The Mighty Paint Chip

I just had to do a segment on paint chips. I have been obsessed with them ever since I saw them posted as wallpaper on the blog Seven Of. For a project I created from paint chips, be sure to scroll to the bottom!


Reasons I love paint chips: 1. They are tonal. 2. They are bright and colorful  3.They are free! 
There is really a surprising amount of awesome things that people are making with paint chips. My favorites are these business card holders by Design Verb (for instructions on how to make them, follow the link),


this artwork by Annie Galvin of Wexford Girl,


these garlands by Mi.avril,


these gift labels shown on Tilly's Cottage,


and I am awestruck by this lamp shown on Design Milk!

Designed by Agnieszka Bartosiewicz & Krzysztof Rusc for Emocja

So with all this fabulous inspiration, I set off to challenge myself with a new idea for paint chips. Though far from being as inventive as the above lamp, I did manage to construct woven coasters, which I think will serve me well. They are surprisingly water resistant so far (I've been sampling the ginger beer with lemon):


Start out by cutting paint chips of your choice in strips of various sizes:


Next, use a pencil to trace a circle. Use any round item the size you'd like (I used a duct tape roll). Follow that line with a zig-zag stitch. I used red thread:


Next, trim the edge to 1/4 in. with scissors and erase the pencil line:


Done! Enjoy your ginger beer with lemon!