Mod Podge Map Coasters

Mod Podge craft ideas don't have to make your head spin. Dig into your old drawers and grab that graying, bent paper map for a little crafty inspiration. Mod Podge Map Coasters from Amanda Formaro make great gifts and look great in a kitchen or on a coffee table.


 

Materials:

• Wood coasters and holder
• Sand paper
• Black acrylic paint
• Road atlas pages
• Antique Mod Podge - matte
• Craft knife
• Painter's tape
• Pen
• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Sand all surfaces of the wood coasters, enough to knock off any shiny finish they may have.
   
   
    
2. Use painter's tape to cover the cork circles.
   
   
    
3. You will need to create a circle template the same size as the cork on the coasters. If you have a compass you can make a circle on a piece of paper. To create mine I used a second set of painter's tape over the top of one of the already taped cork circles. Then I carefully peeled off the top tape circle and stuck it to a piece of paper. Then I cut the circle out and trimmed about 1/8-inch off all the way around. Set the circle aside for now.
   
   
    
4. Paint all wood surfaces with black paint and allow to dry.
   
   
    
5. Place a coaster onto your atlas page and trace around it with a pen, leaving some extra room around the edges. Remove the coaster.
   
   
    
6. Place the circle template that you created into the center of the square you just drew on your map. Use a pen to trace the circle. Cut out the center circles.
   
   
    
7. Apply Mod Podge onto the wood face of the coaster. Apply Mod Podge to the back of the map.
   
   
    
8. Carefully place the map onto the coasters, lining up the circle over the taped cork center. Press map down with your fingers and smooth out only across the top, don't press the paper to the edges, you will be removing that in a later step.
   
   
    
9. Use your fingernail to tuck in any excess map that is hanging over the circle's edge. Repeat decoupage steps for all the coasters.
   
   
    
10. Turn coaster face down and use a craft knife to trim off excess map edges. Do not be concerned if they are rough.
    
    
     
11. Gently run sandpaper along the edges of the coasters where the map edges are. This will remove the excess paper that is not attached to the coaster.
    
    
     
12. Sand all the way around the edges to smooth the paper edges and distress the painted wood by exposing some of the wood beneath.
    
    
     
13. Cut sections of map to fit on the sides of the coasters' holder. Apply Mod Podge and attach. Allow to dry then sand all the edges and the edges of the map as well. You will remove some of the print from the edges of the map which will give it an aged look.
    
    
     
14. Apply Mod Podge over the top of all the map and wood surfaces. Repeat for a second coat after the first has dried.
    
    
     
15. Use a craft knife to gently lift the edge of the painter's tape and remove.