QR Coasters

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of visiting my boyfriend's bachelor pad for the first time. Among other things, there was a notable lack of coasters for his freshly-purchased (and newly constructed with the help of yours truly) IKEA coffee table. Since W is well-aware of my crafty tendencies, he made an offhand comment that I could "make some crafty ones." I tucked that little statement away, mulled it over, and came up with an idea that manifested itself as these:

But let me start from the beginning. As you might be aware, one of my favorite crafting pastimes is cross-stitching (proof, more proof, even more proof). While cross stitch isn't always the most manliest of things (I'm thinking of the samplers of yore), I'd already experienced success with cross-stitching QR code magnets for friends' Facebook pages in the past, which made me think that such an approach would work for coasters as well.

I followed similar steps to those outlined in the blog post above, using a free QR code generator (like this one) to turn my web addresses into QR codes, which then function as ready-made cross stitching templates, thanks to the beauty of pixelation. What web addresses did I use, you ask? Well, I knew I wanted to create a set of four coasters, and I knew I didn't want to cross stitch the same pattern four times. So, I decided to do a series. For the sake of consistency, I elected to use Wikipedia sites for the basis of all my codes, varying the content to reflect my boyfriend's interests. Since I'm dating a Texan, the first one had to be the Alamo, with Hank Williams coming in as a close second. :P Since I also happen to be dating a former seminary boy, G.K. Chesterton has made it into quite a few of our conversations, and therefore into the coaster series. And since the best presents include inside jokes, the last one was for Yorkies. ;)

I also wanted to deviate some from the typical black-and-white QR color scheme, and since W is a proud Aggie, I settled on using Texas A&M colors (which are technically maroon and white, but I mixed in the black) for my coasters.

I varied the color-mixing across the codes, experimenting with different layouts. I grew more confident in my integration skills as I went along, but I'm not going to lie and say I didn't have to go back and rework a few places where I had gotten off-track. ;)

After completing the stitching, my next step was turning these bad boys into coasters. I had originally purchased cork squares from Michaels to use, but I wasn't sure how to make them work. Then I stumbled on these babies at Target. Their little rimmed edges seemed perfect for my project, especially since I wasn't sure how to keep the edges of my Aida cloth from unraveling. I had already picked up a bottle of spray adhesive at Michaels, so I was prepped and ready to go!

I made a template (using junk mail!) to aid in trimming out my codes to fit inside the coaster rims. Once all four codes were trimmed out, I attached each code to its coaster using my spray adhesive. Tip: You should cover your surfaces with newspaper before using spray adhesive indoors because of the overspray (this stuff is hard to get off your hands, so I can't imagine what it would be like on counters/tables).  I then weighted the coasters with cans overnight to ensure smooth bonding.

While they came out like I had imagined, I wasn't thrilled - despite my best intentions, my coasters still looked a little rough around the edges, literally:

Then inspiration struck - I remembered that I had leftover black/white baker's twine from my birthday party last year, which would be perfect for edging the Aida cloth! I located it in my craft drawers and set to work. Using craft glue (with toothpicks as applicators), I rimmed the edges of my fabric with the baker's twine, with awesome results.

So. Much. Better. It didn't take me long to trim out all four coasters and, after allowing them time to dry again, bundle them together to take with me on my next trip down to L-ville. It was so much fun giving them to W, since he was not only impressed by their appearance, but also had a blast discovering what each one was as he scanned the code with his phone. Definite win for this girlfriend. :)

QR Code Cross Stitch

I like to cross stitch. I really like to cross stitch. True, this hobby has lain dormant from time to time, but if you choose your projects well, you can nurture an interest such as mine for years. However, there is serious burn-out potential if you are overly ambitious in your pattern-choosing - beware! :P

A lovely nineteenth century sampler

Warning aside, another danger of crafting is clutter. Not the oh-I-went-a-little-crazy-at-the-Michaels-clearance-bins clutter, more like piles of finished projects that have no home. I usually craft with a purpose to avoid this, and one of the best purposes is gift-giving! The only problem is that cross stitch often has an aura of old-fashioned staleness lingering about it, and for good reason (see at left). At best, most probably don’t see cross stitch as terribly trendy (again, see at left), but I have recently discovered how ridiculously digital-friendly cross stitch can be, thanks to pixelation.

Pixelated Images

Pixelation is a classic feature of early video games, especially, making classic icons from games such as Mario (see right) easily translatable to cross stitch.

 Another digital icon that lends itself well to cross stitch is the QR code. For those of us who don’t have smartphones (and some who do), QR codes or Quick Response codes are those little square barcodes that adorn products, magazine ads, everything nowadays. In short, they simply act as hyperlinks for smartphones to read - you take a picture of one, and bam! it takes you to a certain website. What’s cool is that you can personalize this feature, which is what I did for a few friends this past Christmas, using their Facebook profiles as the source sites for the codes. It was a fun way to incorporate some of my favorite aspects of gift-giving: personalization, hand-madeness, and shared interests (all of us have taken DH classes together). To see my creative process (and how to make your own cross stitch QR codes), just scroll down through the instructions below! 

Step 1: Choose a website - my friend Nigel's Facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/nigel.lepianka?fref=ts (in the case of FB, you can either use the stand-alone link or the ref=ts one).

 

Step 2: Generate the QR code, which is pretty easy. I use the site http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ - paste your website in the blank and click “Generate Free.”

  

**Update: Kaywa has changed their website interface - they now designate their options as 'Dynamic' and 'Static' instead of 'Safe' and 'Free.' The default setting is (of course) Dynamic, which requires creating an account on the site. To generate a QR code for free, click the little slider to select the Static option, then click the gray button.

Step 3: Save/Enlarge QR code - right-click to save the image as a file. I like importing the image into Microsoft Word for enlarging, labeling, and printing.

 

Step 4: Choose a dark/vibrant thread color - I researched this a little - it’s not really recommended that you invert colors (i.e. dark background and lighter thread) and you need to make sure the color is dark enough that there is a contrast. I’ve used black, a bright cerulean blue, a vibrant red, and a deep blue - all scanned fine. It’s hard to test the limits, though, without potentially wasting a lot of time and effort. 

Only $1.99 at Michaels!

 Step 5: Stitch! The pixels form their own pattern - each pixel translates to an X, resulting in a finished piece that measures about 3"x 3" - Michaels has these cute square magnetic frames for $1.99, which work perfectly for this project. I used the inset to cut out a piece of black cardstock for backing, then trimmed down the fabric and attached it to the cardstock (I used double-stick tape!). When you are done, you have an awesome, personalized, tech-friendly homemade gift that isn't antiquated at all - if anything, it's biggest danger is obsolescence! ;)

It really scans!                                                                                   Shot of the Back