Crafty Coasters

I've never understood why coasters are so expensive. They're handy little things if you don't want your drinks leaving ugly little rings on your furniture, but they aren't something I want to drop $10 on. That's money much better spent on a good glass of vino.

I got on the coaster kick because we have some pretty old furniture in our cottage and there's nothing left - in the form of a sealant - on the tops of the tables to prevent water rings whenever we set a glass down. So I've been thinking coasters are in my future. But with the hope I wouldn't have to spend a fortune and that I could find something to go with our "lake living" vibe, I turned to the web for some inspiration and came across a simply brilliant solution!

Here are the supplies I needed:
(4) 4 1/4" ceramic tiles (got mine at a home improvement store for $0.11 each)
(1) large sheet of scrap book paper, any design or color you like (on sale for $0.16 at Michael's craft store)
(1) sheet of felt (also on sale for $0.16)
Inexpensive foam brush (~$0.24)
Mod Podge or some other decoupage product
Glue gun
If desired, clear sealant of some sort (spray paint, etc. for extra water proofing protection)

Since my DIY projects are sensitive to cost but usually started because I just can't find something "different" that I really like, this project was super fun because it addressed both. In this case I found a fun paisley piece of scrapbook paper, picked up the cheap white ceramic tiles and a piece of green felt that matched the paper.

To get started, I cut four squares of scrapbook paper, leaving about a centimeter of extra paper on each side of the tile to cover the edges and help it seal to the bottom. Then I applied a thin coat of Mod Podge to the top of the tile.

I then placed the paper upside down and placed the glue-side of the tile on top, using my hands to smooth it over so there weren't any wrinkles in the paper. When that was done, I cut notches out of each corner (see bottom right of photo below).

I then applied the glue to one side at a time, folding it over and gluing in place. After one side was glued down, I made sure to smooth out the front again before starting the next side since I noticed bubbles would start to appear if I skipped this step.

When all sides were in place, I gave the top and sides another thin coat of Mod Podge to protect and set the paper.

Then I allowed for time to dry (5 minutes, maybe 10). Afterwards, I cut four pieces of felt exactly to size and used a hot glue gun to put it in place. This would hide the edges but also make sure the tile didn't scratch the surface it'd be placed on. I was having so much fun, I started making a bunch of 'em.

If you have the basic supplies, the tiles, paper and felt will cost less than a buck. Since I wanted to make a bunch of these that may be given as gifts, I invested in a craft sealant ($3) that you spray on top to make sure they're water proof. I think they'd look really cute tied together with matching ribbon and added to a wine basket, or given as a housewarming gift with ingredients for a tasty cocktail.

Since you can use other materials besides scrapbook paper (e.g. pictures, pages of old books, magazine pages, sheet music, etc.) you can make them really personal. And ... you just can't beat that price!