Photo Coasters - The perfect DIY gift!

Written by Jen Kiaba Barry Saturday, 06 February 2010 18:45

So I will admit it: I've got this thing for coasters. Except the only ones that I own are so ugly that whenever we serve drinks, we turn the coasters face down. In vain I have hoped that someone might come across a wicked cool coaster set and point me in the right direction. But alas and alack, this has yet to happen. So this afternoon while I was thinking of which craft to conquer next (and incidentally,waiting for my tea to cool) it struck me! Coasters of the un-ugly variety were the thing!

There are a ton of DIY sites out there dedicated to teaching you how to make your own coasters. Most of them require you to go out and buy coasters that are ready-made to load personal photos into. Now, in my personal opinon, that's not very DIY of them. It lacks, how you say, a personal touch?

The best tutorial that I found out there was from Coffee Pot People. On their site they teach you how to make your own coasters from old photographs and old cds! This piqued my interest and I just had to try it!

These coasters can function in a multitude of different ways in your wedding! They are quick and easy to make, so sets can be created as thank you gifts or single coasters can be gifted as wedding favors! The best part is that each one, or each set, can be tailor made to mean something special to the recipient.

What you will need:

• 5x7 Photos - pictures of the bride and groom together, or with the recipient are great images to look for!
• Old Scratched up CDs (you know you have some lurking under the seat of your car somewhere!)
• Cork or Felt
• Paste
• Scissors or an Exacto Knife
• Cutting Mat
• The Coffeepot People Blog suggests using a Clear Adhesive (like contact paper) but I'm going to suggest investing in some Mod Podge. Don't worry, we'll use it again soon I'm sure!

So to begin, grab one of those scratched up cds that you dug up last time you were vacuuming your car and use it to trace your cork or your felt. Because I'm using a self-adhesive cork sheet, a ball point pen worked just fine. If your heart is set on using black felt, then you might want to grab chalk or another writing utensil that will make a visible mark.

Once you have a line that you can follow, then it's time to do the same thing with your photo. What I would suggest is busting out one of those clear cd protectors that come in the spindle when you buy a stack of Cd-Rs. This is a great tool to use when trying to determine what part of the photo you want as your coaster!

When you have the desired part of the image picked out, trace around the clear cd so that you know where to cut. If you're really brave you can use an Exacto knife - but this is where the project could get potentially fiance UN-friendly!! If you are at all unsure of your cutting skills, stick to scissors! Losing a fingertip or two is a huge don't when planning a wedding!

So now it's time to bring out the Mod Podge or the paste. The coaster becomes like a CD sandwich, with your image on top, the CD in the middle and the cork or the felt on the bottom. Your paste or Mod Podge goes in between each layer.

The last step is to cover the photo. Again, you can use something like a clear contact paper, but my feeling is that it won't stand up well to hot drinks! Mod Podge would probably be your better bet. Use it as a glaze and ss long as you let the Mod Podge cure (according to the bottle, the Mod Podge takes about a month to fully cure) then it should stand up to heat pretty well. However, that means that these need to be made far enough in advance if your recipient might want to use the coasters for tea or coffee.

Keep applying coats of Mod Podge and letting them dry for about 20 minutes in between until you get the sheen that you desire. Now you have funky, personalized coasters!

The Stats:

Cost –About $2 per coasters

Difficulty – Muy Muy Easy

Time – About 5 mins per coaster

Fiance Friendliness – If you offer to let him use one of the coasters he's made, you might have a very dedicated assistant!

Tip: This project can also be done substituting the CDs for unfinished tiles. The Home Depot is a great place to find cheap tiles to try this project out with!

Jen Kiaba is a photographer and burgeoning crafter who lives in Rhinebeck, NY with her lovely boyfriend, two crazy cats and an adorable basset hound. When her hands aren't covered in tacky glue, she specializes in taking romantic portraits of happy couples in the Hudson Valley!