How to Make Alcohol Ink Coasters — A Pinteresting World

As a relatively seasoned crafter and lover of all things DIY, I like to spend the leftover moments of my day browsing Pinterest for things to add to my 'Crafting Bucket List.'

I was pumped to come across a new DIY idea using a medium that I knew nothing about. I saw a Pinterest post and was sucked in by the bright and vibrant colors of these alcohol ink coasters.  I've done all of the research and made all of the mistakes for you, read on and you will turn out perfect coasters for yourself.

What You'll Need:

• Rubbing Alochol
• Alcohol Ink (available at any craft store, look for it near the stamping products)
• Ceramic Tiles (the shiny white ones from the home improvement store)
• Felt
• Mod Podge

The supplies for this aren't too pricey.  A 3-pack of alcohol ink costs about $10 (and should last because you will use so little at a time) and I paid 12 cents per tile.  Finishing spray only costs a few dollars and is a good investment for future projects!

Before you get started, know that the alcohol ink stains PERMANENTLY!  I laid down an old towel that I wasn't worried about staining, and I put parchment paper on top of that.

You'll need to do one tile at a time.  If you're looking to end up with a set of four coasters, I recommend buying five so that you have one to learn on.  Worst care scenario, you have five great ones.

Prep The Tiles

Be sure that your tiles are clean before you get started, then you're ready to apply the rubbing alcohol to the first tile. I used a paint brush, but if you don't have one you can try a q-tip, cotton pad, or you could probably just use your fingers.

Apply Rubbing Alcohol Then Ink

This is where the practice tile comes in because the amount of rubbing alcohol you apply will affect the way the dye spreads on the tile. On my first one, I put too much for my liking, which resulted in my least favorite tile in the end.  Add a few drops to start and get a feel for how the ink spreads. The rubbing alcohol that you already applied will help the ink move around. I decided less is more. Repeat this with your other tiles.

Allow Tiles To Dry

When you're done, let the tiles dry overnight.

Finish The Edges

You can paint the edges black with an acrylic paint. Over the years I've learned that I'm absolutely terrible at painting edges, so I decided to try an easier route. Instead I bought a GIANT Sharpie and ran it along the edges.  The results were great and it was a nice time saver.

Cover With A Clear Coat

The tiles need to be covered with a finishing spray, I did three coats with Rust-Oleum Triple Thick Glaze.

Applying Backing To Your Tiles

The final step is applying a backing so that the tiles don't scratch up your coffee table.  I chose a more difficult path and covered the entire back of each tile with felt.  I'd already committed to this route when my mom asked, "Why don't you just use the store-bought felt pads that are sticky on the back?"  I decided to stay the course, but by the end of it my mom was looking like a genius. I used Mod Podge to fix the felt to the back of the tile.

After one final night of drying I had my finished product!

They turned out really cute! I have my set stashed away for a hostess or a little thank you gift. Unfortunately, someone will be stuck with the one tile that I'm not so fond of.

It was fun to work in a new medium and to end up with a usable product! There were only a couple of downsides to this project. When I dive into something, I like to start and finish it in the same day, if not a single setting. The need for dry time here took the wind out of my sails. It was also kind of a bummer to have the creative artsy part completed so early-on in the project and only have the grunt work left to do. Maybe this was a good lesson in patience for me?