Instagram Coasters, Part II

All the finished Instagram coasters, ready for delivery. Photo tutorial below.

As I get ready to move off on my own, I knew I wanted cute, crafty ways to display all my photos. I fell in love with the idea that my personal photos could be used as such a useful, functional item. At Christmas, I used my friends’ personal Instagrams–already cropped into squares and with the effects they liked–to make them coasters, and Instagrammed pictures for my family, who hadn’t yet adopted the platform. They were a hit, and after I made tons of Instagram coasters for my family and friends, I knew I had to repeat the craft for my new apartment.

My cousin had asked me months ago to make her some of the newborn quadruplets, so it was a great time to knock both out. She and I had staged a little photoshoot with them at home months ago, but never found a great use for the pictures, so I incorporated her and her husband’s favorites into the mix. All the pictures in her house have a black and white theme, so I made them to fit, all in black in white.

For mine, I used some of my favorite pictures from travelling and from college. My favorite coaster, though, is one of the new Thierry Henry statue outside the Emirates stadium in London, installed while I was living steps away in Islington, London. As a huge Arsenal FC fan, it’s one of my favorite places in the world, of one of my favorite players in the world. I know that’s the coaster I’ll be using to hold my cuppa tea (in an Arsenal mug, of course) when screaming at the Gunners early on Sunday mornings.

Follow my step-by-step photo tutorial below.

I began by cutting 4×4 squares of the photos I wanted to use.

I laid out all the ceramic tiles and wiped clean with a paper towel and water to remove the dust.

I wrung out a dampened sponge and dipped it in Modge Podge to evenly spread the glue across the tile.

Place a thin, even coat of Modge Podge over each tile.

I then placed the picture square on top of the Modge Podged tile, running my fingers across the top to smooth out all the air bubbles. Even if you think it looks smooth, if you don’t smooth out the air, your final surface will be uneven.

After a few minutes, I then applied another generous coat of Modge Podge on top of photo tile. Apply evenly, but the streaks will dry clear and not be visible.

Some of my coasters after the second coat of Modge Podge was drying.

I sprayed all the tiles with an acrylic sealer to waterproof the coasters, which protects from condensation or spills.

I cut felt into small, rectangular strips, which ensure the tile won’t scratch any table or countertop.

I used Modge Podge to adhere the felt to the bottom of the coaster.

All the coasters with felt, which helps protect the surface of the counter or table the tile is resting on.

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