I made set of photo coasters a couple of years ago. They were fun and really easy to do. There is a lot of drying time involved, so it's great for a day when you are hanging about the house. These instructions are pretty basic - don't be afraid to get creative. These make great gifts and can be customized for any occasion!
Supplies
4 - 4.25” by
4.25” ceramic tiles
1 piece of
8x10 felt
Mod Podge
Paint brush
Scissors
Knife
(crafting blade or xacto knife)
Hot Glue Gun
and glue sticks
4 - 4x4 photos
You can find
the ceramic tiles at your local hardware store.
I purchased mine at Home Depot for about 30 cents apiece. The color of felt is to your preference. This will cover the bottom of the tile to
give it a clean finish, and to protect your tables. Mod Podge can be found at your local craft
store, as well as the rest of the items.
For this particular set of instructions I am using four 4x4 photos to
use on my coasters, but you can also use scrapbook paper, newspaper or magazine
clippings, maps, sheet music, or any image you want to print out from your
computer on your coasters for your own unique set.
Step 1
Open the Mod
Podge, and using your paint brush, brush the glue on the back of the
image. Make sure you cover the entire
back of the photo evenly – you may want to put some newspapers down or have
paper towels handy when you get to the edges.
Then place the photo in the center of the smooth side of the coaster,
glue side down. Don’t worry about
placing it perfectly – you will be able to center it after you put it on. If you get any glue on the front of the
image, just wipe it off with a paper towel.
Move it aside to dry and continue gluing your images onto the other 3
coasters. Then let them all dry for
about 20 minutes.
Step 2
After
letting the coasters dry and ensuring the images are secure enough on the
coasters that they won’t slip around, you will now need to paint a couple of
layers of the Mod Podge on top of the photos.
Using the
paint brush, dip it again into Mod Podge and brush on top of the image. You want a smooth, thin layer here, so be
consistent in your brush strokes – back in forth in straight lines.
Let it dry
completely – about 30 minutes.
Then repeat
this step two more times. for a total of 3 layers.
If you are
really concerned about things spilling on your coasters (The Mod Podge does not
make them water proof, but offers them a bit more protection), then you can
purchase a water proof spray to use on them.
I did not do this part on my first set of coasters that I made, and I
have had them in a house with children and pets for two years with no major
issues.
Step 3
Cut the
piece of felt in half, and then cut each half in half again so that you have 4
pieces (it doesn’t have to be perfect yet!)
You can then either measure and mark the smaller pieces of felt to the
size of the coaster and cut, or if you have a sharp enough crafting blade or
knife, you can place the coaster on top of the felt and trim around (make sure
to use a cutting mat to protect your table if you use a blade!)
After you have cut your
felt the size of the coaster, glue the felt to the bottom
of the tile, using the hot glue gun. After the glue cools, put the tile down, with the
felt touching the table and trim any felt that is sticking out the sides using
the craft knife.
You’re
done!
