Add a little sizzle to your coffee table by creating your very own exceptional drink coasters. Here are two easy and inexpensive ways to get your very own unique coasters. We have pressed flowers for those flower lovers and finally I have my favorite the Smashed Tile that is both unusual and spectacular
Flower coasters are very popular and also very beautiful. To make these coasters you first either need to pick your favorite flowers and let them dry (flowers can take you to three weeks to dry) or buy some already dried pressed flowers from your local hobby shop. If you picked your own flowers follow the next step if not skip to step two.
Step One: Pressing your flowers
Get a nice thick book, cardboard, tissue, newspaper, and scissors. Cut all your items to fit to be the same size as the book you have chosen to press your flowers. Set out a piece of cardboard, and place pieces of newspaper, followed by tissue on top. Spread out your flowers on the tissue so that none of them touch each other, and then cover with tissue, newspaper and cardboard. Place book on top of flowers and let sit for two- three weeks until flowers are flat and dry.
Step Two: Arranging, taping, and gluing your flowers
You will need to buy 2-6 glass panes size 4″x4″ about 1/8″ thick, some heavy duty clear glue, and aluminum foil tape .Clean the edges and faces of your glass panes with a multi-surface spray. Place the flowers against the glass in different arrangements, until you find the one you. Place the other pane of glass on top and line up the edges. Remove some of the backing from the aluminum foil tape then lay it, sticky side up, on your work surface. Take your glue and glue all the edges of the coaster with your glue. Next, carefully line up one corner of your coaster with the foil tape, and then press it down the length of the tape. Continue pressing the foil against the sides of the coaster until you’ve surrounded all four sides. Cut off extra foil edges to make a tight seal around the coaster. Let glue dry then take tape off. There you have it your very own pressed flower drink coaster.
This next coaster is very fun and earthy. It called Smashed Tile. I have made these many times as birthday presents for family and friends and they are a big hit. What you will need is a towel, hammer, tile any size or color, heavy clear glue, thick plastic about 3″ thick, and clear sealer.
Step One: The Fun Part
Take your towel and open it up then, take your tile and place in the middle of your towel Fold towel making sure it all covers your tile. Next, take your hammer and slightly break the tile (make sure you do not smash the tile into too tiny of pieces).
Step Two: Putting it together
Opening the towel and being careful take out the tile and place on your work space. Get your plastic and cut to be about a 5″x5″ square. Take your tile and arrange it till you like it on your plastic. Glue tile to plastic and let dry for around ten minutes. The last step is to take your sealer cover completely making sure to get into the cracks and that they are filled up so, as not to have any sharp pieces sticking up. After, you have put the sealer on let it dry for about two- four hours and viola there you have a great custom décor for you table.
This are get crafts for the novice to the experts. They are both easy and you can get as creative with them as you like. They also make great gifts for friends and family and are just plain fun to do. Have fun crafting.
