Classy Coasters

We came across some cool looking red tiles at the Community Forklift (which sells salvaged building materials) a few weeks ago and decided they would make great coasters.  They were made from heavy, durable material and I loved the color.  And at less than 25 cents each, they were a steal.  I was inspired to make my first set for a friend's housewarming gift, and I thought it would be nice to personalize them by spray-painting the first letter of their last initial on the top of each coaster.  I also found some felt with a cool print at the Hobby Lobby, which is where I found the rest of my supplies as well.  Below is the step-by-step instruction and end result!  

Supplies:

• Four 4x4 tiles
• Tacky glue
• Cork roll (very thin cork)
• Felt
• Clear acrylic spray sealer (I used a gloss finish but the sell it flat as well)
• Cardboard (if making a stencil)
• Spray Paint (again, if making a stencil)

Directions:

If your tiles are recycled like ours were, make sure you clean them off before starting your project.  These had some old glue that was pretty stuck to the bottom of them so I got off as much as I could and it was barely noticeable at the end that the bottoms started out uneven. 

To make your stencil, cut a piece of cardboard to be the same size as the tiles.  Trace the letter or shape into the cardboard and cut it out.  Tape the stencil to the top of the tile and spray it evenly (outside or away from any furniture!)  I only had one stencil so I waited for each tile to partially dry before moving it to the next one.  When you've finished all four tiles, spray them with the clear acrylic sealer, which will waterproof the coasters and prevent your design from rubbing off.  It also dries pretty quickly so you don't have to wait long to move on to the next step.

For the bottom of the coasters, I chose to do a thin layer of cork followed by a layer of thin felt.  It may not be necessary to do both, but since these tiles were somewhat uneven on the bottom I thought it would help.  Trace the tiles to cut squares of cork and felt the same size.  Use the tacky glue to dab the tile and press the cork firmly to the bottom of the tile.  

If the edges stick out a little, just trim them up with scissors.  Next do the same thing with the felt, again using the tacky glue.  

Let the coasters dry completely before using or giving as a gift.  These turned out super cute, and it was surprisingly easy!