It's no secret that we in the Mr Beam team are absolute Aperol Spritz fans. Accordingly, it makes sense that we share with you our tips for the perfect Aperol party on New Year's Eve. Today I'll show you how you can easily create the perfect coasters. You will also find the Hot Aperol recipe from our TikTok Queen Michelle. We have been diligently testing and optimizing this for two winters now. ;)
What would you like to make your Aperol coaster from?
Natural materials have a special appeal as coasters for drinks. Not only are they really chic, but they can also be functional. Let's have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of a few popular materials that are suitable for the Mr Beam laser cutter.
Felt coaster - the protector
Advantages
Felt coasters are soft and gentle, ideal for delicate surfaces such as glass tables. They absorb moisture well and protect against scratches. Felt also has an insulating effect, meaning hot drinks are kept warm for longer. When engraving and cutting, it depends on whether you use acrylic or wool felt. With acrylic felt, the lasered surface melts and you get a particularly clean result.
Disadvantages
With wool felt, on the other hand, the whole thing is more likely to burn, and an unpleasant smell arises, like that of burnt hair. Felt can also easily absorb stains and is not waterproof. The material is susceptible to contamination that may be difficult to remove. It can also look worn over time.
Slate coaster - the elegant one
Advantages:
Slate coasters exude elegance and go well with modern interiors. They are robust, durable and heat-resistant. Their surface is easy to edit and is particularly suitable for photo engraving. Please note that all engraved areas will be light, and you will have to create your files inverted accordingly.
Disadvantages:
Slate cannot be cut with your Mr Beam and can be sensitive to acids and certain cleaning products. It also tends to leave scratches, especially on sensitive surfaces.
Wooden coasters - the rustic one
Advantages:
Wooden coasters give a warm and natural atmosphere. You can use your Mr Beam to engrave and cut different types of wood such as poplar, birch or beech. Wood is relatively easy to clean and can develop a beautiful patina over time.
Disadvantages:
Wood is sensitive to moisture and can warp or become stained. Some types of wood are not heat-resistant and could be damaged if they come into contact with hot drinks.
Cork coasters - the sustainable one
Advantages:
Cork is light, elastic and absorbs moisture well. It is sustainable because it is made from the bark of cork trees. Cork pads provide good insulation and protect surfaces from scratches.
Disadvantages:
Cork can be damaged by prolonged contact with moisture. It tends to wear out over time and can pick up stains that are difficult to remove. Engravings on cork tend to smear when used, which is often irreparable, as cork does not stand well.
The choice of material ultimately depends on your personal preferences, desired style and functional requirements. In my case, I chose felt coasters because they are nice and light and the bright orange from the Mr Beam material shop goes really well with the Aperol theme of the New Year's Eve party.
Mr Beam Glitter Acrylic Felt, 3mm, A3, various colours (5 pieces each)
Sale price
From CHF 17.00
Mr Beam trial pack felt box
Sale price
CHF 37.00
Mr Beam Welcome Box XXL (including power plex, cutting mat & felt)
Sale price
CHF 105.00
Always have a good saying on your lips
Of course, funny sayings on the coasters are a must for a fun-filled party. We have put together our favourites and created some designs for coasters:
- Holy Aperoli
- Life on the Aperol trail
- they see me Aperollin
- anonymous aperolists
- it's Aperol o'clock
- I'm on an Aperol Spritz tour
- Ho Ho Get Aperol
- Hello Aperölchen
- No Aperol is not a solution either
- Love at first spritz
Tips for creating laser files with lettering
To decide the size of the coasters, I measured the bottom of an Aperol glass, added 1.5cm radius and created circles in Illustrator with these measurements. Your contour line will later be my cutting line in BeamOS. Then it's time for the text. My approach looks like this:
First, I write down all the texts and think about which lettering goes with which text. For longer sentences, it often looks cool to emphasize certain words by choosing a bolder font than the rest. Vibe is also crucial. For “Holy Aperoli”, for example, I used a Christmas-like, bulbous squiggle font and decorated the whole thing with stars.
With “Life on the Aperol Trail” I wanted to create a kind of racing look. The italic font is intended to convey speed, and the orange is reminiscent of a logo. So I gradually work on all the sayings and create individual designs that underline the saying.
Also pay attention to which material you want to engrave. You shouldn't choose fonts that are too fine on felt, as they often don't come out as beautifully. It is important not to forget to convert the text into an area before saving the file so that the file works for engravings.
To do this, select it, go to the “Object” tab and click “Convert”. A window will appear in which “Object” and “Area” should already be selected. All you have to do is click OK. If your letters overlap, you should still connect them with the Pathfinder. But otherwise, your file is ready to be engraved.
Laser cut Aperol coasters
Open your Mr Beam and place the felt on the work surface. Start your BeamOS and double-click on the camera image to bring the laser head over your material. Here you focus the laser head roughly over the four positions on the car and then finely over the small screw. Use the standard settings for orange felt and in a few minutes you will have your finished Aperol coasters in your hand! I decided to decorate a few with silver acrylic paint, for example, by filling in the stars with it. Since the felt absorbs a lot of paint, you can apply paint generously, and it is best to work with several layers.
This is how you conjure up the perfect Hot Aperol for your New Year's Eve party
Of course, you have to have an Aperol to match the coasters, but not just any. Our working student Michelle shared her legendary Hot Aperol recipe with me and I can share it with you here. You can also find a video about it on our TikTok account.
Ingredients:
- 110ml Aperol
- 200 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- 200 ml white wine
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 orange slice
Step 1:
To start, we take two large juice oranges and squeeze them. So that there are no pieces in the drink, we strain everything out in a small pot.
Step 2:
We now add 200 ml of white wine to the orange juice. Dry white wine works best for this recipe. 110 ml of Aperol are also added.
Step 3:
We now stir the mixture once and heat it up.
Attention: Don't bring it to the boil, otherwise the alcohol will evaporate & of course we don't want that ;)
Step 4:
After about a minute, we add the cinnamon stick and orange slice.
Step 5:
And done! The delicious Hot Aperol recipe is so quick and easy to make and ready to enjoy.
I wish you a really great New Year's Eve break and lots of creative laser ideas for 2024!
Your Marie
