I’m going to level with you. I thought they were called hot plates. But it’s all sorted now and I have three creative and affordable trivets you can make in the span of a couple hours. I know this because Miss Congeniality was on while I did this project.

Cork trivet

If you have any corks lying around, just waiting for a project, consider the trivet. Materials: wooden picture frame, cardboard, corks, a sharp knife, and white glue.

1. Cut cardboard to fit snugly into picture frame. Ensure frame is made of heat-resistant material.
2. Cut corks into same-sized pieces (about half an inch) and glue onto cardboard

Allow glue to dry completely—about two hours.

Tile trivet

1. Tile trivets are incredibly simple and fun to make. All you need is some scrap tile, felt or marbles, and glue. Optional materials are stencils and paint.
2. If stencilling designs on the tiles, clean tiles before painting. Allow paint to dry completely before assembling the rest.

To protect surfaces from tile scratches affix four marbles or four squares of felt to bottom four corners of tile. If using marbles, affix with glue gun. If using felt affix with spray glue.

Allow glue to dry completely before using trivet.

Fabric trivet

This looks fancy but is so easy. You will need a circular trivet (nothing pretty, just a piece of wood or something), remnant fabric, batting, lace, scissors, a glue gun, and glue.

1. Cut batting in a circle, slightly bigger than your trivet
2. Cut fabric in a circle, one inch bigger than batting
3. Place batting and fabric on trivet, flip to underside and (using a glue gun) glue overlapping edges to underside. Allow glue to dry completely
4. Glue lace to underside of trivet. Allow glue to dry completely

I don’t know about you, but I’ve just found housewarming gifts for the next decade.