Coasters Make Great Gifts

Recently, I was asked to a friend’s house to do some decoupaging.  The sky was the limit of what we wanted to decoupage so I decided to do some coasters.  One of the ladies there that night worked at AAA and brought maps from all the country.  There were also scrapbooking paper and old books.

Madison and I had a great time using our imaginations as we made coaster after coaster.  I couldn’t help but think of how great these would be to give as gifts.  You could set aside a night or two and work on them.

What you will need:

Tiles
Mod Podge
Small Paint or Foam Brushes
Scrapbooking Paper/Maps/Books
Clear Coat Spray Paint
 

Tip:  You need to buy a tile which has a smooth top to make it easy to decoupage your paper onto the top of it.  A word to the wise would be to not buy Travertine like I did.  It was pretty and smooth on the top, but the bottom of the tile is rough.  If I had it to do over again, I would get a tile which is smooth on the top and smooth on the bottom too so tables don’t get scratched.  I used a tile which was 4″ x 4″.

How To Make Them

Place your tile over the paper you want to use.  Trace the outline of the tile on the paper.  Cut the paper with scissors or a straight edge cutter.  Place the cut paper face up on top of the tile.  Use a small paint brush or foam brush to spread the Mod Podge completely over the whole surface of the tile.  A caution should be given about using too much or too little.  Too much and your paper will ripple from too much product.  Too little and your paper will not have enough on it to stick.  Let dry.  Apply a second coat according to Mod Podge directions, if desired.  When dry, apply several coats of clear spray paint over the top and edges of your coasters to protect them from all of the drinks that will be sitting on them.  Add felt pads or cork to the bottoms if you would like to protect tables from damage.

Ideas

  • Use scrapbook paper in coordinating colors and patterns to make your coasters look pretty together.
  • Use take out menus from restaurants which you and your friend or spouse or family love to frequent together and decoupage them onto the tiles.
  • Get a map of the United States or a specific region and cut out and paste areas of the country which are important to you.
  • If you are separated by distance from someone you love, get a map of the United States and highlight the route between your town and theirs.  Cut the route out and give it as a birthday or Christmas gift or just as a happy.
  • Use newspapers or magazines to cut out quotes, articles, or pictures you like.
  • Use old books or your kid’s artwork from school.
If giving as gifts, tie each stack of four or six tiles with raffia or other festive ribbon.  Have fun and be creative.
Looking for another project to do?  Try Give A Corkboard a Makeover.

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