How to Make Clay Coasters
You can buy coasters today that reflect your decor, collectibles or even your breed of dog. They can be attractive or funny. Well, now they can be your very own design and made by your hand. This simple little project shows how much you care about the little things in your home. Coasters also make great gifts for the person who has everything or the new couple down the street. Read on to learn how to make clay coasters.
Things You'll Need
- Self-hardening clay (terra cotta color)
- Craft Knife
- Shellac
- Small paint brush
- Felt
- White craft glue
- Something with a raised pattern on it
- Paints
Instructions
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1
Take your self-hardening clay and roll it out to be about a quarter of an inch thick. Find something you have that has a raised pattern on in, such as a wall hanging or you can use wicker, and press the clay on the top of it leaving an impression. Take the clay off carefully. If you don't have anything that you can use for an impression, try flea markets and yard sales. You can also find a number of mold made for this in your local craft store.
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2
Cut the clay to a 3 1/2 by 3 1/2-inch square. Repeat this process until you have four pieces. The design does not have to be exact on all four. It actually looks nicer if each one is a little different. Let them dry, sitting flat for at least two days.
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3
Paint your design in nice bright colors or earth tones to match the clay. You can even leave it natural, which looks really nice. Let the paint dry, if you chose to use it, for a few hours. Then coat with at least two coats of shellac to protect your finish.
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4
Cut pieces of felt just a little bit smaller than the bottom of the coasters. Glue it on with some white craft glue. The felt will protect your furniture from being scraped by the clay.
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5
Personalize your coasters. If you are very artistic, you can use a toothpick and carve a picture or name into the clay instead of using a mold. Keep the carved edges smooth by putting a little water on the tip of your finger and lightly smoothing it out as you go along.
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