Cork Coasters on the Cheap: 3 DIY Ideas

by BrightNest

Let's be real – have you ever bought a coaster set you were truly thrilled about? Probably not. Most coasters aren’t exactly created with an eye for design, so it can be nearly impossible find a set that screams “you.”
Instead of forgoing coasters and encouraging drink rings, make your own! Everything you need for DIY cork coasters can be found at the craft store.
Here’s what you need:
-cork board sheet or small cork roll
-X-Acto knife
-Pint glass, small bowl or coffee cup with large mouth
-Fine-tipped pen
-For “paint pen” coasters: a standard paint marker (we went with Sharpie)
-For “acrylic paint” coasters: acrylic paints, paintbrush and painter’s tape
-For “Mod Podge magazine” coasters: Mod Podge and patterned paper
It doesn’t matter what look you want to give your cork coasters – you need to create the base, or bottom, of your coasters first. Here’s how: http://bit.ly/DIYCorkCoaster

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1. Unroll the cork material and lay it on a flat surface.

2. Grab the glass, mug or bowl and fine-tipped pen. Flip the glass upside down on top of the cork and trace the circular mouth of the glass with the pen.

3. Lift up the glass and set it back down on a new space of cork. Repeat until you have the number of coasters you want.

4. Carefully cut out the coasters with the X–Acto knife.

Mod Podge

First, tear out some of your favorite designs from magazines or print patterns that you find online. (We took images from the latest Anthropologie magazine.) Tip: No spare magazines in your home? You can also do the same process with glitter!

Once you’ve found a few pieces that you like, follow these steps:

1. Grab an object with a circular base that has a smaller mouth than the glass you used before.

2. Trace the outline with a pen and then carefully cut out the circles of magazine paper with the X-Acto knife.

3. Apply a layer of Mod Podge to the surface of the cork circle. Then, quickly apply the cut out magazine print to the cork. Make sure the image is facing up.

4. Apply a layer of Mod Podge on top of the whole surface of the cork and magazine image to seal it. That’s it!

Paint Pen

Choose a paint pen color (we chose white to create a nice contrast). Uncap the paint pen and start drawing a pattern of your choice on top of the coaster. That’s it! Try out geometric shapes, stripes or polka dots. Tip: Add a bit of glam to this project and go with a metallic silver or gold paint marker.

Acrylic paint.

Grab the colors of acrylic paint you want to use and a stiff-bristled paintbrush. For monogrammed coasters, place a letter stencil in the center of the cork circle and hold it down as you paint around it. Remove the stencil to reveal crisp lines. If monogrammed coasters aren’t your thing, you can also use painter’s tape to create lines for a zebra effect.