DIY Of The Week: Agate Coasters

This is an great and inexpensive way to crate your own trendy agate coasters for your home without breaking the bank! This tutorial is from Jen Woodhouse.

Photo from Jen Woodhouse

What you’ll need:

Sculpey III Polymer Clay
Acrylic Paint
Sculpey Gloss Glaze
Classic Gold Liquid Leaf
Clear Bumpers (optional)
Paintbrushes
Rolling Pin

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 275º F. While the oven heats, roll out the clay. Since geodes (agate slices?) are natural, their shape is organic, so no need to make a perfect circle here. Just go with the flow and make them circle-ish. Roll them out to about 1/4-inch thick and 3 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter.

Step 2: Place the clay on a parchment paper-lined pan and bake in a 275º F oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Allow to cool.


Photo from Jen Woodhouse

Step 3: Now for the fun part – paint! Don’t stress over this – remember, perfection is overrated and because these are supposed to mimic natural stones, you can be cavalier with your designs. I mixed the colors up, added water here and there, to help the paint behave more fluidly. I liked it when the colors sort of ran together, almost like watercolor. Allow the paint to dry.


Photo from Jen Woodhouse

Step 4: To add shine to the coasters, brush on a couple of coats of gloss glaze. Allow to dry.

Step 5: Here’s where the magic happens. With a small paintbrush, paint the gold liquid leaf along the edges. The agate coasters just come to life! Such a small detail, but it makes all the difference. So fancy!

Step 6: Attach adhesive-backed bumpers to the underside of the coasters and you’re done!

You have your very own set of faux DIY agate coasters! Enjoy your favorite beverage on your new fancy coasters. These coasters would make great handmade housewarming gifts too!

See full tutorial here.