Can anyone tell me how thick of wood a trivet needs to be? I’m guessing I can’t get away with 1/8" plywood…
And while I’m asking…would acrylic hold up as a trivet?
Oh oh! And another question! What about the proofgrade veneers? Anyone know if they can handle the heat?
I haven’t done much with trivets. I can say that I would be very hesitant regarding any with a veneer, as you might heat the glue up, and debond your plywood.
1/8 would be too thin because the radiant heat could affect the finish of your fancy dining room table, and then you are in big trouble.
I think the bigger question would be what the heat would do to what the trivet was protecting 
As for the material itself, I would not use anything with MDF but you could have the design with many sorts of feet worked into the design and even supports above the design, As for veneers, there would bee more delicacy but the glue and pressure holding them on would be as much as the type of wood. In all those cases you would want a good lacquer or varnish to seal the wood as much against stain as anything else.
Acrylic well soften at 300F and might weaken a bit before that but the hot material is rarely above 210F or boiling water. As with everything testing is recommended before making any expensive work be that test,
Those were both my assumptions as well…but I was hoping someone would prove my thoughts wrong! 
A six inch square tile with a nice wood border or felt pads makes a nice trivet.
You can buy thin (1/8") sheets of cork to put beneath anything else so if you have your heart set on a thinner piece of material…
I’ve figured out a way! Thanks guys! I’ll post pictures once done! I’m using 1/8" proofgrade ply, glued to another non proofgrade ply, with wool felt on the bottom. So far they are turning out pretty nice 
Not perfect, but I’m ok with that for this round. Less waste, less time involved. Will be ready for Christmas.
FWIW, tiles make excellent trivets.
Glad you found good solution!
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