Acrylic Coasters For Cross Stitch? Trust The Answer

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Another way to anchor your thread is to tie a small knot in the end. This knot secures your yarn or thread, but it can cause a lump in your work.[6]

To make a basic cross stitch, insert the needle through the first square on the second row from the top of your work. It’s the square in the top left of the canvas when you look at the canvas. Go into the square from the back of your canvas, then thread the thread through the square until there is about an inch behind it. Hold this thread with your thumb to secure it.

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Use your favorite photos to create custom Mod Podge coasters – because DIY photo coasters make perfect gifts! These picture coasters are inexpensive and easy to make.

Required Skills: Beginner. Photo coasters are easy if you take your time! The project is fine for those who have never used Mod Podge before, but I would suggest giving it a try first if you are new to Mod Podge.

Hello Mod Podge Rocks readers! I’m Emily from Martha Shmartha and I’m so excited to share these DIY coasters with you.

Amy taught me a lot about decoupage, the main thing is not to say “Modge Podge”. (Yup, I did. What a shame!)

But now I know better and I’m really excited to share a really nifty Father’s Day project with you. I’m going to show you how to decoupage Mod Podge coasters! You will make this decoupage idea again and again, I promise.

picture coasters

Before you get started with your DIY photo coasters, I would like to answer a few questions for you. These are asked frequently and are good to know before diving into the project!

Where can I buy tiles for picture coasters?

If you find a hardware store, you can probably find tile. I like to get mine at Home Depot and Lowe’s has them too. They are very inexpensive, usually under $1.

Can I use real photos for my coasters?

I don’t recommend it, at least if you’re using Mod Podge. My recommendation is that you get laserjet copies made (not inkjet because it will bleed). Your original images are preserved.

How many layers of Mod Podge do you need for coasters?

I would use at least three coats and allow 15-20 to dry between each.

What Mod Podge formula should I use to seal coasters?

My favorite coaster formula is Mod Podge Hard Coat. However, check out the formula guide for more details.

How to seal paper coasters?

Some crafters wonder if there is anything special to do with paper coasters. As long as you use laserjet prints, you can treat paper the same way you treat fabric.

Simply buff the paper/image down, smooth and allow to dry for 15-20 minutes. Then you can seal with several layers on top.

How to make waterproof tile coasters?

In case you didn’t know, Mod Podge isn’t fully waterproof—nor is it heat-resistant. If you want to make your coasters waterproof and heat resistant, the pros use Engine Enamel.

If you’re ready to jump in, let’s do it!

DIY photo coasters

My DIY photo coasters spell G-R-A-N-D-P-A, but you could easily design yours to say D-A-D-D-Y. You can really make her say anything. Let’s start!

Gather these supplies

Tile (I got mine from Home Depot for about 20 cents. They’re 4.5″ x 4.5″, but anything that size will work)

Cardboard

Decorative (scrapbook) paper

Mod Podge Matt

Mod Podge hard coat

scissors

pen pencil

camera

Photos (You will take them, then you have to have them printed)

cute kids

cork board

adhesive spray

Let’s start!

The first thing we need to do is make our cardboard letters. I opened a huge box and then freehand printed the letters GRANDP onto the box. I chose to use the A twice, for the first and last A, but you could draw A twice as well.

You want your letters to be fairly large as they need to be easily visible in a photo.

Now you need to cut out all of your letters. Please excuse the background of this photo. My husband was on call, blah blah blah.

Now we need to cover the letters with decorative paper. I used a different paper for each letter. Place the letter on the back of your paper, then trace it with a pencil.

You want to use the back of the paper so your pencil marks don’t show on the front.

Then cut the letter out of the paper. Coat the cardboard letter with Matte Mod Podge and then place the paper on top. Smooth out any air bubbles. let it dry Then spread a layer of Mod Podge over the letter/paper.

Some of my letters were too big to fit on my scrapbook paper. I just adjusted what I could trace and then cut out enough to cover the rest of the letter from the scraps.

You should have this!

Alright, the letters are done! Here’s the fun part: get out there and snap some adorable pictures of your kids holding each of the letters, one letter at a time.

We’ve got some fun shots and some normal shots – do what Dad/Grandpa likes best. Choose a picture of each letter and have it printed in 4×6. I did some cropping before having the photos printed just to make sure the children/letters were big enough.

