I just finished another one of my more labor-intensive gifts and I'm actually pretty excited about it! I saw this crafting blog on Pinterest and immediately loved it. This particular post shows how to make coasters from basic ceramic tiles, fun scrapbooking paper, and modpodge. What a great idea! I always see those cute coaster sets in stores and can't get over how crazy expensive they are. And they're always in sets of four. I mean, who's only going to need four coasters? Seriously.
I had every intention of making a set for myself with the scrapbooking paper. And then I had a brainstorm. What if I used pictures instead? I could use them as a personalized present idea! I immediately thought of my friends Ray and Ashleigh who were just married this past summer.Ashleigh can be pretty crafty herself, so I knew she'd appreciate the DIY aspect of it as well.
Here's what you'll need:
- ceramic tiles from your local hardware store ($0.16 at Home Depot)
- modpodge
- the pictures you're going to use
- acrylic top coat
- felt pads
- scissors, cutting board, etc.
I originally debated using real pictures with this, but I wasn't sure how the thicker paper would react. I erred on the side of caution (and convenience) and found digital versions of the pictures I wanted to use. Thanks Facebook! I cropped each picture to 4x4 and printed them out on regular old computer paper. Then I trimmed all the excess paper from around the edges.
Using a sponge brush, I painted on a thin layer of modpodge onto a clean tile. Gently place the picture onto the tile and adjust so it's it's centered. I don't have a fancy scraper, so I just used an old movie loyalty card to smooth out the paper. Then I added another thin layer of modpodge on top.
Not too bad for my first attempt! Once the glue was dry I added a second coat to be thorough and let them dry overnight. The next morning, I added a top coat of the acrylic spray paint to seal and waterproof the coasters. Let them dry, repeat. I think I did three coats total. Maybe I should have done more, but I was cold and just wanted to come inside.
Once they were completely dry, I added felt pads to the bottom to prevent scratching. Sorry for the terrible picture! I couldn't get my flash to cooperate.
Tah-Dah! All ready to be wrapped and given as a present!