was hot glued to the workbench to secure it in place. Two identical scrap wood rails were hot glued to each side of the piece to be planed, these will be the base rails of the wide router. The rails must be identical to ensure a level cut, and will need to be taller than the tallest piece you are trying to plan, otherwise the base of the router will not be able to pass over the piece.

Start with the router bit retracted into the router as far as it will go and make a shallow pass over the cut piece of wood to remove any taller slices. Turn off the router and lower the bit about ⅛” and then do another pass. I like to make a lot of shallow passes rather than fewer deep passes as there is less chance of ripping out and there is much more control over the tool. Continue making passes until you reach a level surface.

Lift the strip of sliced wood level and glue the next piece to be planed. Repeat until all pieces are flattened down.

Step 7: Sanding

Planing with the router will likely leave a surface that has milling marks. This is an unavoidable surface quality after such an abrasive tool operation, but fortunately it is easily removed by sanding.

Starting with coarse 80 grit sandpaper on a random orbital sander, the surface of each strip was sanded to remove milling marks. The sandpaper was scaled up to 200 grit to create a nice smooth surface. You can learn more about sanding in the Sanding Lesson I wrote for Woodworking Class.

Step 8: Cross Cut Strips

Once the glued wood strips have a nice smooth finish, they can be cut into squares. I used a simplee table sled that I made in one afternoon to make these cuts. This saw sled is great as it makes reliable cuts and only uses one miter slot, so it never gets stuck on the table.

I measured 3.5″ from the table saw sled slot and placed a stop block there. The glued wood strips were passed through the saw blade to make square sections, revealing the shape of coasters.

Step 9: Finishing

To finish the coasters I used a teak oil stain, which will seal and color the wood. I considered having an epoxy resin coating, but I prefer the look of natural wood over something shiny.

A liberal application of teak oil was applied to each coaster with a lint-free cloth. More teak oil than usual was used as I needed to get everything into the areas between the slices to get good coverage.

Step 10: Bumper Pads

To keep the coasters off the table surface and prevent them from sliding around, I used clear hemispherical bumper pads. These are self-adhesive and will hide under the coaster overhang, so they won't obstruct the clean look of the rim.

Step 11: Coasters!

Without a doubt, making wooden coasters is an incredible idea that you can do yourself in the comfort of your home.

These coasters are a great addition to any party or dinner event, and look good with or without a drink on top. Each one is a little different, and by not using an epoxy finish, the natural wood feel is still there.

I made about 15 of these coasters and they were all captured by friends and family immediately after taking these photos. Greetings!

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