In this short tutorial I show how you can make a really nice puzzle coaster trivet out of plywood. Individually, the puzzle pieces work as coasters which you can place your drinks on, and once you put them together like a puzzle, they becomes a trivet, perfect for putting a hot pot on.

Step 1: Making the Coaster/Trivet

Materials Needed:

1 piece of 1/2 inch plywood (about 12 x 12 inches)
Puzzle template, printed out
Glue stick
Sandpaper
Polyurethane

Tools Needed:

Band Saw / Jig Saw or Scroll Saw

Method:

For this project I used Baltic Birch plywood, however any higher grade plywood would work well.

I started with printing out the puzzle template. I cut out each individual paper puzzle piece and glued them to the plywood with a glue stick. I found that it's easier to cut out each piece individually as opposed to cutting out the whole puzzle from one piece of wood.

After gluing on the puzzle pieces I cut them up on the band saw, however you could also use a jig saw or a scroll saw. Once the plywood puzzle pieces were cut up I sanded them and finished with two coats of polyurethane for protection.

Step 2: Conclusion - See the Video

To see the project done, as well as two other great projects to make out of plywood, check out this video. These simple projects all make for great gifts, so they would be perfect to do if you want to get on top of your gift giving list!