When Jen and Ian moved into their new home, they bought a beautiful dining room table.
It’s made of mango wood and was apparently imported from Vietnam. It also has two wings you can add in, making it a whopping eight plus feet long. Medieval feast parties? Totally do-able.
The one thing about buying a new table is that you want to be good to it. Care for it. Wipe it, dry it, love it. My mom and dad also bought a new table for our kitchen, after at least five years of searching for the one. As a result, my mom is hyper-attuned to what’s going on within a metre radius of that table whenever I visit. No glass may sit directly on said table, lest its cold content exude itself into a permanent, circular ridge in The Table. My laptop must sit atop a placemat before going on The Table. The Table must be wiped with a well-squeezed damp cloth, and then wiped carefully again with a dry one. These are the Sacraments of The Table.
But I digress.
Point is, I both understand and appreciate how beautiful and sacred new tables can be. It is, after all, the place where families and friends come together. Where they eat, play board games, and make crafts.
This is a roundabout way of saying that Jen and Ian needed coasters.
And so, in typical form, we set off to create our own.
The journey started with a trip to the local Home Hardware in search of some sort of cork board backing. Luckily, it was sold by the foot, and the clerks kindly sliced it up into smaller squares so I could cram it into the laptop pouch of my backpack.
Next, a trip to the craft store Michael’s found us in possession of some beautiful paper. Printed paper is such a weakness of mine, and had I been the type to have started scrap booking when I was in seventh grade, I would surely be broke today. Michael’s has an entire aisle dedicated to coloured paper, a collection that made me long for the creaky floors and Scotch tape price tag corners of The Papery in Ottawa. Jen, Ian, and I spent at least 20 minutes looking and deciding on our purchases, before coming away with what was a surprisingly cohesive set of colours. Highlights of pale pinks, blues, and greens, collaged with images of flowers, newspaper print, and birds (that’s right, we put a bird on it!).
I also bought some nature-inspired (some more literal than others) paper for the next time I decide to make an outdoorsy birthday card. I couldn’t help myself.
On Sunday night the three of us gathered around the dining room table (though it was covered with a $2 lined tablecloth), and traced, sliced, and Mod Podged the craft ingredients into something that resembled a coaster.
And voila! Glass guarding and crafty creativity.
YOU NEED:
– 1 foot (approximately) cork board backing, $4
– 1, 8 oz jar of Mod Podge (matte), $5 (we had a 50% off coupon!)
– Cheap paint brushes, $3
– Beautiful paper of choice (anywhere from free to $10, depending on what you want and in what variety)
– Fun friends
Unrelated, but cute: Norbert has now taken ownership over 2/3 of my bedroom.
Hilary Makes 
I love this kind of stuff! So neat. Thanks for sharing.
Me too! :) Thank you for the comment!
i’ve been wanting to try modpodge but i’m a little confused about it…these coasters are adorable!
Thanks so much! I’m going to have to host a giant dinner party soon so we can use all 12. Mod Podge is great – you paint it on and then it dries clear. It’s great for crafting of all sorts!
i love these, they turned out beautifully. will have to make a set of my own. thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks so much! I’m happy with them too. Make sure you blog about yours so I can check them out!
Neat idea, I love it, thanks. I love your cat too, sweet. :-)
Thanks so much! Yes, I love Norbert. He’s a spoiled brat, but also the cutest thing ever :)
What a great idea :)
Thank you!
Love the coasters! They are very retro looking.
Thanks mom! They remind me of gramps’ old sheets.
Great idea especially with the holidays fast approaching. Based on your experience, what is the best way to fold the paper underneath the coaster for a smooth, flat bottom.
Thank you – we didn’t actually fold the paper underneath. We traced a circle into the paper the same size as the cork circle and then just Mod Podged the sides to seal it in :) I hope that answers your question! Happy crafting!
Gorgeousness!
Thank you!
They are so so lovely, they would be great christmas presents!!! I love you blog so much, if you every get a chance, you could take a look at mine: http://kayleighscraftycreations.wordpress.com/
Can’t wait for your next post!!
Thanks so much, Kayleigh! That’s really nice of you. Going to check out your blog now :)
I love this idea! I never thought of making like this but, after seeing what you made I’m inspired to give it a try! :)
Thanks so much! Let me know how yours turn out!
Hello! I’ve started following you. Love the pics on your page and LOVE the coaster idea. Cannot wait to try! If you would like to follow me my blog is http://www.muffinsandmocha.com . Good luck and look forward to seeing what else you put on your page
Thanks so much! It’s always nice to hear from a new follower. Love the seasonally-appropriate background on your site :) Thanks for stopping by!
Those are lovely coasters. I like customized things because you can give it a personalized touch that would really reflect of your personality.
Thanks very much, Cassandra! I agree. Often homemade items like this are far cheaper and better suited to your needs/wants than anything you could ever buy. If you can’t buy it, make it!
I LOVE this idea & your designs are super cute. A few weeks ago I attended a Pinterest party & we made coasters out of scrap paper & ceramic tile, this seems like another easy way to make coasters!
Re-blogged this to frecklesediblelife.com :) Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the re-blog, Krishana! I’m replying to this on my phone right now, but I’ll have to go visit your blog tomorrow. I hope you posted about this Pinterest party! My girlfriends and I had a similar night last year. So much fun!
You’re welcome, and no my cousin posted about the Pinterest party, she’s really creative you should check her blog out too :) thegoodthebadandthetruth.com
Reblogged this on Freckles Edible Life and commented:
This is another super cool coaster idea, so I had to re-blog.
They’re gorgeous! Love this idea. Very nice!
Thanks so much, Judy! I really enjoyed making them :)