Easy Peasy Friday: Reviving Old Coasters

Coasters belong to that special category of things that you never think about until you need to use one. You never hear anyone say, "Oh, I have to go to the mall this weekend. I need some new coasters." Maybe a new jacket, running shoes or even some socks but never coasters! Anyway, one day I got tired of looking at my old, sad coasters, which were a hand-me-down from a former roommate. They were perfectly useful, but they didn't match my decor at all....

 

I thought of the rather large pile of vintage wallpaper-inspired scrapbook paper I had leftover from when I made my wedding programs. I decided the paper was much prettier and better suited the rest of my home decor style than the palm trees... So, I gathered my paper and brought out my favorite crafting friend...

 

When it comes to the ultimate crafter's best friend, Mod Podge, I prefer the matte. I find the glare from the shininess of the gloss distracting....

 

First, I picked out which paper to use. I decided to make two different sets and chose four different papers that corresponded in color and style. I wanted each coaster to be unique. This comes in handy for parties and get togethers to help folks remember which coaster/glass is theirs.

 

Next I measured the coasters (four inches on each side), and cut the paper using a paper cutter for an even edge. 

 

To adhere the paper to the coasters, I applied a thin coat directly to the coaster using a small foam paintbrush, then laid the paper on top. Using my fingers, I gently pressed from the center out to the edges to get all of the air out so there would be no air bubbles and give the coaster a flat surface. I then applied another thin coat on top of the paper and repeated the finger technique. After the first coat dried, I applied three additional generous coats (with enough dry time in-between coats of course) to make sure the paper was sealed nice and tight.

 

The results look like cute, store-bought or Etsy-bought coasters, but I didn't even have to leave the house or go online! And since I already had all of the materials, the cost was $0.

 

I wish I had better pictures, but this project was so quick and easy, I only thought to take photos with my phone.

 

But this is still a good example of a super-simple, inexpensive way to jazz up some boring, but still useful household items. And the touch of detail can add even more character to the home.

Snooze to Snazzy: Upcycling a Particle Board Shelf to a Classy Wine Rack

My husband and I moved into our first house this past fall. Even though we didn't BUY the house, I was still very proud and wanted to fix it up like a grown-up's house. But at the same time, because we are renting, I didn't want to drop a lot of money on new furniture that might not work in our next home down the road. Luckily, my early 20's were characterized by hoarding tons of free and hand-me-down furniture no matter the condition to fill a series of crummy apartments. So for our new home, I decided to just re-purpose my old stuff.

Our dining room is pretty large and we needed to use some of that space for storage. I've had this white particle board shelf--which was purchased at Target for less than $20 I'm sure--for almost 10 years.

 

Note the line of holes for the adjustable shelf on the inside. Needless to say, it's pretty junky. Historically, I had laid this shelf horizontally for storing CDs, but when I turned it vertically, I had an epiphany....I found this bottle rack at IKEA for only $10 and it happened to fit EXACTLY into the bottom of the shelf.

Photo from Ikea.com

 

The stark white shelf kind of stuck out from the rest of the dining room decor, but I didn't think paint would stick well to it. So, while I was at IKEA, I picked up some damask-style wall stickers. I assembled the bottle rack, applied the stickers and...Voila! A shelf for my wine and wine glasses.