$13.00 drink coaster? Say it ain't so!

As I was watching the fourth hour of the Today show with KLG and Hoda a few days ago, they had a segment on what you should do with all of your vacation photos...they had a lot of ideas, but the one that stood out to me was the photo drink coasters...that were retailed for $13.00 a piece!!! At that moment, I placed my coffee cup down on a photo coaster of my beloved pup, Barkley, and screamed, "WHAT?!?" (and truly that was where the idea for this blog began...)

$13.00 is outrageous if you have a total of (maybe) 45 minutes over the course of a couple days...
 I made 5 coasters (one of which had been broken since, thanks Aly) for a grand total of $10.00 (that doesn't include the Mod Podge, the pictures I already had in the house, or the cork)

What do you need?
-Ceramic tiles (I got mine from Lowes for about $1.00 a piece)
-Pictures that you love
-Mod Podge
-Foam sponge
-package of "cork protective pads" (I had these on-hand because I use them in various places around the house)
-newspaper (to protect the surface you are working on)
-Water-resistant, Clear Acrylic spray or Polyurethane spray (Tree House High Gloss Sealer)

I followed the steps from this website: http://go.tipjunkie.com/dc/1481/twogirlsbeingcrafty.blogspot.com/2011/02/ramseys-finally-have-coasters.html

Some of the tips I have...your first coat of Mod Podge is critical! Make sure the photo is attached completely to the tile...otherwise...it will bubble or the corners will peel up (which happened to me)...also make sure you are a MORE PATIENT person than I was...I wanted immediate results...so...I may have done more Mod Podge with less wait time...and don't spray your sealer in an area where the outdoor grass may land on your coasters while they are drying...yes, this too happened...

Finally, the website shows felt being attached to the bottom of the coaster...I like the cork better..on one coaster I had used plastic protector and those fell right off...also I felt the cork looked better...

Maybe I should sell my own...$13.00 a piece....well good for them...but for those of us that don't mind doing the work and saving some money these are worth it! (they also make a great present!)

Here are some pictures of my coasters:

Love my pups! (and of course, my husband) :)

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