DIY Photo Coasters

I am just so excited about the latest project I did and I wanted to share!

I got the inspiration from The CardStore blog.  I decided to make 6 coasters to protect my new coffee table we just bought.  I wanted something personal and unique, so when I stumbled upon The Card Store blog post, I knew that was exactly what I wanted.

I basically followed the CardStore's tutorial with a few changes.

What I used:

• 4 1/4" x 4 1/4" ceramic tiles (bought at the Home Depot, I chose black, 10 cents each)
• 4x6 or 4x4 photos (my local Walgreens printed them 4x4. I decided to use black & white, but color looks great too!)
• Black Sharpie marker (if you use white tiles you do not need this)
• Scissors (only if you need to cut your 4x6 photos down to 4x4)
• Glue Stick or Modge Podge (used to stick the photo to the tile so it doesn't move)
• Epoxy (found mine at my local craft store, Michaels, and it was EasyCast brand)
• Disposable Foam Brushes
• Plastic Cups, Paper Plates, and Plastic Spoon
• Black Felt
• White Marking Pencil (or other type of white marker that will show up on black felt)
• Hot Glue Gun with refills

Step 1: Color the sides of the tiles with a black Sharpie marker - I decided to use black tiles, but the tiles had unfinished edges. I wanted the coasters to be solid black. If your tiles are white, you can skip this step.

Step 2: Wipe down each tile with a cloth to remove dust/debris. Spread Modge Podge onto the top of the tile (or use a glue stick on the back of the picture) and press picture (cut to 4x4 size) firmly down onto the top of the tile. Make sure your picture is centered on the tile.  Important thing here is to make sure your corners are glued down well.

Step 3: Using a paper plate and cup, turn the cup upside down onto the plate. Place the tile with the picture on top of the cup.

Step 4: Mix the epoxy per the directions. The EasyCast I used had two bottles that required an even amount of each. I simply estimated and poured an even amount of each into a plastic cup and used a plastic spoon to mix.

Step 5: Using the plastic spoon, I scooped a generous amount of epoxy onto the center of the picture. I used the disposable foam brush, to spread the epoxy over the picture and tile. Make sure to cover 100% of the top of the tile and even run the brush along the sides. DO NOT BE AFRAID! I used too little the first time because I was afraid the epoxy would ruin my picture. Two of my pictures ended up lifting slightly at the corners and I had to do a second coat. So don't be afraid to use a good amount. It will not ruin your picture! You will have plenty left over of the epoxy as well.  Also, the epoxy takes a while to harden so you don't have to rush.

Step 6: Wait! It takes 3 to 4 days for the epoxy to dry to a point where it is not sticky and can be used.  Place your tiles in a safe, cool place to dry. I waited 4 days to be on the safe side.


Step 7: Once your coasters are dry, lay one of them on top of your felt.  Using the white marking pencil, draw around the whole edge of your tile. Cut out the square following just inside the white line (you want the felt slightly smaller than the square of the coaster so the edges don't hang out from the bottom).  


Step 8: Flip tiles upside down. Using the hot glue gun, spread a bead of glue in the center of your tile and firmly press your felt down. Make sure your felt is centered on your tile. Spread a bead of glue down one side of the tile as closely to the edge as you can and firmly press down the felt right away. The glue dries really fast, which is why I did one edge at at time. Continue beading glue along one edge and quickly pressing down the felt until you complete all edges. Trim any felt hanging over the edge or glue strings with scissors. 

That's it! Simple, right? And they are gorgeous!! My mother and mother-in-law are already asking me to make them a set for Christmas!!

Price Breakdown:

Tiles - 6 tiles x $0.10 ea = $0.60
Felt - 2 sheets of black x $.25 ea = $0.50
Pictures - 6 photos, printed size 4 x 4 (Walgreens) at $0.39 ea =$2.34
Epoxy - EasyCast Brand (Michael's Craft Store) = $12.99 (most expensive part of project, but 
                you have plenty left over to make more coasters or for other projects!!
Foam Brush - 2 brushes x .59 ea = $1.18 (I ended up using only one)

The rest of the items I already had so they were free! 

Total Cost = $17.61 for SIX coasters!!!!! 

(Remember, the Epoxy technically will make many more coasters so the cost per tile is probably cheaper than this!)

Happy Crafting!

~Dragon's Blossom~