Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a small commission if you purchase through my link–at no additional cost to you.
Looking for a quick and easy gift to make? These ceramic tile coasters are a lot of fun, and you can make them with whatever photos or images you want! Look for images you have on hand (magazines, park maps, and wrapping paper are all fun options!), or use family or special occasion photos for a sentimental take on this easy DIY!
For a set of four coasters, you’ll need:
- Ceramic Tiles: I use 4” x 4” and get mine at the hardware store, but you can also get coaster-making sets on Amazon like this one here.
- Photos: I cut mine a little smaller than 4” x 4” – usually 3.5” x 3.5” – but this will depend on how you want it to look/if you want to leave a large border or a small border.
- Felt or cork: This is to cover the bottom of the tiles. The set on Amazon, linked above, comes with both tiles and cork, but I generally buy mine individually.
- Glue/Sealer: Waterproof Mod Podge is quick and easy. Resin also works great but can be expensive and tricky to work with. I have tried both options and both work well.
- Paintbrush for spreading the glue/sealer.
- Scissors or rotary blades for cutting your paper/photos and felt.
Directions
Step 1
The first step is to gather your supplies. I opted to use some old comic book pages instead of photos for this little tutorial, but I’ve made them with photos too and they look phenomenal. Here I’ve got my ceramic tile, the comic pages, a sheet of felt, my Mod Podge, a ruler, and my rotary cutter. Not pictured is my paintbrush that I used for spreading my mod podge, and a pair of scissors.
Step 2
Next, I cut my comic page and felt to my desired size. I made both about 3.5″ by 3.5″. This will leave a little border around the edge of the tile, both on the image side and around the felt. If you’d prefer to have both cover the entire tile you can cut your pieces to 4″ by 4″. Or, if you’d like a border on the image side but not on the felt side, you can cut your image and your felt to different dimensions. Play around with it and see what you like best!
Step 3
We’re going to start with the image. Apply a thin layer of glue or Mod Podge to the tile. Then, carefully position your image. You don’t want too much glue/mod podge or the image will wrinkle and bubble. Carefully smoothen out your image, and make sure there are no air bubbles trapped. Go slowly here to make sure that the layout is exactly the way you want it. Do not apply any additional Mod Podge/glue over the image yet. You want to let the glue/Mod Podge holding it down to dry completely first.
Step 4
Once the glue/Mod Podge is completely dry, you’re going to start layering your waterproof Mod Podge or resin. If you use resin, you’ll only need one layer. Make sure you prepare it according to the manufacturer’s instructions and apply a thin coat. If you’re using a waterproof Mod Podge (which is my recommendation – it’s less expensive and easier to work with!) apply one thin layer. Once it’s completely dry, apply a second. Apply 2-3 layers total, depending on how it looks.
Step 5
Once all the layers are dry, I apply a coat of waterproof Mod Podge to the bottom of the tile to protect it and then glue the felt square down to the bottom. The bottom of my tile has ridges, and yours likely will too if you’ve purchased it from a hardware store. Make sure to use as much glue/Mod Podge as you need to get the felt to stick down securely.
Step 6
That’s it! Make a set of 2, or 4, and wrap them together with a nice ribbon or put them in a box with shredded paper. If you’re making them as part of a housewarming gift, why not add a handmade wristlet keychain?
What will you make?
What sort of photos or images will you put on your coasters? Who will you give them to? Let me know in the comments!
