A few weeks ago I partnered with one of my favorite photographers, Melody Melikian,
for a craft photoshoot! This gal has some serious talent when it comes
to capturing emotion, colors and those special candid moments in her pictures. We
organized a little outdoors craft workshop where we made coasters, drank
lemonade and enjoyed crafting out in the wilderness for a change. We had a
blast and I love how the pictures turned out! Check out more photos and
my Q&A on Melody’s photo blog.
These drink coasters are one of my all-time favorites, because they include the 3 ingredients to what I call the perfect DIY project: they're cheap, practical and fun to make. So next time you’re at the hardware store, just pick up
some plain ceramic tiles for a few cents and transform them into stylish coasters with your favorite decorative paper. I also love that this project is
100% customizable, because you can mix & match with any paper you'd like.
Plus they make great gifts, favors, or even a fun project
for a "girls night in" party. Follow the tutorial below to make your own set!
Materials:
• 4 x 4 inch tiles (I bought these from Home Depot for $0.16 each)
• Decorative scrapbook paper (thicker cardstock won't work as well)
• Mod Podge or any other decoupage medium
• Waterproof clear sealer spray (I like Krylon Clear Glaze)
• Felt
• Scissors
• Brush
• Pen or Sharpie
• Tacky glue
• Optional: Paper trimmer or x-acto knife with a ruler to help cut straight lines
Steps:
• Choose a design for your coasters. You could cover the entire tile with one piece of paper or layer on different pieces on top of each other.
• Cut out your scrapbook paper. If you would like to cover the entire tile, place the tile on top of the paper and trace, but cut it slightly smaller than the tile to ensure the edges won’t hang over. If you're not comfortable cutting freehand, use a paper trimmer or an x-acto knife with a ruler to get those straight lines.
• Brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on top of the tile and another layer on the back of the scrapbook paper.
• Place the paper over the tile and gently smooth out the paper with your fingers to remove any air bubbles. Make sure to get the corners!
• Let dry for a few minutes, but keep an eye on it and smooth out any air bubbles that may arise.
(continued below)
• Brush on an even coat of Mod Podge on top of the paper. It will dry clear so do not be afraid to layer on a generous amount. Again, keep an eye on it and gently rub out any air bubbles before it dries. Let dry for about 10 minutes then add another coat to ensure the paper is secured to the tile.
• Once it has completely dried, spray the tile with a craft sealer to make it water-resistant, following the manufacturer's directions on the bottle. Although the sealer should dry in a few minutes, avoid stacking the coasters for at least 24-48 hours to avoid them sticking to each other.
• To keep the tile form scratching your table, cut a piece of felt to the size of the tile and attach it to the bottom with tacky glue.
Enjoy your handmade coasters! Follow along on
Facebook and
Twitter to see all my new DIY projects.
