diy: comic book coasters

(Disclaimer: If cutting up comic books upsets/offends you....please look away!)

Yes, we chopped up comic books (again).  No, don't give us that look!

Batman coasters are the bomb.

Now since we're all a bit geeky here at p.s.heart, you shouldn't really be surprised at this diy (remember Jordyn's comic book shoes?).  Jordyn was brainstorming ideas for diy projects that she could give to her boyfriend, his family, as well as our good friends Karson and Ashley, and this is what she came up with!

Jordyn was inspired by this diy, and his etsy shop Cheltenham Road is pretty rad as well, in case you'd rather buy than make coasters similar to these.

Jordyn asked for my help with these, and she can attest to the fact that I may have been a teensy bit bossy with my "advice".  I can't help it!  It must be an older sister thing.  However, I'm happy to say that in the end she did admit that the idea I pushed for was a good one and ended up saving us a lot of work.  Score one for bossy older sisters.

Materials:

-old/new/ugly coasters* (we found ours at a dollar store)

-paint (if you need to paint over ugly coasters)

-comic books (that you don't mind cutting up)

-mod podge

-paint brush

-cardstock (thick paper)

-scissors/paper cutter

-pencil

Notes before you start:

*We decided to just find some cheap coasters at a dollar store, and they worked out super well.  Unfortunately I forgot to grab a before photo of them, but they were just ugly tile ones with "inspirational" words on them, and a cork bottom.  Since comic book pages are thin, we decided to paint the coasters white so that nothing would show through, and it gave them a nice clean look.

*We used a paper cutter to get a really straight edge, but scissors will work if you're careful.  Jordyn and I also though it looked better to cut our template just a teeny bit smaller than our coaster to leave a small border of white showing on the coaster, but that's up to you!

*If you're really hardcore, you can also use outdoor mod podge instead of the regular stuff for a slightly tougher coaster!

Directions:

1)  If you need to, paint one or two coats of white paint on your coasters, and let dry.

2)  Place one of the coasters on a sheet of cardstock, trace around the coaster, and then cut it out.  This will give you a template for cutting out the correct size from your comic book.

3)  Flip through your chosen comic to find fun panels that would look good on your size of coaster.  Use your template to trace out the shape, and cut it out.

4)  Spread a very thin layer of mod podge over your coaster, and carefully place your chosen comic book piece over top.  Smooth out any bubbles, and let dry.

5)  Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all coasters are done.

6)  Now, spread a very thing layer of mod podge over top of each coaster, as well as over the edges. We used a plastic pastry scraper to smooth out any bubbles that popped up, but anything with a straight edge would work.

7)  Repeat step 6 at least twice for each coaster, allowing each coat to dry completely.

8)  Use and enjoy!

We were ecstatic with how these turned out, and are happy to say that everyone who received them for Christmas loved them too.

As you can tell, our friends love Batman, but you can easily customize them to suit whatever comic book you (or your friends) fancy.  Another alternative might be to try using scrapbooking paper, old sheet music, etc.  The possibilities are endless!

p.s. ♥ kelsey & jordyn