A Dose of DIY: Ceramic Tile Coasters

Several months ago, I was brainstorming for gift ideas for the annual Secret Santa get-together that my five best friends and I have.

Having just rekindled my love for crafty projects of all shapes and sizes, I really found it important to include something handmade. The recipient, my lovely friend Sera, had just moved into a new studio and was in nesting mode. 

I settled on a gift card from Jonathan Adler, along with a special something that would hopefully remind her of me for years to come. 

After initially spotting an old DIY coaster post on The Crafts Dept., I did some digging and found several different ways to create these. This roundup on Apartment Therapy is particularly thorough, and I really like the appearance of Martha's Plexi version, but I ultimately chose a tutorial posted on Hostess with the Mostess's blog (via Jaime Curtis).

This version also proved the most cost-effective, which was essential for keeping to our $60 gift limit.

1. Paper  2. Self-Stick Cork Pads  3. Foam Brush  4. Retractable Utility Knife  5. Standard White Ceramic Bathroom Tiles  
6. Envirotex Spray Sealant  7. ModPodge Gloss  8.  Rubber Cement

One of Sera's absolute favorite colors is coral, and though some would say chevrons have been done to death, I still love them and they're definitely fresh to eyes that don't constantly read design blogs. I quickly threw together this pattern in Photoshop and had it printed at my local FedEx Office, but there are tons of great paper options out there if you don't want to print your own.

The only caveat is that I'd avoid very thick or textured papers; it should be able to adhere easily to the tile and lay flat. Single-sheet gift wrap is a great option. If you're in NYC, Kate's Paperie, Papyrus, and Pearl Paint all have tons in stock. Online, Paper Source is just about the most thorough collection of decorative paper I've ever seen.

The process (modified slightly from the one described on Hostess):

1. Measure tiles. The standard tiles I bought were 4.25" by 4.25".

2. Draw squares of the same size in light pencil on your paper of choice.

3. Cut out squares using very sharp retractable knife or rotary cutter. Scissors work too, but your edges could be jagged/uneven.

4. Before I adhered the paper to each tile, I estimated exactly where the square would go on the tile and how much border would be left around the four sides. Once you start using ModPodge, there's no moving it around!

5. Use the foam brush to spread a small amount of ModPodge over the first tile. Take care that it's even and spread uniformly across the tile.

6. Carefully (!!!) place a square of paper onto the tile and smooth with your fingers. Make sure it's firmly planted against the tile. Continue with the rest of your tiles. Let each tile dry for 20 minutes.

7. Once each tile has dried, spread another thin layer of ModPodge over the surface of the paper. Let dry for 20 minutes. Don't panic if the paper bubbles up slightly right after you add the coat of ModPodge - it will settle by the time it's dry.

8. Continue adding layers, allowing tiles to dry in between, until you've got 5 or 6. 

9. As mentioned in the tutorial on Hostess, I opted to use small adhesive cork dots that I placed on the 4 corners of the bottom of each tile. At first, I adhered these with rubber cement, but I think they'll stick just as well using the adhesive that comes on them.

10. Spray with a polyurethane finish to seal your new coasters for protection from liquid and heat.

Here's the finished product!

The coasters turned out to be the perfect thoughtful addition to a more practical gift! Next, I'd like to try the Plexiglass version shown on The Crafts Dept.

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