Summer Coaster project

Time for a lovely summer project!





With the arrival of June & warmer temps. it can only mean one thing.... hours spent poolside. With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to make something useful and pretty of course! I've seen lots of tile coasters, but one layer of paper could never be enough for me!! So, I've made a quick (hopefully) tutorial on making your very own set of Summer Tile Coasters.



** If you don't have access to tile stones, I've made an alternative project, at the end of the tutorial.**

Supplies

an assortment of paper scraps
1 sheet cardstock
stickers
3.5 x 3.5 stone tiles (available at home improvement stores, I'm using travertine stone tiles, there are also ceramic tiles, for about $ .16 each.)
Mod-Podge (I used a Satin finish)
paint brush
double stick tape (I used Scotch tape)
Terrifically Tacky Tape or Glue Dots Glue Lines
felt pads



Directions

1. Place tiles on cardstock, and using a pencil draw an outline of the tiles and cut just slightly inside the pencil lines.

2. Working with one square at a time, cover a cardstock square with Scotch double stick tape.

3. Time to cut paper into little pieces! I cut a bunch of small strips of paper from cardstock, vintage ledger paper and security envelopes, used punched butterflies, stickers and even some hole-reinforcement stickers. (If it can be cut into little pieces.. I'll use it!)
Arrange the paper, randomly, over the tape on your cardstock squares. Once all of the paper is in place, flip the square over and trim off the excess.




4. If you're using a sewing machine, sew all of your layers to the cardstock. If you're not using a sewing machine, just make sure all of your paper layers are tacked down with tape.




5. Cover the back of the cardstock square with Terrifackly Tacky Tape or with Glue Dots - Glue Lines. Peel off the sticky back and stick the square to the tile stone. (You can also use Mod-Podge for this step. Just paint on Mod-Podge to the back of the paper square and stick on tile stone. Wait until this layer is dry, about an hour, before going on to the next step.)



6. Time for Mod-Podge!! Grab your paint brush and paint a very thin 1st layer across the top of your paper. I let this layer dry, and then added about 3-4 more layers of Mod-Podge, letting each layer dry before moving onto the next layer. When the Mod-Podge is dry enough to touch, press and rub out any little ripples or air bubbles in the paper.



7. After the Mod-Podge has dried completely, turn the coaster over and place 4 of the sticky felt pads onto each corner. This will keep the stone tiles from scratching the surface of your table.



and viola, all finished! I made a set of 4 coasters, for my patio table. Try matching your the colors or patterns of your coasters to your outside table settings and dishes. My place settings are simple and white, so I thought a mix of light colored papers was a perfect contrast.





If you're unable to find stone tiles or you just cannot bring yourself to use Mod-Podge, like my mom for instance, here's an alternative coaster that you can make by changing just a few steps and the use of some clear contact paper!



Follow the previous directions 1-4. Cover the back of the cardstock square (just like step 5.) and instead of sticking the paper to a tile, stick the paper square to another cardstock square, of the same size. This will give your coaster a little extra weight. Next, use 2 pieces of contact paper cut into large squares. Peel the sticky side of the contact paper, and lay down on a flat surface. Carefully set the back of the paper coaster onto the sticky contact paper. Once in place, peel the sticky side off of the 2nd sheet of contact paper, and carefully lay over the top of the coaster. Gently smooth the contact out, rubbing any ripples or little air pockets from the coaster. Trim the edges around the coaster, but don't trim the contact paper all the way off. I left about an 1/8 inch of contact paper, so the contact paper seals itself, and insures that no water will find it's way in.



Have any questions or comments? Let me know and I'll answer & add them to the bottom of this post. Thanks and Happy creating!!