Picture Coasters

Picture Coasters

A cute, easy way to give a personal gift. I did some research on ways to make picture coasters and found a few different ways to do it. I chose this way - which I think was the easiest and most cost-effective way to do it.

Basic supplies -
From Michaels, I bought:
Mod-Podge (I use matte finish)
Sponge brushes
I also purchased a wide Mod-Podge brush, but ended up not using it. The sponge brushes worked just fine!

At Lowe's, I bought:
4 x 4 tiles - they are super cheap. I did this project as gifts for several people, so I bought 50 tiles. They were only $0.16 per tile.

At home, I printed on my color printer pictures of the doggies in our world. I printed them on regular printer paper.

Make sure the pictures are less than 4 inches so they will fit on the tiles with plenty of room for a border.

Following the instructions on the Mod-Podge, and heeding the advice I read in blogs of those I follow....


Instructions:

Using a sponge brush, wipe a thin layer of Mod-Podge on a tile.

Sit the picture on the covered tile. Press it down, make sure that the edges are pressed down.

 

I recommend doing one tile at a time. If you don't, you will run the chance of the Mod-Podge drying before you are ready to place the picture.

Once all photos are placed, set the time for an hour (longer is fine).

Once an hour as passed, it is time to begin to Mod-Podge over the photo.

Paint a thin layer of the Mod-Podge over the photo - let it set for an hour (longer is ok).

Don't worry that when it goes on it looks like you've wiped glue all over the picture. It dries clear.

I recommend that you do three layers of Mod-Podge - which will take time (an hour to dry between each layer).

Once dry, felt pads on the back of the coaster will help make sure the coaster doesn't scratch surfaces. I've seen them with a full cork backing, but I don't find the full cover necessary.

Ultimately, this project takes about 5 hours to do and costs pennies per coaster -

Whether you use them for gifts or just make them to use at home (or office), it is a fun way to take a favorite picture and display it in a new way.