Each year I like to make a homemade gift for my friends. I try to focus on gifts that are fun, but practical. After realizing I needed some coasters, the idea struck me to make coasters for my friends too!

MATERIALS

• Cork coasters (I ordered inexpensive sets on eBay)
• Stencils
• Acrylic paint
• Paper

I used a paper circle underneath the stencil to make space for the initial stencils. It was important to brush away from the circle instead of towards it so the paint wouldn’t go underneath the paper. I used a marker to hold the paper down – it worked really well! Another tip is to wash and dry the stencil between each application – otherwise, it just got too messy.

This project was fast and cheap and I thought the results were great! I was worried about condensation from my drinks making the paint run, but it’s been two years and the coasters are holding up really well. I used ribbons to tie the coasters in a stack and tucked them into gift bags with other fun gifts and everyone loved them!