Photo Coasters

You can only display so many photos in your home before it starts to feel cluttered, so I like to come up with new ways to display photographs that won’t mean adding another frame to the shelf. These coasters are a cute way to show off some of your favorite shots (and they’re incredibly easy to make!).

I scored these holiday coasters on sale at Home Goods last week. You can really use any kind of coaster but the harder the surface, the easier it will be to smooth on the photograph. In other words, cork coasters might be a little tricky.

To begin, I selected a few of my favorite pictures and applied the vintage effect in iPhoto. You don’t actually have to tweak the photos at all, I just wanted them to have that vintagy instagramish (that is a technical term for anyone that’s confused) feel. I would recommend printing on a thicker paper (I used this). After you’ve chosen and printed your photographs, the remaining steps are really really easy. I think these would make a great birthday gift for a parent or grandparent. BONUS – these babies cost me a total of $7 to make!

1. Lightly trace the shape of the coaster on your printed photograph using a pencil. Carefully cut out shape.
2. Paint a thin layer of Antique Matte Mod Podge on your coaster.
3. Quickly apply your photo cutout to the top of the coaster. Press and smooth the photo onto the coaster to prevent air bubbles from forming.
4. Wait 15 minutes.
5. Apply another thin coat of Mod Podge on top of the photo.
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5.
7. Wait 15 minutes.
8. Spray on Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer.
9. Allow to dry over night before use.