These are my favorite kinds of Christmas gifts....ones that are made with thought and love! One of the gifts I am making this year are these decoupage travel coasters. I have been decoupaging for years and it is by far one of my favorite crafts. I have decoupaged everything from jewelery to portraits. I just can't get enough of it. My aunt and uncle love to travel, and so their life style inspired me for the theme of these coasters....
*********************************Here is the tutorial*********************
You will need:
Bathroom tiles (whatever kind is on sale, I paid 16 cents a piece for mine)
2-3 foam brushes
A Pattern, scraps etc.
Modge Podge Glossy
Foam Contact paper or felt
A tiny can of Polyurathaine (8 oz)
Scissors
Tea or coffee
Tacky glue
Step 1:
Clean all your tiles with regular dish-washing soap and water and dry really well with paper towels or cloth, then set aside.
Step 2:
Place tile on pattern paper or on plain paper and trace around tile. Cut out all squares. If you are making the same coasters that I made you will use the plain paper and then once all the squares are cut out, proceed to step 3. If you are just making coasters on pattern paper skip step 3 and go on to step 4.
Step 3:
Lay out all squares and use coffee or tea bags to stain paper. Please allow paper to dry fully before proceeding to step 4.
Step 4 (optional):
Bring all paper squares outside and very carefully burn around all the edges. Use the lighter to light a section at a time, once it catches fire, immediately blow out, knocking ash residues off with your finger. You could also use a distress ink on the edges for a very similar effect but I chose the old method because I like the way it turns out different every-time.
Step 5:
Take one tile at a time and spread a generous portion of Modge Podge all over the finished side of the tile. Try and use patterned brush strokes.....going all one way. (ex. covering all either horizontal or vertical.) This just disperses it nicer. Add your paper square very carefully, and using your fingers gently rub out all air bubbles underneath paper. Once the air bubbles are all out cover in Modge Podge again.
***Hint: If you are making the coasters I made above then this is when you will be adding your tags, scraps, etc. layering and covering everything with Modge Podge.
Step 6:
Once all tiles are completely covered leave to dry for several hours.
Step 7:
Cover each tile with polyurethane to provide extra protection against water and heat etc. I put 3 coats of polyurethane on each coaster. Please remember to be patient and allow each coat to dry completely before applying another one.
Step 8:
Once your coasters are dry, then all you have left to do is to attach feet to the coasters. I choose a non skid foam contact paper material that I found at my local Home Depot on sale. You could use many things for this part including but not limited to; cork board, felt, rubber etc.
Cut four half inch squares out of material and glue with Tackey glue to all four corners of the bottom of the tile. Allow to dry completely and Enjoy! :)
Happy Coastering!!!!!!!!
-Erin :)
