You will need:
Six-Pack cardboard beer holders
Scissors
Ceramic tiles
Felt
Mod Podge
Hi-gloss Lacquer (see below)
My boyfriend just recently moved, and I was looking for the perfect house warming gift that wouldn't break the bank, since his birthday was also just a few days later.
So, I decided to make beer coasters- perfect for a man cave, and relatively inexpensive! Although, that is assuming you can gather the six pack holders for free in your daily life without having to buy them just for this craft- like I did. My boyfriend just thought I was the nicest girlfriend constantly bringing him 6-packs for no reason (since I don't drink beer!).
The tiles are about 16 cents each from Lowes, and it cost me $3.50 for the felt, I bought a little extra just in case I messed something up. :)
First, gather your supplies:
Next, trace the outline of your tile onto the back of the cardboard, and cut out square shapes. It's always better to cut them a bit too big and then trim back to get the perfect fit:
Next, apply a layer of mod podge to the cardboard square and attach to the front of the tile and allow to dry for at least 15 minutes. The edges tend to pop up a bit, so I suggest maybe putting it under a heavy book while it is drying so the edges stay down, or you can hold them down as well. A reader who tried this also suggested binder clips- which I think would also work perfectly!
Next, cut out squares of felt for the bottom of the coasters to keep them from scratching whatever surface they are on. You can trace the tile with a marker if you'd like, and then cut out the shape. Then, apply a light layer of Mod Podge to the TILE -not the felt, or it seeps through and makes the felt piece unusable (luckily I bought extra felt!), and stick the felt on:
Finally, apply 2-4 layers of mod podge over the top of the cardboard squares, allowing each layer to dry for about 10 minutes before applying the next one. After that is done, I also sprayed two coats of a hi-gloss lacquer for added protection, since these are going to a boy and will likely get lots of wear and tear. This is the one I used, but there are other brands as well:
Allow to dry for 24 hours (preferably outside, the lacquer stuff smells), and you are done!
The best part is, I still have the other side of the beer holders and enough felt to make 4 more coasters for my brother for his upcoming birthday!
My boyfriend and his roommate LOVED the coasters and even asked if I could make them more. I agreed- as long as they provided the six pack holders for the next ones! After all, with tiles for 16 cents and felt being rather inexpensive too, I could make enough for an entire restaurant if I wanted to! I'd probably end up coated in a layer of Mod Podge though....
Thanks for reading! If you end up making these, leave a comment and let me know how it went!
Also, not a big beer fan? Consider doing this using the cardboard boxes that hold soda containers, or even cut out maps from places you have been!
Click
here to get to my original Pinterest post of this craft and re-pin away!
Looking for other DIY gifts for the man in your life? How about: