DiY Wood Branch Coasters

Nature makes some stunning patterns.

And that means we can bring those

natural design elements into our homes

in simple and elegant ways.

After pruning a hedge apple tree 

we noticed the gorgeous rings in this branch.

Aha! 

Such dense wood makes for beautiful coasters

for a wedding gift,

housewarming,

fathers day

or your own home.

Here's how to make

DIY Wood Branch Coasters:

It's a very straight-forward process

if you are pruning trees or can obtain

branches from a tree trimming service.

We were trimming up some hedge apple trees.

What are those? Well, they make

these big green things that the squirrels love to eat:

I simply used our compound miter saw

to chop the branch into chunky coasters.

You can make thinner coasters if you prefer.

At first I was intimidated by this large piece of potentially dangerous equipment.

But after some safety lessons from my hubby

and a few cuts, I felt empowered!

Be certain to wear safety glasses

on projects like this. Never, ever take chances.

Because hedge apple trees are such a

dense and heavy wood, 

they cut very smoothly and need

very little sanding or sealing.

These natural beauties certainly needed no stain.

I like the bark and left it on,

but you could choose to remove it and sand.

You may have to apply more

elbow grease to other types of wood

and seal with a clear varnish...

But the result is well worth

the effort!

You might also be interested in this DIY project: