DIY Concrete Coasters With A Flower Design

26 Materials
$10
4 Hours
Easy

Coordinate your outdoor table decor with a whole series of concrete floral DIY decor.


These DIY concrete coasters are simple to make with a sweet flower design and are the second in a series of outdoor patio decor.


The DIY coasters coordinate with the concrete side table that doubles as a stool which you can see on my website.


These were so easy and fun to make that I can see there will be more coaster-making in my future.


There are just so many possibilities. You can make them for every season to coordinate with your dinner parties.


CREATE A STRAIGHT EDGE GUIDE


First, you’ll want to use something to help give you a straight edge when you cut the tube. 


An easy way to do this is to use a roll of aluminum flashing.


It has just enough of an edge to keep your blade in line, plus it has a factory cut straight edge already. 


Start by cutting a piece of the flashing that is 2” x 18” long, using a craft knife or box cutter. Make sure the 18” long piece is the uncut, factory edge. 

CUT THE RINGS FOR THE CONCRETE COASTER MOLD


Cut the cardboard tube which will become rings that we can use for the concrete coaster molds.


First, measure ¼” from the top of the tube and mark that on 3 sides- just a small line. 


Now take the factory edge of the flashing and wrap it around where your marks are. 


Overlap the flashing so that it is even. Use blue tape to secure it together and double check that you have ¼” around the tube. 


Next, take a long piece of tape and tape the whole strip of flashing onto place from the bottom. 


Use your fingernail to push the tape up against the edge. This was very helpful for keeping it all in place,

Now, use a box cutter or craft knife with a fresh blade and then use the flashing as a straight edge and carefully score around the tube with the blade. 


Continue making passes around the tube until you have cut the ¼” ring off. 


Have patience here, it took me 6-8 passes per ring to cut through, but the cuts came out very straight.


Repeat this for the remaining rings. If you start seeing the cardboard tear inside, then it’s likely that you need to change the blade for a fresh one.


Apply some wax to the inside of each ring with a paper towel or rag.

MAKE A BASE FOR THE COASTER MOLDS AND SECURE


Take a sheet of acetate and cut that to 15 x 10” if you are making 6 coasters, or 19×10” if you want to make 8 coasters. 


This doesn’t have to be exact. If you have a smooth mat, then you can use that instead of the acetate.


Place a rigid board or a scrap piece of plywood underneath the base. Tape the edges in place so you don’t get any curling. 


Now glue the outside edges of each ring to the base with hot glue.

MIX AND CAST THE CONCRETE FOR THE DIY COASTERS


**If you love making concrete projects, then check out my  Pocket Guide to Concrete Mixes!I tested 6 mixes and made a handy reference chart. It's a FREE download. 😉


Mix the concrete to a milkshake consistency and pour or scoop it into each ring. If the concrete flows over, use a flat trowel to smooth and level it. 


Once level, tap and shake the plywood board until most of the air bubbles are released and the concrete is level.


Let this cure for 24 hours.

REMOVE THE DIY COASTERS FROM THE MOLD


Now that the concrete has cured, demold the coasters. Remove the tape from the acetate and gently peel it back. 


The concrete coasters should come out easily. 


If the cardboard ring or layers of the ring remain around the coasters, just or use your fingernails to peel it off. 


It should come off easily. 

Though the coaster has cured enough for demolding, it hasn’t reached full strength. 


Carefully hold the coaster and then sand the bottom, sides and any sharp edges. 


I sanded the top as well because I used the Quick Setting Cement, the Topping Mix may not need it. 


If you have any kind of sheen to your coasters and you want the sheen to remain, then don’t sand the top- regardless of the mix you use.


PROTECT THE CONCRETE COASTERS 

Make sure the cement is completely dry before sealing it. At this point, moisture is still retained in the coasters. 


I recommend waiting at least another day before sealing.

Once they are dry, seal the top, bottom and sides, using the concrete sealer and a foam brush. 


Let these dry an hour or two before moving on to painting them with resin.


Let the sealer dry for a couple of hours.

TRANSFER THE COASTERS’ FLOWER DESIGN


Print the flower design, then take the transfer paper and place it shiny side down onto the coaster and tape it in place.


Place the printable on top of the transfer paper and tape that into place.


Get the design download on my site - jump down to the middle of the page at Step 8.

Use a mechanical pencil or pen to trace the flowers onto the rings and then remove the paper and re-trace over it with a Sharpie Oil Marker.

PAINT THE FLOWER DESIGN ONTO THE DIY COASTERS


You’ll need to paint these in two batches. First, paint the blue centers and then once those have cured (after a few hours), then paint the petals. 


Starting with the centers, mix the resin at a 2:1 ratio for two minutes. A total of 15 ml of epoxy was more than enough to do the centers for 6 coasters. 


Next, dip a toothpick into the opaque blue colorant. You only need a tiny bit of color, so one or two dabs of blue will be enough. 

Once mixed, let it sit for about 15-20 minutes before applying so it thickens. 


Thickening it will create a puffy look, plus it is easier to control when it’s thick.

After the blue has fully hardened to the touch, go ahead and repeat the process with the white colorant. 


15-20 ml should be enough for all the petals.


After I painted the flowers and they had fully dried, I went back and thickened the stems at various points to make them look natural.

ENJOY YOUR DIY CONCRETE COASTERS!


Add the bumpers and grab yourself a tall, cold one, and enjoy your homemade concrete coasters.

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