How to Make Wood Coasters with Bottle Cap Openers
Part of the 1414 Mulberry Woodwork Collection
My dad and I cut down the mulberry tree at 1414 a while back, and I made it a personal mission to use every last piece of it. Some of it became Triwood round stands. Some became live-edge lazy susans and vases. But the live edge mulberry wood coasters have turned into my favorite project from that tree, a small, functional piece of art that actually gets used every day.
I wanted to push the coasters a step further, though. People set bottles on coasters all the time, so I figured, why not let the coaster open the bottle too? That idea turned into a batch of DIY wood coasters with built-in bottle cap openers, and this is exactly how I made them.
Watch the full video and learn about each steps below
Don't want to build your own? Request a quote for your order from your own tree at LumberJim.EP@gmail.com. Each one is a one-of-a-kind slice of the 1414 Mulberry Tree.
Materials & Tools Needed
Tools:
Battery-powered chainsaw (for breaking the branch down to size)
A straight 2×4, for use as a cutting stop/jig
1 1/8" Forstner drill bit
1/2" Forstner drill bit
Screwdriver (manual — not a power drill, for the final assembly)
Materials & Supplies:
A dried mulberry branch, 3.5"–5" in diameter (measured on the wood only, not including bark)
Metal bottle cap openers, 1" diameter, with 1/2" screws included
3/8" wood screws (for thinner coasters, so the screw doesn't punch through the back)
Sandpaper: 80 grit, 120 grit, 220 grit
Tung oil (for finishing)
Want the finished set without the shop time? Request a quote for your order from your own tree at LumberJim.EP@gmail.com. Each one is a one-of-a-kind slice of the 1414 Mulberry Tree.
Step 1: Select and Prep Your Mulberry Branch
Making a set of these is honestly a pretty approachable weekend project, assuming you've already got dried wood on hand. The longest part, hands down, is waiting on the finish to dry, not the woodworking itself.
I grabbed a mulberry branch I'd previously dried, somewhere between 3.5 and 5 inches in diameter. One thing I'd stress here: measure only the wood, not the bark. Mulberry bark can flake off pretty easily, so if you size your branch including the bark, you might end up with coasters that are smaller than you planned once that bark falls away. I used a battery-powered chainsaw to cut the branch section down to the length I needed for the shop.
Step 2: Slice the Branch into Coaster Rounds with a Miter Saw
Since this branch was thin and straight, my miter saw was the right tool for slicing it into rounds. I clamped a 2×4 to the miter saw fence, set 0.5 inches from the blade, to use as a stop block. (0.75 inches would work too, just don't go much thicker than that, or the coasters start feeling clunky.) That stop meant every slice came out the same thickness without me stopping to measure each one.
If the end of your branch isn't square against the stop, trim it first, otherwise your first few cuts will come out uneven. From there, it's just repetition: set the branch end against the stop, slice, slide it forward, slice again. I kept going until there wasn't enough branch left to hold safely against the blade.
Step 3: Drill Bottle Cap Opener Inserts with a Drill Press
At this point I had a stack of wood rounds or "cookies," as we call them in the shop. Since mine were already dried, they were ready to go as-is. If you're working with wet wood, you can speed up the process by soaking the rounds in denatured alcohol overnight, then letting them air dry overnight after that.
For the openers themselves, I used metal bottle cap openers that were 1 inch in diameter, which came with 1/2-inch screws. On my thinner coasters, I swapped in 3/8-inch screws instead, otherwise the screws would punch straight through the back of the wood.
Using a drill press and a 1 1/8" Forstner bit, I drilled a shallow hole into the bottom of each coaster, just a bit deeper than the thickness of the bottle cap opener itself. Then, centered inside that first hole, I drilled a slightly deeper hole with a 1/2" Forstner bit. That second hole gives the bottle cap somewhere to go once it's popped off; without it, the cap has nowhere to sit and the opener won't work.
A quick safety note: in the footage, you'll notice I'm wearing gloves while running the drill press. That was a mistake on my part, and I want to flag it rather than let it slide by unnoticed. Never wear gloves around rotating machinery. It's far too easy for loose fabric to get caught in high-speed equipment, and that can cause serious injury.
Step 4: Fill Voids with CA Glue and Mark Your Screw Holes
Once the holes were drilled, I went back over each coaster and filled any small voids or openings in the wood using CA glue with an accelerator. I'll admit this is one of my favorite parts of the process, the glue sets almost instantly, so you're not standing around waiting.
Next, I dry-fit each bottle cap opener into its shallow recess and marked exactly where the screw holes needed to go. Back at the drill press, I drilled small pilot holes at those marks, which the screws would use to secure the opener later on.
Step 5: Sand the Coasters with a Belt Sander and Palm Sander
Sanding came next. I started with a belt sander and 80-grit sandpaper to knock down the rough surfaces (my dogs were very curious about the noise and had to come supervise). From there, I moved to a palm sander and worked through 120 grit, then finished at 220 grit.
If you're using power sanders, keep an eye out for saw marks or sanding marks left in the wood. hand sanding will get you a slightly cleaner finish, but I opted for speed with the palm sander instead. Whichever way you go, wear proper protective equipment while sanding. Save those lungs; wood dust is nothing to shrug off.
Step 6: Finish the Coasters with Teak Oil
With sanding done, I finished the coasters before attaching the bottle cap openers. I rubbed each one down with Teak oil, which brought out the natural grain and color of the mulberry wood and gave it a deeper, slightly wet-look finish. I let the coasters dry overnight before moving on to final assembly.
Step 7: Screw the Bottle Cap Opener to the Bottom of the Coaster
The next day, once the oil had cured, I took the coasters and attached the bottle cap openers. I added a small amount of CA glue into the recess, set the metal opener into place, then secured it with a screwdriver, not a power drill. A power drill spins fast enough that it's easy to snap off a screw head at this stage, and a hand screwdriver gives you a lot more control. Once every opener was screwed in, I let the coasters sit for a bit before putting them to use.
They came together fast after that. I used the very first one to crack open a beer and it worked exactly like it should. Then I did what felt right: set that same beer down on the coaster I'd just used to open it.
Here's the full build video again
Buy the Finished Wood Coasters with Bottle Cap Openers
If you'd rather skip the sawdust and just enjoy a set of these at home — or give them as a gift — I've got you covered two ways:
[Request a Custom Order] — Have your own tree material you'd like turned into something like this? Email us at LumberJim.EP@gmail.com and we'll talk through what's possible.
Take a look at the rest of what came out of this tree in the [1414 Mulberry Woodwork Collection], including our [live edge lazy susans] and [live edge vases]. You can also browse our other [Live Edge Lumber Collections], or learn more about [mulberry trees and their wood characteristics].
You spent time in its shade. We'll make sure its memories never fade.
Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok to see what we're working on next, or email us at LumberJim.EP@gmail.com to commission a custom piece from the wood in your own yard.
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