Handmade Coasters...so easy, so awesome!

I have seen many tutorials for making coasters lately, and finally decided to give it a try myself. Every year I try to make something to give away as Christmas gifts, and this year...spoiler alert to my friends and family...it's coasters. There are so many ways to make coasters, and I settled on ceramic tile coasters. You can paint them, add a paper cutout, use a sharpie and a stencil...I decided to use the craft paper technique. Now those who know me, know I have a tendency to throw myself into my projects...no one gets fed, no other housework gets done, and it's almost impossible to have a conversation with me while I am in the midst of crafting. It's an all or nothing deal. This is the same reason I won't read Twilight, or any other book for that matter. Sad, I know, there was a time I loved to read, but I have learned my limits as a parent. I have a family who have needs, and I will literally sit there until the book is done. No eating, no sleeping, like some kind of freak. So, usually when I start a project my husband has this nervous thing that happens...like"uh, okay, um, how long will that take?" What he really means is when should I expect to see you emerge from your craft like trance and and be a real person again? Surprisingly, this coaster thing was different. I enlisted the help of Grace and my niece Trenna, and of course I had two other little sets of boy hands trying to help...which brought up this well known conversation..."Honey? How much longer does the game have? Can you take the boys outside? Honey? Anyone? Bueller?" Nothing. But we rocked it out, and they turned out awesome. Here is my tutorial, which is kind of a blend of many tutorials I read:



4 (or more depending on how many sets you are making) ceramic 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 white tiles (home depot-16 cents each)
1 bottle modge podge
decorative craft paper
foam brushes
clear spray lacquer
super strong glue
any color felt (fabric store, about $3 for a yard)
Turn the craft paper over and trace a tile on the back. Cut four of these. Apply a VERY THIN layer of modge podge to completely cover the top of the tile. Let dry for approximately half an hour. Turn tile upside down and trim along edges so there is no over hang. You can also sand the edges for a more distressed look, or cut the square of paper a quarter of an inch smaller than the tile so you have a border. Apply another very thin layer over the top, let dry for about 15 minutes, and repeat 3 or 4 times. The last coat I apply is a little thicker, and I modge podge the edges as well. After they are all dry, lay the coasters out and spray top and edges with lacquer. Wait a few hours and spray again. When completely dry, cut a 3 1/2" X 3 1/2" square of felt and glue to the back. Stack in sets of 4,5, or 6 and tie with ribbon! Gorgeous, professional looking coasters! We made about a hundred coasters, (the girls are going to sell some at the bazaar at school), and it cost about $25 for the total project. I already had paper and modge podge, and it cost about $15 for the tiles, and $10 for two cans of lacquer spray. We made many different color schemes to match different people, and even colored the edges on some with a black sharpie and did some animal print ones to match my dining room. Seriously, so easy and kind of fun!