"C" is for Coasters

It's day 3 of the A-to-Z Challenge. Things are going pretty swimmingly so far. Today's letter is...

In EPJ land, C is always for coaster. I've become somewhat famous (or maybe notorious) among my family and friends for my coasters. My bottlecap coasters are one of the most popular posts on the blog. Even two years later, it still gets one of the highest number of visitors each week. Crazy.

But today is not about bottlecap coasters. It's a different kind of upcycling. I'm all about reusing stuff for my crafts so I don't have to go out and buy anything. It's called frugal, people...it's not hoarding. Okay...maybe it's a little bit of hoarding. The crop room closet is a mess...I'll admit it.

A couple of years ago, I had the boys start saving our cereal boxes. I didn't have a plan for them at the time, but I figured they would come in handy for something. I thought maybe I'd use them to make magazine holder style boxes. I didn't think I'd use them like this. Sometimes ideas just work out.

Start with an ordinary cereal box. I like the ones with big character faces on them the best, but you could use just about anything. Wording sometimes works well, too.

Cut off the front panel. Easy peasy.

Use a plain tile for your base (I buy mine at Home Depot for about 16 cents a piece). Measure your tile (usually about 4 1/4") and cut your cereal box section to match. I like to leave a little bit of the white edge all the way around. It's not a bad looking border and it helps the edges seal better.

Adhere your cutout to the tile using ModPodge. Once that is secure and dry, coat the top with more ModPodge. I like to use the gloss type here to give it a good shine.

The ModPodge will dry clear. Use 2-3 coats to keep the cardboard protected. I then spray the tops with automotive clear coat to make everything waterproof in case of a spill. This takes anywhere from 3 to 7 coats depending on how well the edges get sealed. You don't want any bubbles. Make sure (whether it's ModPodge or clear coat) to let each layer dry fully before adding the next. Otherwise things can get bubbled and ugly.

Adhere little felt pads to each underside corner to keep from scratching surfaces...and you're all done. I do love an easy project!

Thanks to all of you stopping by from A-to-Z Challenge! I love new readers. Make sure to leave me a comment below so that I can return the favor by visiting you.