Be careful though as you will need to cut off about 1.5 inches from the top or bottom of your photo to fit the tile (I cut off my kids feet in every photo).

To crop my photos, I placed an image on its tile and then made a crease along the bottom edge where I wanted to crop. Then I cut along this crease with my paper cutter.

This is what your photo should look like after cropping. Your Mod Podge coasters are halfway done!

Alright Mod Podgers, it’s time to break out your Hard Coat Mod Podge! This mod podge is water resistant and non-sticky, just right for coasters.

Spread a thin coat of Mod Podge onto your tile. I used a soft bristle brush, but you can use a foam brush as well. Place the photo on the tile, center it and smooth out any air bubbles.

I didn’t have any problems with air bubbles after drying, I guess because the photo paper is so thick, but I worked pretty hard to rub out any bubbles with my fingers once I placed the photo on the tile.

After using the Mod Podge, both here and after you’ve painted it on the photo, check the ends of your tiles to make sure there are no drips.

You can simply wipe the Mod Podge clean when it’s wet, but once it dries your coaster will at least have some texture!

Repeat the previous steps until you have cropped and attached all your photos to the tiles. Once the Mod Podge is completely dry (going too soon will cause your photos to slip – don’t ask me how I know that), paint a layer of decoupage medium over the top of the photo.

Do this for each tile. Use long top-to-bottom brush strokes or bottom-to-top brush strokes so you don’t have mod podge smudges in the middle of your tiles.

Allow the Mod Podge to dry (about 20 minutes) and then give the coaster another coat (x5!). The directions on the bottle said five coats should be used, so I did. If you don’t know what you’re doing, just follow the instructions!

The top of your Mod Podge coaster project is done – cute! Since the underside of a tile isn’t exactly smooth and therefore doesn’t lend itself very well to a table top, I decided to put a layer of cork board on the underside of each tile. To do this, place your tile on the cork board and trace the edges.

Cut out the square.

I used glue spray to glue the cork sheet to the tiles. This stuff makes a HUGE mess, so make sure you cover your entire work area (cover a larger area than you actually need).

Also, be careful not to lay your tiles face down on a surface that has just been sprayed.

You will end up with sticky tiles! Again, just trust me. Spray the top of the pinboard with the glue spray. Place the tile over the corkboard.

It won’t hold without some pressure, so give yourself a little time to move the tile before it finally sticks. Repeat this until all of your tiles have a cork bottom.

Guess what? The DIY photo coasters are ready! Now wrap up those suckers and give them to the dad/grandpa in your life.

Skip to Contents Yield: 6-8 Coasters Make Photo Coasters Print Learn how to make coasters from pictures, tiles, and Mod Podge! These tile coasters make a great gift idea. Prep Time 30 minutes Active Time 45 minutes Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes Difficulty Easy Estimated Cost $2 Materials Tiles – 4.5 inches square

Mod Podge Matt

Mod Podge hard coat

photographs

cork

adhesive spray

Engine Enamel or Minwax Polycrylic Tools Scissors

Pen/Pencil Instructions Select the photos you want to use for your coasters and print them out to fit on the tiles. Use a Laserjet printer. Cut out photos with scissors. Spread a thin coat of Mod Podge onto a tile. Place the photo on the tile, center it and smooth out any air bubbles. Wipe away any mod podge that comes out at the edges. Repeat with the other tiles and photos. Leave to dry for at least 15-20 minutes. Spray top of tiles with Engine Enamel or seal with Minwax Polycrylic; Let dry. Draw each tile on a piece of cork. Cut out with scissors. Use adhesive spray to stick the cork to the tiles. Place a book on the tiles to apply pressure and allow the cork to stick to the bottom. Allow to dry 24 hours before use. Notes You will use Engine Enamel or Minwax Polycrylic for your final seal. Engine enamel is preferable for very hot coffee cups. Did you do this project? Please leave a review or share a photo on Pinterest!

Thank you Amy for inviting me to your blog today. And thank you Mod Podge Rockers for checking out my DIY Photo Coasters!

If you enjoyed creating these photo coasters, you’ll probably love these additional projects that also use pictures. Look at her: