Handmade Coasters

A few weeks ago I realized how important coasters are. That sounds ridiculous, I know. I had just found a lovely coffee table at an antique store, hand-painted a muted sage color and perfectly distressed. But when I brought my coffee or ice water to the couch to do some reading, I realized that my new find would be useless for holding drinks until I found some coasters to protect it from water rings. But hey, I still did not break one of my favorite rules of home decorating--"Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful"--because it certainly is pretty.

After looking around at a few places for cute coasters, I stumbled on a make-your-own-coasters idea I found via Pinterest. It was so fun and easy, and inexpensive, too. Here's what to do. Go to the hardware store and buy several individual bathroom tiles, available for usually 20 to 30 cents each. I bought two black tiles, two cream tiles, and two mocha-colored tiles, because I love neutrals and think they are classy and go with everything. But the store I was in also had fun royal blue tiles, patterned tiles, and textured tiles, if you wanted to make jazzier coasters.

The only other items needed are glue and a few sheets of cork board to prevent the tile from scratching or moving around on the table. Simply cut the cork to the right size, glue and let set under a heavy book for a few hours. And there you go! Simple, beautiful, handmade coasters that you can be proud of.