DIY Drink Coasters

This idea sprouted from an idea I saw on Pinterest as well as finding some hideous coasters at a thrift store. I have plenty more ideas for variations of this project, but I'll start by showing the two I've already made.

Project 1: Downton Coasters

My friend Lois had a birthday coming up and I knew I wanted to give her something inspired by our favorite show, Downton Abbey. We are huge fans of Dowager Countess and love every snarky comment she makes!

(By the way, has anyone aged more gracefully than Maggie Smith?)

So it started out with these ugly coasters I picked up that definitely needed a good washing before they were going to be gifted to anybody. Then I designed the template and chose four of our favorite Dowager quotes to place in the middle. I put a layer of Mod Podge directly onto the coasters and then centered my square cut out.
*Side note: With my first attempt I used regular printer paper, but this is much too thin and the glue will rip it. Card stock fixed the problem just fine.
After that I simply re-applied Mod Podge on top of the card stock every 30 minutes for about 2 hours. I really wanted to make sure they adhered well. To finish it off I sprayed a top coat of acrylic spray to make sure setting a cup on the coaster wouldn't leave a water mark. The end result was beautiful!  

Project 2: Beer Coasters

I need a quick project that would knock out all the men on my Christmas list this year, and luckily they all like beer! Same basic steps as above, but this time I got my design from the cardboard 6 packs. I picked up some marble tiles from the local hardware store, and placed felt circles on the bottom so they wouldn't scratch whatever surface they were placed upon. Fast, easy, and adorable! (Can I say adorable when referring to a gift for men?! Oh well...)