Crafty weekend

So I have obviously felt extra crafty this weekend and coasters seem to be my thing right now.

I bought some regular white tiles at Lowe's and wanted to make some coasters with paper and mod podge since I haven't made any like this yet.

These coasters were pretty simple too but took some more time than the other ones I made.

Items needed:
1. A cutting mat
2. An exacto knife
3. A paint brush
4. Mod Podge
5. Scrap book paper (these are the four designs I chose to use)
6. Four white tiles (or however many you wish; I got these for 16 cents at Lowe's)
7. Krylon Protective, Non-Yellowing Clear Finish (not in the picture)

The first thing I did was place the tile on the scrap book paper and cut around the edge of the tile with the exacto knife.  I cut the paper slightly smaller than the outline of the tile so that the paper doesn't hang off the edges of the tile.  Also, I just used the edge of the tile to measure as opposed to using a ruler because I like the edges of the paper to be crooked and a rough measurement.  If you prefer a straight line, I would suggest using a ruler to measure the exact measurements of paper to use on the tile.

Next, I painted a couple layers of Mod Podge directly onto the tile.  It's okay if it's sloppy and runs onto the sides; Mod Podge dries clear.

Then, I lined the paper up on the tile and pressed it down to the surface.  It's very easy to get air bubbles and for the paper to wrinkle in the center of the tile so if you have this problem try using a credit card to scrape the paper completely flat. The paper edges may slightly turn up but that is okay at this point, it will be easy to fix.  Also, the Mod Podge dries fast so press down on the paper quickly and try not to allow the paper to slide around.

The next step is to paint on the surface of the paper.  I did several layers on top just to be on the safe side.  Be sure to paint along the edge of the tile and along the edge of the paper.  This will help to keep the edges of the paper from curling up.  Do as many layers as you feel comfortable with but keep in mind that doing an extreme amount of layers will be too much moisture for the paper and cause the surface of it to chip of and/or disintegrate.  Also know that too little amount of Mod Podge will not hold the paper to the surface of the tile and will cause the paper to tear off or fall off later on.
If the Mod Podge appears as a white coat, don't fret as this is normal.  Mod Podge dries clear so even if you coat it a lot, it still will not show when it dries.

I repeated these steps with each of the four tiles and designs.  As you can see some of mine still have lumps or air bubbles so it is best to go back attempt to gently work those our while it is still wet.  I let the Mod Podge dry for about 30 minutes before I began the work on top of it.  You may want to let it dry longer, I am just impatient with my work.

Here are a few things I added onto the top of the paper with Acrylic paint after the Mod Podge dried...

And these are my final results! After the paint and Mod Podge dried on all of them, I took them outside and sprayed the Krylon Clear Finish onto the top of them.  I did a few layers of the spray to be on the safe side and added rubber and cloth stoppers to the bottom to keep them from sliding around and from scratching the surface they are placed on.

Well I believe I need a break before I get started on my next Pinterest project! :)

xoxo