So, when we were trying to come up with an inexpensive gift to put in our bags to be delivered to our church's visitors, I was hesitant to suggest this. But they really were well received at Christmas. In fact, my friend who is way into decorating and has a gorgeous home liked her gift so much that she asked me to make her some more.
I'm talking about these:
They're coasters. I got the idea here. (I won't be posting a tutorial because I think that blog explains it well.) They're so easy to make, yet they look very impressive. I made coasters according to what I thought various people would like. I did cats for one couple (my husband liked those best), birds for 2 couples, crowns for the couple with the last name of King, a decorative design with the word Cheers for another couple...
I finally got brave and mentioned it to the other woman who is helping me with bags. I gave her a set and really didn't know if she really liked them or was just being polite. She enthusiastically told me that was a great idea, and she loves her coasters; she even took one to work for her desk. Whew!
So, I'm making several sets for our visitor bags. All wrapped up for giving, they look like this:
I put cork on the backs of mine, and I found this to be a very simple solution. I found it with the shelf liners in Lowe's, and as it has adhesive on the back, I don't have to use any additional glue. Just cut and stick on the backs of the tiles. Easy peasy!
I never really thought I'd be using my crafting skills for the Lord, but I'm glad that I'm able to, especially as this is saving our church some money. Because I already own all the supplies other than the tiles, the cost comes to approximately $2.50 for a set of 4 coasters. I hope our visitors will like them. Even more, I hope they feel welcomed and at home at our church.
9 comments:
Those are great, soooo beautiful!
These are suh-weet! Do you use the Stayz-On ink as she recommended, or something else?
I've been looking for affordable coasters with an 'S' monogram -- so now I *must* buy a large 'S' stamp, don't you think? Just not a 5-inch-tall one! :-)
Great idea! The cork backs are a super solution!
I should qualify this by saying that this is super cheap if you already possess the necessary stuff for making them. You'd have to make several sets to make it worthwhile. The roll of cork, while fairly cheap at approx. $9, is only cheap if you use it all. (I'm on roll #2 right now. I did the math last night, and I should get enough backings for 60 coasters out of a single roll.) Of course, there are all sorts of other uses for the cork, I'm sure. Oh, and since I had to buy more cork last night, I did the money math, too. The cork bumps up the cost of the coasters to about $3/set. I wasn't counting the cork in the initial cost because I already owned some, but then I ran out and had to buy more.
Thirsty, yes, I used Staz-on ink for this. Figured that was safest, as it's meant to be permanent and doesn't need to be heat-set like pigment ink. Then I sealed it with (I think) an acrylic spray sealant. I used whatever leftover stuff Steven pulled out for me. I tried Mod Podge on one set back before Christmas, and I didn't like how it turned out, so definitely use some sort of sealer.
What a great idea! I've bookmarked the page. Maybe once I get the guest room/office done, I can seek out some funky stamps (I already have a few, but I'm thinking those cool old advertising cuts from the 40s and 50s), and start making gifts for next Christmas.
Yea!
This is such a great idea! Can't wait to try it myself!
I have the list of items needed written down in my little notebook I keep in my purse! And where to find them! I am going to get started on these in a few weeks to have for Christmas gifts or anything I may need throughout the year.
I really like those! They're neutral enough to appeal to most people, and they look nice all stacked up, too.
Love these! What a great idea! How do you get the design on the tile?
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