Tile Coasters

It's craft night again! This time we're making tile coasters, inspired by Curbly.com. They used paper napkins, which may or may not have proved easier than using stiff craft paper, as we did. But it is hard to imagine anything being easier than this simple craft.

Just cut squares of your paper to the size of your tile (available at your local hardware store for about 14 cents each), and apply with Mod Podge. Now, this part is important: before putting on your top coat of Mod Podge, put your coasters under something heavy (the phone book works great -- it's basically the only reason I haven't recycled it yet) and let them dry thoroughly.

Once they're dry and free of bubbles, apply top coats of the Podge, letting it dry in between. Then add a felt footy to each corner of the underside of the tile, and you're done! Now I have six coordinating coasters that can also double as trivets in a pinch. Neat!

Marble Magnets

Last night was craft night! I try to pick crafts for this weekly event that aren't too pricey, and can be completed in only a few hours (while watching a movie and eating popcorn and Junior Mints). This week's project was culled from one of my favorite blogs, How About Orange.

Here's what we used:



I used scraps of craft paper I had left over from other projects, but really any paper would work. And here's a tip: get the marbles from the floral section, not the mosaic section, of your local craft store. You'll get about 5 times more marbles, for the same price.

This project really couldn't be easier. Cut out your paper to the size of the magnet (not the marble), and glue it to the marble. I used a generous amount of Tacky Glue. Whatever you're using, make sure it dries clear. And check on your marbles throughout the process, as they tend to slip around before the glue sets.

Once that's dry, glue the paper side of the marble to the magnet. Allow that to dry thoroughly, and you're done!

Ikea Clock Makeover

I spotted this tutorial on Design*Sponge and immediately thought it would make an adorable kitchen clock. Plus, the clock was two bucks at Ikea -- a craft project AND a good bargain? How could I resist?

I did take the liberty of simplifying their project even further. Instead of fabric and embroidery, I used a nice thick craft paper and traced on some medieval-style numbers from this free clipart library (my laptop makes a great lightbox). Lastly, I painted the second hand to match the newly painted clock frame, and voila! A kitschy clock is born!