Handmade Coasters as Wedding Favours: Planning a Group Craft Session

Start your wedding favour craft session with a quantity target, a manageable design and a clear finishing deadline. Friends and family can enjoy making something personal together, but producing enough coasters for every guest needs more planning than a casual afternoon of crafting.

For a Singapore wedding, organise the session several weeks ahead where possible. That leaves room to check the finished pieces, replace any rejects and pack everything before the final rush of fittings, seating arrangements and venue coordination.

Work out quantities before inviting your craft group

Decide whether you are giving one coaster per guest or a pair per household. Use that decision consistently when calculating your total, then add a small reserve for damaged pieces and guest list changes.

For example, 120 guests receiving one coaster each might mean a target of 130 pieces. With ten helpers, that averages 13 coasters per person. This is a planning calculation, not an expected workshop output. Ask the organiser whether your target is achievable with the available moulds, materials and session time.

If the workload is too high, consider several sessions or a smaller handmade batch for an intimate solemnisation lunch. Agree on this before inviting friends so everyone understands the time commitment.

Choose a design your group can repeat

Craft Labs offers marbling and terrazzo options through its coaster making workshop, using powder mixed with acrylic liquid and coloured pigments.

For wedding favours, choose one shape and a limited palette. Ivory with a muted accent could complement neutral table settings; brighter terrazzo colours could suit a playful reception. Treat these as design ideas and confirm available colours and moulds before settling on a look.

Prepare one approved sample or reference image for everyone to follow. Specify the base colour and the amount of contrast you want, while allowing individual patterns to vary. Trying to reproduce identical swirls adds pressure without making the gifts more meaningful.

Check the sample beside your invitation and table linen. A colour combination that looks lovely alone may disappear against the reception décor.

Budget for the completed favour

Calculate the total cost of making, finishing and presenting the coasters, then divide it by the number of usable favours. A workshop fee per participant does not establish your cost per finished gift.

Request an itemised quotation covering:

• The number of coasters each participant can make.
• Extra materials, moulds or additional session time needed for your target.
• Any finishing work, protective backing and packaging.
• Transport or delivery arrangements.

Allow separately for tags, printing and replacement pieces. Confirm which items are included and which you must organise yourself.

When you contact Craft Labs, provide both numbers: how many people will attend and how many wedding favours you need. Include your wedding date, preferred session date and design reference so the team can assess the request properly.

Match the venue to the work

The Craft Labs workshop details list a 1.5-hour session and a studio accommodating up to 50 participants, around five minutes’ walk from Marymount MRT. Sessions at a preferred venue can also be arranged.

Choose a location with enough table space for active crafting and a separate area for completed pieces. For a home or condominium function room, check booking conditions, table protection, cleaning responsibilities and access for bringing materials in.

Keep refreshments away from the working tables. Leave clear routes between seats so helpers can move around without reaching across freshly poured moulds. Ask about step-free access and comfortable seating if older relatives are joining.

Give the session a simple running order

Agree on the sequence with the facilitator, especially if your favour quantity requires an extended session. A useful order is demonstration, sample approval, making, checking and handover.

Choose one coordinator to handle attendance and questions, leaving the couple free to participate. At each table, nominate someone to track quantities and label trays. Record how many pieces have been poured, checked and accepted; a total of moulds filled can hide a shortfall in usable gifts.

Let everyone watch the demonstration before starting. Follow the trainer’s measurements and pouring instructions, and work in batches they can comfortably supervise. Avoid having the whole group mix materials before help is available.

Use waiting periods for writing thank-you tags or taking photographs, provided the facilitator says the work can be left undisturbed. Keep the mood sociable by building in breaks when scheduling multiple batches.

Confirm finishing and check every piece

Craft Labs states that coasters can be unmoulded during the workshop. Confirm separately when your batch will be ready for finishing, packing and use.

Ask whether the chosen material needs further drying, sealing, edge finishing or protective backing, and who will complete each step. Get care instructions for the actual material and finish before printing anything for guests.

Once the pieces are ready, check them on a flat surface. Set aside any with cracks, chipped edges, an uneven base or a finish that needs attention. Place a cup on the sample to check that it sits comfortably within the usable area.

Assign one person to approve the final batch. Small pattern differences can be part of the handmade appeal; faults that affect stability or handling need resolving before the gifts reach the tables.

Pack and hand over the favours

Test one complete package before buying boxes or sleeves for the whole batch. It should hold the coaster securely, protect its edges and open without pulling against the surface.

Add a short thank-you note and the confirmed care guidance. For guests travelling home after the wedding, favour compact packaging that fits easily into luggage.

Pack only when the facilitator confirms the pieces are ready. Separate coasters so they cannot knock together, and store the cartons away from splashes. Label each carton with its quantity and intended reception table or distribution point.

Agree with the venue coordinator who will receive the cartons and place the favours. Keep the reserve pieces together in a clearly marked box for easy access.

Frequently asked questions

Can beginners join the coaster making session?

Yes. Craft Labs welcomes beginners, with facilitators available to guide them. Share the design reference beforehand so they know what they are aiming for. Though all coasters will come out differently.

Do we need to bring craft materials?

Craft Labs supplies the powder, acrylic liquid, moulds and tools. Wear clothes you do not mind getting messy. Confirm arrangements for any extra wedding packaging.

Can children help make the favours?

Children are welcome. Craft Labs specifies parental supervision for younger participants aged three to seven. Share children’s ages when booking so the team can advise on participation.

Can we book with fewer than five people?

Yes. Craft Labs states that groups below five can attend, with rates charged for five participants. Request a quotation for your planned group.