Thursday, June 3, 2010

A Tutorial- How to Make Paper and Cardboard Coasters

Or make ceramic tile coasters, same process.

What you need:
Scissors
Cardboard coasters- I found mine at Michaels craft store over in the dollar section, a package of eight for, you guessed it, one dollar.


Paper of your choice- the thick scrapbooking paper works best and comes in so many fun prints. If you don't have a scrapbooking store near you there are tons of internet ones or just get some from Michaels or Joanns.
Glue or glue sticks- I like the wrinkle free scotch glue sticks, 2/2.00 at walmart.


Mod podge and varnish



If you have round coasters, trace around them on your paper to cut out your circles, if you have square coasters, just cut it into squares a little larger than your coasters. If you want to make ceramic tile coasters, cut the paper about 4" square, this will leave a border of tile around the paper. Plain white tile coasters are only 16c each at Home Depot or Lowes. Cheap.

Take your glue stick and glue the coaster top and back of the paper- to help the glue stick better, you can lightly sand the coaster first, the ones I got have a slick surface on them. For ceramic tile coasters, no sanding needed. Press your glued paper onto the coaster and smooth, if you have a brayer or rolling pin, that helps the paper to lie flat.

After the glue has set, carefully trim any excess paper from around the edges.


Then, to kind of clean up the edges, lightly sand with a downward motion all around the edges. Emery boards work well for me plus you can get a big package at the dollar store, for again, you guessed it, one dollar.

Then, if you'd like, you can ink the edges to kind of hide any errors and make the coasters look a little more 'finished'. Scrapbook stores sell all different colors of inks and pads to put your ink wherever you want it to be.


Then I put two coats of mod podge and two coats of polyurethane varnish and they're done!


Of course if you don't want to run around getting all the supplies and what not, you can always just buy a darn set already from my shop here.

Or my Artfire shop here.

They're only six bucks for a set of four. You'd spend way more than that for all the supplies! ha ha

I was thinking that this coaster idea would be really cute for moms with little kids. Either take some of the artwork that the kids have done and use that for the paper (make color copies first) or copy some of your photos of their smiling little faces (if you can stand to put a drink down on someone's face that is) and put them on coasters. They'd make really cute gifts for the grandparents! Kids can help make them, too!

3 comments:

Jim and Heather on Meerkat said...

I bought some from you! Made perfect sense to moi ;)

Jim and Heather on Meerkat said...

Wow - I already received my package! Way fast delivery - Jim loves his coasters - thanks Lizbeth :)

Anonymous said...

glad he likes the coasters!