Making a set of mosaic drink coasters is a fun and relatively easy task, which results in a lovely, customized, and highly functional addition to your home's décor. Best of all, you can cut down on your expenses by using recycled products from around the home as your individual mosaic pieces.
The first thing that you will need is a small wooden frame to hold the mosaic pieces. This can either be purchased at a craft store, or recycled from a decorative frame found somewhere in your home. Remove the glass and backing on the frame and then nail a small matched piece of square wood to the back using tack nails. This will serve as the canvas upon which you will create your mosaic. If you like you can also sand the frame down, and stain or paint it to the color of your choice.
Next you will have to find something to use for your individual mosaic pieces. Small glass tiles can be purchased at your local arts and crafts store, but if you want to save a couple of dollars you can also use pieces of old ceramic dishes, broken tiles, pebbles and stones from the garden, or anything that is small, and will easily fit into your mosaic pattern. You also want to use all pieces of roughly the same thickness. This will make it easier for you to end up with a flat uniform surface.
You should start by laying out the mosaic pieces that you have found into the pattern that you desire, outside of the frame. Once you start gluing things down it will be hard to make corrections. If you have dishes or plastic pieces that are too large, break them up by placing them in a strong paper bag, or a pillowcase, and hitting them with a hammer until they are useable.
Once you have the initial pattern set out for your drink coasters, it is time to get sticky. Use a trowel to scoop an even layer of tile adhesive onto the surface of the frames interior. The thicker the mosaics you are using for the coaster, the thicker the adhesive should be. Just make sure it won't spill out over the sides of the frame when the pieces are set.
Using your initial layout as a guide carefully set the pieces into the coaster. Start with the central pattern, and then fill in background color. Be very careful, as it is difficult to move a piece once it has been placed. You should also try and get the various chips to sit at the same height in the adhesive, so that your finished product comes out even.
Allow the coaster to set overnight. The next day when the adhesive has hardened, grout the pieces over to fill in gaps between chips. Then allow the whole mixture to set for a full 24 hours. When they are finished, you will have a beautiful set of unique coasters that you designed all by yourself.
Have you seen the prices of greeting cards lately? It is hideous! Once you purchase the card and gift-wrap, your overall cost can easily increase by $10 to $15. If you are on a tight budget, this can be difficult as you spend more on the fluff and less on the actual gift. Not only are greeting cards expensive, their sizes often overwhelm small gifts, which make the overall presentation, looking goofy and unbalanced. Basically, you really don’t need to spend on expensive greeting cards to make an impression.
We all have the perception that greeting cards are the perfect
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Are you looking for inexpensive Christmas gift ideas this season?
Rather than buying a Christmas gift for your cousin, a gift for her husband and a gift for each of their three children, why not give one gift to the five of them that they can enjoy as a family? You'll be amazed how much money you can save by giving one inexpensive family gift rather than several individual gifts.
Let your friends and family know in advance that you've decided to create special gifts for families this year, so you don't have to worry about anyone feeling awkward when
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Eventually, someone you know will move house - and this idea will come in very handy indeed when you want to come up with a house warming gift that is a little bit more meaningful and interesting than just handing over a pot plant.
There is an old Celtic tradition which involves the humble snail.
Now the snail carries its house on its back and so it is never homeless; but more, the spiral design of the snail shell was always very special to the Celtic people, so it makes perfect sense that any kind of snail makes the perfect
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Time certainly does fly! Even though we can't see time, or touch it, we know it has wings! Here it is almost Christmas, and Hanukkah is a mere week and a half away! Oh – what to knit in a hurry!
If you're like me, you tend to do some holiday things ahead of time, and some tasks are left for "when I have more time." Right! Little, easy knitted gifts can be worked up in no time, and are always appreciated by whomever is lucky enough to receive them. So, the next time you are sitting in front of the
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Special occasions and gift giving always come hand in hand. Holidays like the Christmas season, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduation, Valentine's Day, father's day, mother's day, or on whatever special occasions, people give and receive gifts.
Children love to receive gifts. Senior citizens treasure being remembered. Almost everybody loves surprises. And giving gifts can make someone smile with great joy and happiness.
Perhaps you know of someone who wants something so much but that person just couldn't afford it. When he/she unexpectedly receives that treasured thing he/she wants so dearly, you certainly would create so much happiness for that person.
Sometimes it is not
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