Homemade Tile Coasters: Making A Few More
I’m still making my own coasters and you can find the updated tutorial here:
DIY Tile Coasters made with Scrapbook Paper
This post originally shared how I made a few more coasters using seasonal scrapbook papers, and using some fun scrapbook papers that looked like maps. It’s always fun to see what creative scrapbook papers you can use!
The original comments with this post remain below.
The heat issue: Every sealant is going to have slightly different properties, including how high or low the temperature can be for it to perform properly. The car part sealants are made with an expectation they’ll deal with high temps, so they perform well for hot cups, too. It will usually give you the temp parameters right on the can; if not, there is an MSDS sheet with the info; they are required by law to provide the safety info. They’re usually easy to find online at the manufacturer’s website.
I can’t speak for the DIY glue here, but many polymers are ambient temperature, humidity, and air-flow sensitive. I live in the Pacific NW and learned about all of these the hard way when I took up epoxy as a hobby. Rule of thumb: Work in a room with good airflow but no “wind”, at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit, on a dry to moderately humid day. Don’t create wind by setting a heater or fan too close to the work. Check the humidity: looking out the window, surprisingly enough, doesn’t do it. I’ve found it is frequently lower in humidity when it’s raining than it is during the calm before a storm.
To avoid the lift-up: Decoupage works best with porous paper or fabric because the glue has to go from that top coat, through the paper, connecting with the first coat you put down. That’s how you get the proper seal.
If your paper is thick, you’re going to have to apply more coats under and over the paper. And if your paper is glossy, you may never get a proper seal, depending on what’s been applied to cause the gloss. Using a color photocopy or a print onto paper is the workaround.
On that note, your print needs to be colorfast. Generally speaking, ink jet printers are probably going to give you colors that bleed, while laser printer colors hold firm. Color copies from the quick print shop should be colorfast, but it never hurts to ask!
IF you already made a coaster and it is sticky, consider a top coat of epoxy resin. There are a lot of tuts and videos on how to pour it onto a tile and avoid drips that harden. There is at least one spray can resin. Going that route would take quite a few coats. What you’re doing is sealing in the sticky so it has to be thick enough to do that. Boy, will your coaster shine! You don’t want shine? Give it a light sanding with fine sandpaper (I like wet paper, 300 grit). Do use wet sandpaper; you don’t want to breathe the dust.
Final thought: If your coaster has rings on it already, because the sealant you used can’t handle the heat, you want to remove those rather than seal them in. Sanding is an option, if there is enough coating to sand without destroying the paper. Go slowly! Another option is to put a piece of parchment paper on the tile and run your iron over it a few times at a low-medium heat setting. Start low; it’s easier to heat up than cool down. Pull the parchment back and check progress regularly. I do this to my counter from time to time when someone forgets to use a coaster for a super hot cup.; your patience will pay off! Good luck!
Using automotive spray sealer will solve the sticking with hot beverages issue.
I did placemats with photos, mod lodge and sealer. You have to photocopy the photo first you want to keep it. It took several coats mod lodge and several of the sealer. After a few years wear and tear the photos starting lifting up.
I can help with what went wrong with the tiles when something hot is put on them. They need to be sprayed or brushed with a finish that is used on car parts. It is still clear, but heat resistant. Can be googled. I asked someone at a craft fair and that is what they told me they used on their coasters so they can put hot coffee cups on them.
Thank YOU! That will come in handy this holiday season when making my DIY Coasters for co-workers and neighbor gifts!!
where can we find such materials in the market?
I buy my ceramic tiles at big box home improvement stores such as Home Depot or Lowes. I buy the other supplies in craft stores.
I just picked up a big box of tiles at a rummage sale. Great deal.
That sounds like an awesome bargain! You never know what you might find when you shop rummage/garage sales 🙂
Could you use fabric?
Yes, I think you could probably use fabric Vivi. As long as it sticks to the tile well with the Mod Podge, and if you give it a coat of sealer, I think it should work!
I wonder if people are using hot water or cold water to mix the glue and water? That can change the properties and make sticky results? Also wonder how long the glue lasts in a glass jar?
I have had this mixture in my glass jar for a couple years now and it is still perfectly fine. I don’t think it will go bad either, being just glue and water. And I never considered that water temperature could be a variable in this homemade mod podge. That’s something to consider!
It is quite possible that humidity is a factor. I was given some salt clay Christmas ornaments that we’re painted, then sealed. They never completey dried and actually got stckier with time. I live in Florida, so humidity is a factor most of the year! I try to let Mod Podge dry for a longer time prior to sealing it. Good luck!