Decorative tiles can be transformed into elegant or whimsical coasters in no time with few materials and little expense.
We used tiles that were already decorated for our samples, but you can also use plain tiles and paint or decoupage your own unique designs or photographs onto the surface.
The cost of decorated tiles can range from a couple of dollars to as much as you want to spend, but the ones used in our samples cost $2.50 and $4.50 each.
Be careful when selecting your tiles – decorated or plain – as some of them are “end” or corner tiles and have slanted edges. You want plain, straight-sided tiles for this project.
Once you’ve selected your tiles, the finishing process is simple: just add four cork or felt feet to the back of each tile (so that the tiles don’t scratch furniture) and apply copper foil to the edges.
| What you’ll need
* Tiles (4- by-4-inch) * Felt or cork feet * Copper foil * Ribbon |
Cork or felt feet can be purchased at any hardware or craft store, and most of them are self-sticking so you don’t have mess with gluing them on.
You should be able to find copper foil at most hobby and craft stores, but if you have trouble finding it, try a stained glass supply outlet or an online search. Expect to pay about $8 a roll for the foil.
Apply the foil (it’s got an adhesive back, so no gluing required) by cutting two strips that are equal to or just slightly shorter than one edge of the tile and put those strips on opposite sides. Cut two more strips that are slightly longer than the tile edges and apply them to the remaining sides, leaving an overlap on each end to fold over the shorter strips.
Press the foil down smoothly along the edges and over the top, then smooth it out even more by rubbing it in place with the round barrel of a ballpoint pen or similar object. You can purchase a special little plastic tool for this purpose at glass supply outlets, but the pen works just as well.
Why do we suggest the copper foil for finishing the tile edges?
We experimented with several different ways of finishing the edges and none of them worked to our satisfaction. This is not to say that you may not find another finish preferable to the foil for your coasters, but here are some of the problems we ran into.
Painting or inking: We tried to paint the sides of the tiles, but the porous nature of the tiles made the paint look uneven and sloppy, even when we applied multiple coats. The one thing we didn’t try was applying a coat of primer, which might have helped with the porosity problem, but we just weren’t happy with the look of the paint.
In addition to the paint, we tried using a black felt-tipped marker – which often works in places where paint fails – but again, the porous texture was our undoing. The ink faded away, leaving a splotchy and dull finish that was most unattractive.
Gluing on a trim: This technique may be just fine, but we were unable to find a suitable trim for our tiles.
A narrow braid might have worked, but we just couldn’t find anything the right width.
Braid that was too narrow required that we cover the raw edge of the tile with paint or ink, but then we were right back where we started with the porous issue. Even with the braid covering most of the edge, the splotchy paint or ink was still quite noticeable.
Too-wide braid either stuck up over the top (a look we didn’t like at all) or hung over the bottom edge which made the coaster sit unevenly and wobble. We could have added a couple more cork or felt feet (two or three layers of feet to raise the tile up a bit), but decided we didn’t like the way the coaster looked with the too-wide trim anyway.
A decorative ribbon could be applied in much the same way that the copper foil was used, but it would require gluing and the porous issue would crop up again. If we used a hot glue gun, it would probably hold but it’s sometimes hard to get a nice, smooth finish with hot glue.
You can get a smooth finish with other glues, such as quick-dry tacky, but the amount of time required holding the ribbon in place until it stays (if it does) is prohibitive. And you’ve also got folds on the corners to think about with ribbon.
We even thought about gluing small seashells or stones around the edges, and again, this would have worked if we didn’t mind the raw edge of the tile or the splotchy paint or ink showing.
If you give this project a try and come up with a method of covering the edges that is successful for you, other than the copper foil, please let us know. We’d really like to hear what worked for you and share it with our readers.
To present the coasters as a gift, put them in a stack and tie them together with some wide wired ribbon.
Note: Keep in mind that if you purchase plain tiles and paint or decoupage them, the money you save in the cost of the tiles may be eaten up by the additional expense of paints, waterproof sealers (which you’ll need to apply to protect the painted or decoupaged surface) and other necessary materials.
Contact Jonetta Coffin at jrocoffin@aol.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
