So I post a lot about food and running and such but I found this little gem online and I can't help but share!
I was looking for a good, slightly inexpensive (I am a college student afterall) gift to give friends and family....hence PINTEREST surfing. I search and I finally found the perfect gift that I could personalize and make pretty easily....coasters! They turned out great and everyone who got them loved them. I liked them so much I made myself some!
Things You'll Need:
-4x4 tiles (Lowe's has them for 16 cents-can't get much cheaper)
-felt pads (Lowes again...a pack of 84 for $3.20 roughly)
-Mod Podge (we had the glossy finish)
-Clear Acrylic Sealer (We used the Mod Podge kind but I think any kind works just as long as it's waterproof) (ours was the matte finish but it really doesn't matter...whatever you have)
-A computer/printer/paper
Next Step....The actual crafting...
Instructions:
For the Design:
1) Go online and find some pretty/cool/whatever backgrounds you want. Save those onto your computer.
2) Open Microsoft Word and start a new document.
3) Go to Insert => Text Box => Simple Text Box
4) Erase the text already in there and fix the sizes to 4x4
5)Type in the box your person's initials or name or whatever you want (I did initials and remember if you want the bigger one in the middle to First, LAST, Middle). Fix up how you want...center it, make it bigger, change the font, etc...Just play around with the options until you find something you like.
6) Click on the "Format" tab
7) For the background: Go to "Shape Fill" and click on "Picture". If you need to adjust the picture because it looks distorted (sometimes this happens due to the size) you can go to the "Format" tab under "Picture Tools" to play around with how your picture looks. You can also just pick a solid color if you wanted (I also did a few like this)
8) Adjust your text color and such to what you want in the "Format" tab under "Drawing Tools."
9) VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure you under "Format" you go under "Wrap Text" and choose the option "BEHIND TEXT" or your writing won't show up.
10) Keep doing this until you have as many as you want! I was able to fit four to a page. Print!
For the Crafting:
1) Cut out your designs
2) Do a layer of Mod Podge on your tiles and lay the paper on it. Be careful of wrinkles and bubbles. It's not a big deal but if you're a perfectionist like me it sorta bothers me when it's not smooth.
3) Let it dry for about an hour
4) Go back and do another layer of Mod Podge over your tiles
5) Wait 15 minutes
6) Do another coat.
7) Let that dry for a few hours (we were on a time crunch so we waited about 3...you could wait longer, it wouldn't hurt)
8) Take the coasters outside, you don't want to be spraying the sealer inside. Follow the instructions on the can.
9) We did 2-3 coats on ours. Let dry for several hours and you are good to go!
Good Luck and Enjoy!
