Easter Craft: Mosaic Ceramic Tile Drink Coasters
This is a fun project that you can do with children. Imagine how satisfying it will be for them to see the family and guests using something that they helped create! Here are the instructions to make Easter themed ceramic drink coasters…
Supplies:
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Empty picture frame (3 or 4 inch opening)
Thin wood or paneling (as big as the outside edge of your picture frame)
Finishing nails or brads
Ceramic tiles in pastel colors
White ceramic tie
Felt (in a coordinating pastel color)
Tile adhesive
Grout (white or light gray looks best)
Glue
Plastic spoon
Hammer
Sponge
Towel
Scissors
Optional: Coordinating paint and paintbrush
Optional : Polyurethane (clear coat)
Step 1 ~
If your picture frame still has the glass and/or backing parts attached, you need to remove them. You won’t need those parts for this project. (Don’t throw them away though. You can save them for some other project in the future.)
Step 2 ~
Use can use your frame just as it is, if it’s already a color you like. If you’d rather turn it to a color that will match your coaster design for Easter, now is the time to paint it with your coordinating paint. Then let it dry before you go on to the next step.
Step 3 ~
Unless your picture frame is already coated with something water-resistant, you’ll want to give it a coat of polyurethane to seal it. This will keep the ‘sweat’ from your drinks from soaking in and damaging the frame. If you’re painting your frame with a coordinating paint, the polyurethane goes on after the paint. Give the polyurethane a chance to dry before moving on to the next step.
Step 4 ~
Use the finish nails and the hammer to attach your wood to the back of the frame.
Step 5 ~
Use the scissors to cut the felt so that it is the same size as your coaster bottom. Glue the felt onto the coaster bottom. This will keep it from sliding around too much, and keep it from scratching up your table tops.
Step 6 ~
Wrap a tile in a towel, and smash it with your hammer. Open the towel and look at your pieces. You want most of them to be less than a centimeter. If they’re too big, close up the towel and smash them some more. Hint: Do the white tiles and each colored tile separately, and you won’t have to pick the colors part afterwards.
Step 7 ~
Use your plastic spoon to spread tile adhesive into the space inside your picture frame. (You’ll be spreading it on the inside of the wood backing that you nailed on in step 4.) Go all the way to the edges, but don’t make it deeper than one-quarter to one-half of the height of your tile.
Step 8 ~
Carefully place your tile into the adhesive. Do the pastel pieces first, forming an Easter egg shape, and then fill in around it with the white tiles. Try to keep the spaces between the pieces about an eighth of an inch, (to leave space for the grout). Using several different colors, you can create the effect of a striped Easter egg, or any other decoration you like.
Step 9 ~
Using a damp sponge, press the grout into the spaces between your tile pieces. Press it into all the empty spots firmly, and smooth it with your sponge.
Step 10 ~
After your grout sets for about 20 minutes, wipe it again with your damp sponge, to remove grout residue from the tile pieces. Rinse your sponge and wipe again, (and again, and again, if necessary), until the tile doesn’t look cloudy any more.
Step 11 ~
Let your coaster dry overnight before using it the first time, to give the grout a chance to set completely. Then, enjoy your new Easter drink coaster!
This is a unique but useful craft project. You can make a whole set of these drink coasters for you and your guests to use, or for you to give as gifts.
Happy Easter!
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