Homemade Tile Coasters

I was feeling in a very crafty mood this weekend, so I referred to my Pinterest boards to decide what to make for my apartment! One thing I really needed was coasters so I could prevent condensation rings on my end tables as well as put glasses on my ottoman without them falling over.

One common pin on Pinterest is coasters made with tiles and scrapbook paper. It seemed like such a simple perfect idea! A lot of the coasters out there are not very special, but making your own with some fun paper would provide that little bit of flair to my living room. They are also good for house warming gifts or really any type of gift because you can customize them to each persons personality and decor, so it's very possible that sometime in the future, my friends will be getting some homemade coasters!

I went to Michaels to pick out my paper. That was a process! There are so many different ways you could go. You could have all of them have the exact same paper and pattern, you could get all different types of paper so they all look completely different, or you could get a paper with a different enough design that all four would look slightly different, yet very coordinated. I decided to go with the latter. It probably took me about 20 minutes to choose a paper because I couldn't decide on which one I wanted to use! There were so many patterns and so many colors, but I eventually picked out one that I absolutely love and am so excited about! I only needed one piece because I was making four coasters, and one 12x12 sheet of scrapbook paper would be plenty.

The materials you need for this are:

• 4 tiles (4.25 x 4.25. I bought mine from Lowes and got very lucky because I found the last four in a "biscuit" color which is off white)
• 1 piece of scrapbook paper (or however many types you want to use...but cut into 3.75 x 3.75 pieces)
• 1 piece of felt (also cut into 3.75x3.75 pieces)
• Mod Podge (I got the gloss version. This was my first venture with Mod Podge and I didn't realize how many different kinds there were!)
• Clear Acrylic Sealer (I used Krylon's Triple-Thick Crystal Clear glaze, but the regular, non-triple-thick works fine too from the other instructions I've read)
• A sponge brush (for the Mod Podge)
• Heavy duty glue (I used Fabri-tac)

Overall, the project cost me about $20, but if you don't count the Mod Podge, sealer, and glue, which will be used for other future projects I have in mind, it's really more like $5! 

Make sure you place the tiles on some newspaper so you don't have to worry about getting Mod Podge on your carpet/hardwood/tile. You start by spreading a thin layer of Mod Podge on a tile with the sponge brush and then place one of the pieces of scrapbook paper on the tile. Make sure you push the paper down to try and get out air bubbles. Even though I did this, I will say I still ended up with one or two air bubbles. Repeat with the other three tiles.

Once the Mod Podge dries (after about 15 minutes), spread another thin layer of Mod Podge, this time on top of the paper. Make sure you get all the edges! Let the Mod Podge dry for 15 minutes. Repeat this step two more times.

Once this final layer of Mod Podge is dried, take the tiles outside, keeping them on the newspaper, so you can spray the acrylic sealer. Trust me, you do not want to do this inside, the fumes are intense! Spray the sealer about 10-12 inches away from the tiles, and make sure you cover them completely because this is what makes your coasters water resistant. You'll want to let the tiles dry for about four hours. 

Once the sealer has dried, you can bring them back inside so you can glue the felt to the bottom. The felt will keep the tiles from scratching up whatever surface you put them on because let's face it, the bottom of tiles is not as nice as the top! You can do some other variations of this, either doing a felt pad on each corner, or using cork, or some other non-slip strong medium that will protect your surface. 

And once the glue dries...you have your very own homemade coasters!!