Photo Coasters
Tutorial
Supplies:
Color copy of photographs (toner copies from a copy center)
Acrylic Gel Medium (I use Golden Gel Medium)
4x4” tumbled tiles (You can find these at Lowes, Home Depot etc)
Foam brush
Sealer
Antiquing glaze if desired
Brayer
Cork backing (packages of 6 cork squares a can be found at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc)
Instructions:
Arrange your photos on a sheet of 8.5x11” paper; leaving enough room to cut them out while making use of all the space. Do any cropping and/or color correction before making your original working copy. The pictures will be reversed so use your software program (or the copy menu) to reverse your original. You can also soften the edges of the photos so they blend into the tiles better. Take this to your copy center and make a color copy (toner copy). Each copy can be used only once so you may need to make several copies. Cut around each picture to remove any white space and anything else you don’t want transferred.
Use the foam brush to apply a generous coat of the gel medium to the tile – I brush it on in one direction, then in the opposite direction - immediately place the picture face down on the tile. Use the brayer to smooth out the photo. Press firm enough to completely adhere the photo to the gel with no air bubbles but don’t press hard enough to squish all the medium out. Set it aside to dry overnight.
When completely dry, use a damp sponge to wet the back of the copy and keeping your fingers wet gently start rubbing the paper off the back. Work from the center out, wetting as necessary to keep peeling the outer layer of paper. As you being to see the image appear it will be very fragile, take care not to tear it at this point. This is a delicate process; too much pressure will rub holes in the photo. If it gets too wet or you’re having problems, set it aside to dry again and repeat the process. Do this as often as needed. Once you do a couple you’ll find the rhythm and pressure needed. If you do end up messing it up, scrub the tile clean and start over with a fresh photo copy. When you can see the entire image but there are still some “fuzzies” of paper you can use a damp sponge to get the rest of the paper fibers off.
Let dry and coat with a clear finish. I often do some antiquing at this point, rubbing it into the irregular edges of the tiles and then use a soft cloth to remove it from the face of the picture. You can also use this technique to disguise any places that didn’t come through perfect. You will occasionally find you’ve rubbed too hard in an area and removed some of the picture – depending on your picture this can be an advantage as it gives an antique, worn appearance to the photo. When you are satisfied, apply a second coat of finish and let dry.
Glue a cork square to the back and you have a finished coaster. If you can’t find the cork squares, you can use the foam craft sheets and cut them slightly smaller than your tile.
The same process can be used to make 6x6” decorative tiles. Simply buy the larger tumbled tiles, make a larger copy of your picture or a montage of pictures and proceed the same way. You can find 12x12 cork squares and cut these to the size needed for backing of larger tiles.
TIPS: You can scan your pictures into the computer and arrange them to fill the page and print it out or tape the original photos to the paper and take that to the copy shop. You’ll get better results if all the photos are of similar contrast. If you have a photo that is too dark or too light, make the corrections on your computer first or use the machine at the copy center.
If you want to enhance the colors or add a touch of color to a black and white photo, use thinned acrylic paint sparingly before using the sealer.
In a matter of days this tree in the front yard has turned colors and shows the beautiful fall colors the Ozarks are famous for.
