How to Make Coasters with Scrapbook Paper and Mod Podge

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I always think it is crazy how expensive coasters can be, so I decided to design my own. I have done a couple variations so far, and I am going to share both with you this week. Both of these variations use the same base material – plain white tiles such as those you would find in a bathroom or kitchen. These tiles are only about 16 cents per tile at a hardware store, so the project is much more reasonable than buying a set.
The coasters I am sharing with you today use Mod Podge to adhere cute scrapbook paper (the ones that match my Letter Wall tutorial) to the tiles. They are a perfect addition to my office. The project as a whole took maybe an hour, but a lot of that time was down time while the different steps were drying (I was cooking between the steps).
Materials:
White Tiles (mine were 4.25×4/25 for 16 cents each at Lowes)
Mod Podge (I use the matte)
Scrapbook Paper (squares cut to 4×4 – depends on the size of your tile)
Brush or Sponge brush for Mod Podge
Something to pour your Mod Podge in
Clear Acrylic Coating (I use Krylon UV-Resistant Clear Acrylic Coating – Matte)
 Here are all the materials I started with, including my paper choices. They come from a paper stack I found at Joanns: DCWV Fresh Floral Stack.
Then, I cut the paper into 4×4 squares. Here I marked the size on the front to cut, but I wasn’t thinking. I recommend marking the size on the back so you won’t see any remnant marks on the coaster.
Then, I put a consistent layer of Mod Podge on the tile. You don’t want to put to thick a layer on so make sure it is smoothed out with no clumps.
I start with one corner of the paper on the tile and start smoothing it on. You want to avoid bubbles, so the idea is to slowly smooth the paper onto the tile. You can see in this picture that I have a slight bubble, so before I continued smoothing out the paper I went back and rubbed the bubble out. This can be tricky for me sometimes; probably because I don’t always have enough patience.
Here is what it looks like with it completely on the tile. Give it at least 10 minutes before you move on to the next step because you don’t want it to shift on you.
Then, you will be putting two layers of Mod Podge on top of the paper and tile about 20 minutes apart– you are sealing and protecting the paper. Again, you don’t want it to be too thick or have any heavier spots. You want to go for consistency. I also recommend putting the two layers on in opposite directions (so one layer will go on vertically and the other horizontally). Doing this will help prevent the Mod Podge from looking too thick on top of the image. Wait 20 minutes until moving on to the next step.
NOTE 1: if you are not familiar with Mod Podge, it will look white when you apply it like in the picture, but it will dry clear. I have found it to still look white after 20 minutes before, wait until it is clear before moving on to the next step.
NOTE 2: I have found that sometimes, no matter how careful I was in putting on the paper originally, I get small bubbles in the later steps. Once it has dried (you want to avoid imprinting your fingerprint), press down on the bubble and it should smooth out again.
After allowing both layers of Mod Podge to dry, I follow the directions on the can and spray the coasters with the clear Acrylic coating. This will protect the coasters and all your hard work from any moisture or heat from a glass. I did one without this and it did not hold up, so do NOT skip this step. (Sorry, it slipped my mind and I didn’t take a picture of this step.)
Lastly, I use the sticky felt circles or squares on the back to protect table top surfaces from the tile. You could also glue on felt or cork to the back.
I am really happy with these coasters, especially the little pop of color they bring to my desk. Tomorrow I will share with you some “Polaroid” picture coasters I made using the tiles, Mod Podge, and pictures.

Comments

  1. Audrey Ryan says

    Those are so wonderful!!! I really love coasters because they’re the solution to my problems with rings marks on my table. That is why i always use them at home. This post gives me the idea of making my own coaster too. Thanks for sharing this. -http://www.jrsalescorp.com/

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