DIY Alcohol Ink Coasters and Light Switch Covers

by Habitat For Humanity

What you need
Materials:
• Glossy white tiles (use 4-by-4 inch tiles for coasters or larger tiles for display) and/or light switch covers.
• Adirondack Alcohol Inks. These come in packs of three; I used two packs.
• Rubbing alcohol.
• Mod Podge aerosol finisher.
• Acrylic paint for the edges of the coasters.
• Two paintbrushes: one for the rubbing alcohol and one for the acrylic paint.
• Rubber or latex gloves.
• Felt pads for the bottoms of the coasters.
• Plastic bags, newspaper or cardboard to protect work surface.

diy alcohol ink coasters and light switch covers, crafts, decoupage, repurposing upcycling

In my research of alcohol inks, I discovered that protecting any surface that you don’t want dyed is essential – including but not limited to your work surface and skin, unless you want to be an unnatural shade for a week.

Therefore, at home I laid out plastic bags and newspapers and put on rubber gloves prior to starting my project. I also opened a window to allow for proper ventilation.

"Painting" the tiles:

I decided that I wanted to do the tiles first to see how the inks worked, so I laid them out on cardboard and scrap cloth. Next I painted the tiles with the rubbing alcohol. Then I began dripping ink on the tiles.

Learning from mistakes:

I must say that watching those inks spread is fascinating. I found that it is better to start with lighter colors if you want them to show through. I did two sets of six with one set in a warmer color scheme and the other in a cooler color scheme. I was really anxious to finish them, so I sprayed the warmer set with the finisher too early and it moved some of the ink. It was an interesting effect but not what I was going for.

Finished product

I repeated this process with the light switch covers with a similar effect. I discovered that if you don’t apply the rubbing alcohol first, the colors are more opaque. I also discovered that the colors do not move as easily without the use of rubbing alcohol, but you can achieve a different effect by blowing the ink with air through a straw. These made great gifts for my friends and family! They could even make a great Mother’s Day gift as well.

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Frequently asked questions

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3 of 4 questions

Kathy F on Jan 10, 2017
What a great idea! I want to up-cycle a cute container made of aluminum. Will the paint adhere to metal?

2
Karen Howell on Apr 21, 2018

What happens when you put the alcohol on second

0
Candice Torongeau on Sep 29, 2019

Hellllooo? Anyone going to answer the great questions people submitted? 🤔😉

1

Comments

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3 of 16 comments

Jana on Nov 11, 2016
Impressive; this is one I'll try out. I didn't know about using rubbing alcohol with paint. I'm already imagining all the color combinations and things I'll use this for!

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Patricia De Franco Rini on Feb 09, 2017
Do you put the inks on while the alcohol is still wet on the surface of the tiles ?

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- Jana Henry 4 days ago
  
  I have made these throughout my house and I have found he answer to you question to be Yes. Dropping the ink onto the wet alcohol helps the ink to spread.i drop alcohol then ink repeatedly as needed to achieve what im looking for since alcohol dries quickly. I use a plastic bottle with alcohol to drop it on which makes ink fan out. A spray bottle makes bunches of little dots and as mentioned, a straw can help blend and spread the colors.
  
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