Make It: Winter Photo Coasters

Who loves a good photo craft? I know I do! In fact, photo crafts are some of my favorite projects, and these photo drink coasters did not disappoint. I love how personal and unique even a common craft idea can become when I add my own photograph.

Handmade gifts can be a lot of fun, but I often find myself short on time so simple projects have the most appeal. Making photo beverage coasters has been on my list of projects to try for a while now, so when my recent winter instagram photo was "popular" with my friends, and I was on the look-out for last-minute gift ideas, and the weather outside was frightful...well what's a gal to do but get craftin'?

DIY Photo Beverage Coasters Tutorial

To make these DIY tile coasters, start by choosing a photo (or set of photos). Look for images that can be cropped to a square. I chose that favorite winter scene I just mentioned, because it would look great all winter long.

Want to use my photo? Get you copy here.

If you're crafting up coasters for the holidays and want a more Christmas-y look, grab a copy of my "merry" wreath print and reduce it to fit your coasters. Or for a floral look, try cropping the flower images I used on these Decoupaged Jewelry Dishes. Wouldn't that be a great look for Valentine's or even Mother's Day?

Supplies Needed Decoupaged Tile Drink Coasters

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• Printed Photos (trimmed to fit square tiles with or without border)
• Dishwasher-Safe Mod Podge (or your favorite decoupage medium)
• Soft Bristle Brush
• Ceramic Tiles (approx 4" square)
• Rubber bumpers for corners (felt or cork works too)

How to Make Your DIY Tile Beverage Coasters

I started by printing some test photos. Don't forget to Always craft with copies, NOT your originals! I wasn't getting the look I wanted when I printed my photos on regular paper using a laser printer (my go-to method when using decoupage medium - see my decoupaged jewelry dish project.) So the search was on to find the winning paper and printer combination. I tested a few prints (okay, maybe more than a few) by brushing a coat of decoupage medium on them and letting them dry. My final coasters were made using an Epson PictureMate 4x6 photo printer and Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge. I noticed a slight darkening of the images in my final project, so I opted to increase the exposure of my photo slightly before printing.

Once you've got your final photos printed, trim them to fit your tiles. I left a white border around my images.

Brush a coat of decoupage medium on the tile and place the photo in the center. Smooth out from the center. (Some instructions suggest putting a coat of glue on the back of the photo too, before placing it. Refer to directions on your decoupage medium.) Let dry before adding additional coats.

Add several thin coats of decoupage medium over the photos. Let dry in between coats. (Don't rush this step. Trust me!)

Add rubber bumpers or felt to bottom of your finished coasters to avoid scratching furniture surfaces.

Tie up a set of photo coasters with twine or ribbon or pack them in a pretty box to give as a gift.

You might even know someone who has a gorgeous new basement remodel who might enjoy a new set of coasters. But shhh...don't tell and ruin the surprise!

Need a larger gift? Pair with some hot cocoa mix and a pretty mug or perhaps a selection of tea or coffee.

Keep an extra set or two on hand. You never know when you might need a last-minute gift!

I hope you enjoyed this winter craft as much as I did.

Thanks for stopping by today!

These winter beverage coasters were first shared with Landeelu readers on December 27, 2016.