Saturday, September 24, 2011

DIY Paint Sample Coasters

I've been wanting to make these funky paint sample coasters ever since I saw the original post from CraftyCPA
on my friend Jen's pinterest. We resolved to make them together ASAP. They were pretty quick, extremely easy, and inexpensive as well! Look how pretty they turned out.


Here is what you will need: Paint samples of your choice, 4.25" x 4.25" ceramic tiles from the hardware store (look for ones without a beveled edge so your samples will lay flat; the ones we picked were only 10 cents apiece), mod podge, glossy spray acrylic enamel, felt, a glue gun, and scissors. 

Here's a picture of all the supplies we used.


Here's a close up of the samples I used: 




 Trim your paint samples down so they fit on the coaster without hanging over. Ours weren't quite wide enough to fit the whole tile, so you can see the white tile a little on the right and left sides. 

Apply mod podge to the glazed side of the tile and to the back of your trimmed paint sample. Apply the sample to the tile and move it around until it's exactly centered (or however you want it). The mod podge will look opaque, but trust me, it dries clear. Here's a picture after only applying the mod podge.


Once you've thoroughly applied mod podge to all your coasters (I made 5), allow them time to dry completely. Mod Podge dries pretty quickly and this didn't take more than 10 minutes or so - by the time I finished podging the last one, the first one was already completely dry. 

After all your tiles are dry, take everything outside on a tray or old board (something you can transport the tiles on easily but that you don't care if it gets messed up). Spray the tiles THOROUGHLY with the spray acrylic enamel. Douse them with it. 


After the first coat of enamel is semi-dry, douse them with the stuff again. This is what will give them a glossy and durable finish, so don't skimp. 


After they're dry, this is what you get:

 Cut your felt into squares the size of your tile. Apply them to the back of your tiles using the hot glue gun (this way the rough side of the tile won't scratch your counters or coffee table). And there you have it! Ain't they purty?

Considering Jen and I already had all the supplies we needed except for the tiles, this project came in at a grand total of 1.09$ for both of us! However, if you don't do crafts often, you probably won't have mod podge, spray enamel, or felt just lying around. Even if you do have to buy more supplies than we did, I still highly recommend this project. 

These would make a fantastic gift for that crafty or off-beat person in your life! The best part is you can choose whatever color scheme you want to fit your decor or taste.  


I hope you enjoyed learning how to make your own coasters using paint samples. Let me know if you have any questions about this project. Thanks for reading!
xoxo

JEN