DIY Hometown Map Coasters

posted in: Crafty Lady | 4

DIY Map Coasters

Last month Dear Husband had to bring a gift to the office dirty Santa party.  Finding something that is not gender specific, less than $20 and is totally awesome for an office party can be challenging.  This year I decided to try my hand at homemade coasters.  I’m sure all you DIYers out there have seen the coasters made from tiles from the hardware store.  You know the ones I’m talking about…kid hand prints, stencils or craft paper modge podged on the tile.  Since I didn’t know if a man or woman was going to receive this gift I thought a local map would work best.

These turned out great, we’re fairly easy to make, were less than $10 and the person who got them in the dirty Santa game was very happy.  Winning.

diy coaster supplies

Here’s what you need should you find yourself in the need of a thoughtful yet inexpensive gift:

1 box of 4×4 tiles from the hardware store (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.)  Ceramic tiles will work but I used tumbled marble.  A box of 10 tiles was about $4.
clear drying Modge Podge
Valspar sealer (satin finish)
antiquing paint
sponge brush
local map
felt
hot glue

I got a free map from our Chamber of Commerce (Visitors Bureau is a good place to go too).  The weight of the paper was heavier than a typical road map and I think worked much better than the light weight paper of a AAA map you would find in your glove box.

diy coaster instructions

1.  Decide which parts of the map you would like to use then use a tile to trace out the shape.  I wanted a rustic look so after cutting out the square I tore the edges off so that the map was slightly smaller than the tile.

diy coaster instructions

2.  Using a sponge brush, apply a very thick layer of Modge Podge to the tile.  Place the map on top and do your best to smooth it out.  There will be a few air bubbles so try to push those air pockets to the edge.  Allow glue to dry, about an hour.

diy coaster instructions

3.  Now for the antiquing paint.  Use a sponge brush to apply a thin layer of paint.  Cover the top and all the sides of the tile.  Using an old rag, immediately wipe off the excess paint.  As you can see, I found it next to impossible to get the map completely flat on the tile.  No matter how much I tried to smooth it out there were always little wrinkles.  I convinced myself that the wrinkles are part of the “aged” look and it’s supposed to look like that.  Whatever you have to tell yourself to make it seem like you know what you are doing is just fine.

4.  Allow the paint to dry for about an hour.  Next, apply 2 to 3 coats of sealer.  Allow the sealer to dry for about 30 minutes in between coats and at least an hour after the last coat before you start handling them.

diy coaster instructions

5.  Cut out felt squares to fit the back of the tile and use hot glue to glue felt on.  Work quickly b/c the glue dries fast on the tiles.

diy map coasters

Cute, right!?!

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