Hand Stamped Coasters - Show Some Love!!



I was so excited when I was asked to be part of the Show Some Love blog hop by Kirsten of One Tough Mother!! And then I couldn't figure out what to do! I thought and thought and finally decided to do some hand stamped coasters. Many bloggers have done these with monograms or simple images, but did you know you can color in your images? Yep, it's so cool!
*warning - this is a picture heavy tutorial*

Let's start with your supplies;
tiles 4x4 (from Home Depot or Lowes, usually less than a dollar per tile)
Staz On ink (must be Staz On, it's the only kind that really will, ya know, stay on)
Staz On ink cleaner (for cleaning the stamps, and possibly the tiles if you make a mistake)
stamps (whatever you want!)
sticky back cork (from HD or Lowes again, found with the contact paper and shelf liner stuff)
Spray can of clear sealant, in matte or gloss (your choice, although gloss takes longer to dry and is more likely to smudge the inks)

(no I don't receive any compensation for the products, this is just the best way based on my experience)

And that's it - here we go

First, wipe off your tiles. We don't want dust and dirt there when we stamp. Pick your cutest Valentine type stamp and use Staz On ink to ink it up. Then center it over your tile, and stamp.

If you make a mistake, say the stamp isn't centered or it smudged, this is when you can use the Staz On cleaner. Just dab some on the tile and then wipe it off.

Continue stamping tiles, as many as you want. A typical coaster set is 4 tiles. You can use the same stamp for all of them, or mix it up with different stamps.

Once you are done stamping, it's time to bake the tiles. This sets the ink so that it doesn't smudge or wipe off. Bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours.

Let the tiles cool. Now you can have some real fun! It's possible to color in your stamped images with Bic or Sharpie markers and have the color stay!

Here I've stamped images for the next two holidays as well. Adding color to your stamps makes them POP! Once the marker color has dried, you must bake the tiles again. Same as before, 250 degrees for 2 hours, then let them cool. Once this is done, it's time to spray them with a can of clear sealant.

Be sure to spray outside or in a well ventilated area and wear a face mask for protection. Spray one thin coat of sealant, let completely dry, then repeat for 2 more coats of the sealant. Let sit for a few hours before touching, just to let them really dry well.

Next up is the cork backing. The kind I buy comes in a roll and has lined backing paper, making it so much easier to cut. Line it up with your coaster and eyeball it, or actually measure. Guess which method I use? LOL! Once you have the square of cork cut out, peel back the liner paper and adhere to the back of the coaster.

And that's it! You're DONE! Except.....maybe not, because now you'll want to make them for all of the holidays and to give as gifts, or maybe sell.....wait, am I projecting here? Anyway, here's pictures of your finished product.

I really hope you enjoyed this post and will come back for more fun another time. Feel free to follow me, all of the ways to do so are on the right hand side of the blog.

Be sure to stop by My Life and Kids tomorrow for the next post in the Show Some Love Party!

My Amazing Chaos of Life

Measure Once - Cut Twice

Pint Sized Baker

J Yipp Photography

Linking to Serenity Now
Linking to Mum of All Trades
Linking to Brassy Apple
Linking to The D.I.Y. Dreamer