Back in 2011 I bought a set of four ceramic tile coasters at a local craft fair. Most of the coasters the woman was selling were stamped, although I fell in love having a set in which was made with pretty red & black floral scrapbook paper on an ivory background. They match my living room perfectly. I told myself way back then in which I wanted to make these someday. Being a crafter myself, I could tell they're pretty easy to make. I didn't want to ask the seller her secrets so I took my brand-new coasters home along with also admire them every time I use one (which is every single day).
Since then I've seen them everywhere online - mostly Etsy along with also Pinterest - although also on blogs along with also craft sites. Etsy sellers are selling them for anywhere through $10 to $20 for a set of four, which is fine if you're not a do-in which-yourselfer who knows you can make them for a fraction of in which cost. (sellers in which charge less than $10 aren't paying themselves enough for the time spent creating them)
I've found a ton of tutorials online for how to make these. Most are pretty much the same having a few differences here along with also there (mainly cost to make along with also the glue along with also sealer used). I finally found something in which worked for me.
After gathering all the supplies needed, I spent a few days creating a set as a housewarming gift for my nephew along with also his fiance. Let me just say in which you should probably not make your first set as a gift, although I felt fairly confident in my abilities to do in which. Besides, if I screwed up I bought plenty of tiles to make another set.
in which's my daughter baking brownies behind my pile of supplies. :)
Supplies:
Four 4" ceramic tiles through Lowe's, Home Depot, etc., washed along with also dried
Mod Podge or Elmer's White Glue along with also water
Foam brush
Four squares of scrapbook paper cut a little smaller than your tiles
Rustoleum Crystal Clear Enamel
Four squares of felt cut to fit the bottoms of the tiles (I just noticed the felt isn't in my photo - oops)
newspaper to protect your work surface
well ventilated area for spraying the Rustoleum
Every tutorial I read said you can find tiles dirt cheap (5 cents each - seriously?). I found tiles at Lowe's on clearance for 35 cents each. They'd marked them down a whopping 2 cents each. Woo hoo! I bought 20 tiles with the intention of creating a few coaster sets as gifts along with also possibly a set for myself. I picked up a tiny bottle of Elmer's Glue at Lowe's for $1.69. I'm sure I could have gotten in which at Wally World for much less although I was at Lowe's along with also didn't feel like creating a special trip to Walmart. I'm a scrapbooker so the paper was already in my stash. I paid 50 cents for the sheet along with also still have half the sheet left after cutting out four squares. I found the Rustoleum inside paint dept. of Walmart for less than $4.00 - I'm pretty sure in which'll last for all the sets I plan to make. I also bought a package foam brushes at Walmart. They charge $1.50 for a bag of 12 assorted size brushes or you can buy one brush for 75 cents. in which was kind of a no-brainer to get the whole bag. I bought four 9x12 pieces of felt at JoAnn's for 34 cents each. I'll save the extras for future projects.
If you don't have Mod Podge, or don't want to invest in Mod Podge, you can make your own using Elmer's White Glue along with also water. I had a bottle of Mod Podge although in which dried up so I went with Plan B, which was to use Elmer's along with also water. I bought a tiny 4 oz. bottle along with also poured the whole thing into a tiny deli container (use a container in which you don't care about ruining). I then filled the glue bottle with water along with also added a tiny amount at a time to the glue inside bowl. I stirred having a craft stick along with also added tiny amounts of water until in which was the consistency I wanted. I've read tutorials in which say to use 1/2 white glue, 1/2 water although in my opinion in which would likely have made in which way too watery. I think I used roughly 2 oz of water to the 4 oz of glue. in which is how in which looked when I was done mixing. Not in which you can tell the consistency inside photo, although you get a general idea.
Once I had my newspaper laid out, my tiles washed along with also dried along with also my glue mixed up, I began my project. Using the 3" brush in which came inside package, I brushed the surface of the tile with the glue mixture, then laid the scrapbook paper over in which. You have time to move in which around. Smooth in which out carefully to get any bubbles out. I didn't have any problem with bubbles although I think in which's because my paper was thick. Do one tile at a time so your glue doesn't dry before you get the paper on. Once in which's all done, rinse your brush out definitely well with water along with also go find something to do while they dry. I think I waited about a half hour or so.
The next step is to Mod Podge over the paper. Try to coat in which evenly along with also give in which time to dry between coats. I did three coats of Mod Podge. in which step took several hours because I wanted to make sure they were dry between coats. Again, watch for bubbles along with also gently smooth them out. You don't want to tear your paper. Rinse your brush out thoroughly between coats. If the Mod Podge dries on your brush in which'll pretty much be useless. I should also mention in which after in which step was done, I still had plenty of my homemade Mod Podge left to make another set.
After I knew my tiles were dry (I waited a few days to do the next step), I brought the project outside to spray them with sealer. My neighbors must have thought I was nuts because I kept moving the table out of the sun. By the time I sprayed my last coat my work table was clear across the various other side of the yard. LOL
Follow the directions on the Rustoleum can along with also spray the tiles evenly. I tried my best to keep them out of the sun (next time I'll use the garage) along with also through under the trees so Mother Nature didn't mess up all my hard work. The Rustoleum seals them along with also gives them a little bit of a gloss. I did three coats (my husband thought in which wasn't necessary to do in which many although these are coasters along with also I want to make sure they don't get damaged by condensation). I let each coat dry for at least an hour.
After all the Mod Podging along with also sealer spraying, in which was time to glue the felt on the bottom. I was unsure how to go about doing in which, although in which seemed to me (along with also internet searching told me in which) in which the best option for gluing felt to tile is hot glue. We have a hot glue gun although I personally have never used in which. My daughter has, along with also she told me I'd have about 30 seconds to position my felt before the hot glue sets. Wrong. For my first coaster I applied glue to the entire bottom of the tile before putting the felt down, then realized in which the glue had set completely before I got the felt on. Ugh. I'd gotten in which far without screwing something up along with also now the bottom was a mess. I added more hot glue along with also worked quickly to get the felt on. The first one arrived a hot mess (no pun intended), with glue showing on the edge of the felt. in which's hard to see in in which pic although in which's there.
I slowed down for the various other coasters along with also while I still had a few mishaps, in which went better. I now know to apply the hot glue to tiny areas along with also work fast. The various other coasters didn't come out as messy looking.
I showed my daughter the first coaster along with also she told me she didn't even notice the glue drips. I forced myself to let go of my perfectionism along with also reminded myself in which the glue is on the bottom along with also no one is going to notice in which. If I planned on selling them in which would likely be a different story, although since I'm not my gift recipients are going to get them with all their little imperfections.
I had the cost breakdown written down although I lost the yellow sticky note. I can tell you in which in which set of four cost me less than $4.00 to make. What did I say they're going for on Etsy - $10-$20? Considering most of the time spent creating them is waiting for them to dry (along with also you can be cleaning house, watching TV, napping, playing games on Facebook or surfing Pinterest while you do in which), the labor is minimal.
These were a gift so I bought a roll of matching ribbon at Wally World ($1.99), tied a pretty bow around them along with also added a little tag (punched through one of my many paper punches) to let them know they were handmade by their favorite auntie.
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