Tile Coaster Tutorial
April 7th, 2010
So my good friend Emily just moved into her completely redone house a few weeks ago, and she asked me to make her some unique coasters. I love the look of these from Target, but $15? Get real.
For this tutorial, you’ll need a set of tiles – I got a handful from Home Depot for $0.20 a piece, some scraps of scrapbooking paper or any kind of paper really, some mod podge, clear acrylic spray, and felt pads for the bottom.
First, cut and measure you paper to the fit your tile. The tiles I purchased were 4.25″ x 4.25″ so I cut my paper to 4″ squares.
Next, clean and dry your tiles – they are much easier to work with if you clean them off thoroughly. After you have dried them off, apply a thin coat of mod podge to your tiles, place your decorative paper on top and smooth out all bubbles. Allow this to dry for about 15 minutes, then apply 2 – 3 more coats allowing each coat to dry adequately.
After you’ve applied your mod podge top coats, take your tiles out to a well ventilated area and apply two coats of your acrylic spray (I sprayed mine outside in the grass). The acrylic needs only a few minutes between coats to dry, then stick your felt pads on the bottom – one to each corner. And if all goes well, you’ll come up with something like this!
Cute right! And best of all CHEAP! They are a great housewarming party, or hostess gift. And they take very little time and effort – my kind of craft!
Today I’m going to finish up Emily’s – so excited to see how they look in her new house!
And, I’ve got a few big projects that I am STILL working on, and I CAN’T wait to show you all! So stay tuned!
This post was featured on Handmade Matters & The Rubber Punkin!
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[...] post: Blueprint Crafts » Tile Coaster Tutorial April 7th, 2010 Krista19re No [...]
I love frugal ideas like this, thank you for sharing!
Very cute! I love these -
[...] Crafts shares a tutorial for how to make your own set of tile coasters. These would be great made with postcards! Share this [...]
This is SO fabulous! I’m making a list of supplies right now, so I can make several!
Here via The Rubber Punkin, via Executive Homemaker
LOVE this idea!!! I just did a set using photos of me as a child and plan on giving them to my mom for mothers day!!
Doesn’t the condensation from the glass roll off the coaster and onto your table?
Dani – no it does’t! It actually just sits on the coaster. I use one every day for my coffee and water, and have not had any problems with the condensation making its way onto the table.
These look fantastic!
Okay, this is brilliant. Can’t wait to make my own set and then make a dozen more to keep in the closet for those “I need a gift, and fast” moments. Great post!
What did the felt pad look like that you stuck on and what did you use to stick it on?
you can find the felt pads at any home improvement or craft store – they look like this:
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xhw/R-100158817/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
[...] @ 12:43 am Momspiration Monday Once Wed shows us how to make this Lighted Paper Garland. Blueprint Crafts made these lovely coasters out of $.20 tile squares! What a great idea for Christmas gifts! [...]
These are super cute! What kind of acrylic spray did you use?
i used a water resistant acrylic spray i found at home depot!
These are awesome!!! I tried them today – made 16 coasters! I made a set for myself and the others are gifts. This was SO EASY and they look so professional! I can’t wait to give them as gifts. Thanks for sharing! :-)
that’s great allison! please send me pics!
Such a cool idea! Thanks for the tip…I’m posting this one on my blog to share with my friends. : )
Thanks Maisy! I hope to share new tutorials soon!
I tried my own version of your tutorial and love how they turned out. Linked back to you. :)
I made a set of these, and tried them out – I love how they look, but one issue – my glass stuck to the tile, the condensation made a puddle on the top, which was fine… but then made the glass stick to the tile to where when I picked up my glass, it wanted to bring the tile with it. Help?
Maybe the acrylic spray needed some more time to set? I don’t have the problem with cold drinks, but sometimes my coffee mug will stick!
Hi,
I love your idea. I see some have posted that the a cold glass with condensation sticks to the tile. I was wondering if they left a discoloration ring on the tile. I was wondering about the 1 coat equals 1000 product, but that would be a lot of work and expense. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve not had any discoloration. I do get coffee rings, but they wipe off with a damp cloth!
Hi there, I have been making these for a while and they’re great but I have some problems now and then and I didn’t know if you could help. I have the problem of things imprinting onto the acrylic even after the acrylic has been drying for many days. Especially from the felt when they’re stacked one on top of the other. Is there a trick to this? Have you had this problem? Any special felt, or specific acrylic you use? Any help would be appreciated thanks :)
Hi Ashley! I have not personally had that problem. And unfortunately, I cannot remember what brand/type of acrylic spray I used! When I was at Home Depot I told the man what I was looking for and how I was using it and he got me some heavy duty stuff! I’m sure that if you ask a helper at your local hardware store they can do the same for you! Thanks for stopping by :)
Just curious, would fabric work instead of paper?
Ashley – I would use a light weight cotton!
Has anyone ever tried this with left over Christmas paper?
Cathy – I’ve seen others use Christmas paper! Great way to use small bits of leftover paper :)
[...] tutorial [...]
Hi there!
I want to let you know that I am featuring your EXTRAORDINARY project today on my blog… Love it!
Thanks Desiree!!
What type of tiles do you use? I’m new to this whole thing and don’t know which ones to use..? :) I love this idea!!!
Ashley – I used the cheapest kitchen tile I could find at Lowe’s or Home Depot that were sold individually!
I love new ideas. thanks for sharing :)
These are awesome! To anyone who has done them with photos: should I use a glossy print or just print the pictures out on regular paper?
Martha – I would do glossy print, as I would be afraid that if you printed on regular paper the ink might run! Thanks for stopping by :)
Thank you for this lovely tutorial. Added this onto my blog post today!
What a great ides.
Would this work with fabric, as you could make your coasters to match your curtains.
Carol – it would absolutely work with fabric! What a great idea!
I made these for my husband, i printed modern warfare 3 (the video game) pictures off the internet instead of using cardstock. then i used cork instead of felt for the bottom. they turned out fabulous!
Ashley – that sounds awesome! Would love to see pics! Email me at jordan@blueprintcrafts.com :)
Hi Jordan, this is a great craft and I’ve had lots of fun trying it–I’ve made 9 sets for gifts and they look great, but I’ve had some of the same troubles mentioned here. After all the tiles were modpodged, I laid them out to dry on the table, and I’m noticing condensation has built up under the tiles on the table surface. I’m thinking it may have something to do with how cold it’s been the last few days. The acrylic spray is also taking longer to cure, and getting imprints if I stack the tiles. I’m going to try the cork bottom and see how that affects things; I’ll keep you posted!
Krystal – I have not experienced this problem. Maybe because when I made them, I did the modge podging and spraying outside and let them dry in the sun. I believe it was during the summer months, so that might have something to do with it! Perhaps try using a heated hair dryer to help cure the layers? Let me know how you make out!!
I’ve had a problem with the coaster sticking to the glass – hot or cold. Any suggestions? I’ve added extra coats of the acrylic, but with no luck. It’s frustrating, and this is the ONLY thing that’s making them not perfect! :)
Dana – it sounds like the acrylic isn’t drying completely. When I made mine, I let them dry outside in the heat (middle of summer) for about hour or more for each coat. Since it’s winter, I would try letting it dry for an hour, and then using a hair dryer to cure the acrylic. Hope that helps!!
Love these! Waiting for step 1 to dry. I added a monogram to it by cutting out initials with my cricut!
This is such a cute idea! I am making some for my mother in-law and my sister in-law for Christmas. I used cute blingy scrapbook paper and they are turning out so cute! It is very cold where I live so I tried the hair dryer idea to set the coats of acrylic and it worked great!