Coasters

Coasters.....everybody needs them.....well, at least we do here at Coyote Gulch!!!  I saw some on a couple of other sites recently, and decided to give it a go.  Not only are they easy to do.....though a bit messy with  the gel medium.....they are still lots of fun to do!  I whipped up four sets for Christmas gifts.....and am preparing a larger batch to sell.  The clip art can be found at several sites that are copyright free.

You'll Need:

• 4"x4" Tumbled Marble Tile (they come in a pack of 9 for about $4.80 from the big box hardware store that starts with the letter "L")
• Omni Gel Medium (or whatever gel medium you prefer)
• Sponge Brush
• Clip Art
• Cork Roll (bought at the big box craft store that begins with the letter "H")
• Titebond III (waterproof and works wonderfully with cork)
• Brayer
• Scissors
• Corner Punch (optional)
• Bowl of Water

This is a step you can do if you want to.....me being the anal retentive one, I washed each of the tiles and set them aside to dry.  That way I was guaranteed getting rid of any marble dust, and any gritty bits.

Now you'll need to find the clip art for your coasters, and print it out on your printer.  Since most everyone has inkjet printers (which the ink will run when it gets wet), you'll need to take these prints to a copy store to make reduced copies.  I found that reducing each print by 33%, was perfect for coaster size.

Brush on one coat of the gel medium in a horizontal direction.  Let dry completely!

Brush on a second coat of the gel medium in a vertical direction, and let dry completely.

Then brush on a third, and final coat, in a horizontal direction, and again, let dry completely.  That is a total of 3 coats.

Now cut each of your images within a 1/4" to 1/2" of the image.

Drop the images into a bowl of water, and let soak for about 20 minutes (make sure they are completely submersed).

Remove one of the clip art pieces from the water, and start rubbing in a circular motion on the backside, until all the paper has come off (don't be too vigorous or you will risk tearing).  Then set the clip art on some paper towels to dry.  After they're dry, if it appears there is still some paper fibers on the back of the clip art, then re-do the process of soaking and rubbing the backside.

When all the paper has been removed, you are left with a piece of clip art where the ink has been left behind, and has a vinyl texture to it.  If necessary, trim up any ragged edges (next time I will cut in further to get rid of more of the blank areas).

Brush on a thin layer of the gel medium onto the backside of the clip art (the side that had the paper on it), and a thin layer onto the top side of the tile.  Then carefully place the clipart onto the tile, making sure it's placed where it's pleasing to your eye.  Use a brayer to push out any air bubbles.  Once you're satisfied that everything looks just perfect, put a final thin layer of gel medium over the top.

Everything will be cloudy at this step, but set all the tiles aside to dry on some wax paper.....roughly 2-3 days.....at which time they will be clear and dry.  The gel medium will waterproof the tops of the tiles.

You can use adhesive-backed cork for this step, but I found that it was very cost prohibitive for me, so I opted for the roll of cork.  Roll out enough cork for the amount of tiles that you are using (backside facing up).  Place a tile on the cork, and trace around it with a pen.  Remove the tile, and cut out the cork, making sure to cut about a 1/4" inside of the line you drew.

Ever the perfectionist, I used a corner punch to round off each of the corners.

On the backside of the cork, brush on some of the Titebond III glue, taking care to go all the way to the edges.

Carefully center the cork on the bottom of the tile.  Then use your brayer to make sure the cork is sealed tight to the tile.  Use a paper towel to dab at any glue that splooched out the sides.

This glue dries quickly, but let it sit overnight cork side down on some wax paper.

There you go.....now go forth and create coasters!!!

Check out more wonderful craft ideas at Cottage Instints.....The DIY Showoff.....The Persimmon Perch...A Soft Place to Land...Reinvented...Blue Cricket Design...The Shabby Chic Cottage...Finding Fabulous for Le$$...Twice Remembered