DIY Crystal Geode Printed Coasters

I've been seeing a lot of crystal/rock things on sale. Now, these things have literally been around for a long time, but I'm in love with them right now! The problem, for me, is always money. I'm the type of person who will find a way to make it myself, before resorting to buy it (except shoes!). Agate/geode slice coasters cost a lot of money, for good reason too.

I couldn't form a geode, naturally (obviously), so started looking for DIYs. And I found it! I was inspired by this tutorial by HelloMaphie, where she was so creative into creating faux PRINTED coasters with cardboard! Her method is so easy and clever, but I wanted to try out a different method.

I tried this DIY using clay as the base instead of cardboard. Let's get started and I'll explain my experiences along the way!

Things You'll Need

• Clay (I used the Crayola Air-Dry Clay, you can use polymer clay too!)
• Agate/Geode Print Outs (I searched them up on Pinterest and Google, full credit to the owners of the pictures)
• Glossy Mod Podge
• A foam brush
• X-Acto Knife

Steps

1. Cut out the geode prints. 

You can find geode prints on Google Images or Pinterest. Just remember that these aren't my pictures or yours (unless they are, that's pretty cool), so I give credit to the owners and I'm not selling them for my own benefit! *legal stuff out.*

2. Roll out the clay and place the printed cut-out on top. Remove excess clay as needed and stay close to the print. 

My clay bases wasn't exactly perfect, but I'll cut the print to fit the bases later. My clay was also quite dry so it took way more effort than it should've.

3. Let the clay dry or bake it if you're using polymer clay.

Use the direction on the packaging. I left mine overnight and it was pretty sturdy, it actually could use more dry time.

4. Spray paint the base gold (or silver, or black) 

The color you want the bottom to be is all up to you, I just love gold! Also, I put some Mod Podge on the bottom of the base to glue together any bits so it won't fall off or break.

5.Using the Mod Podge, glue the print on the base. 

I trimmed off the excess paper and sealed off the edges as well. It might take some time to glue down the edgesand trimming what's needed.

6. Seal the top with 1-2 layers of Mod Podge.

Since it will be used with liquids and such, you want to be liberal with these coats. I had an issue with the Mod Podge not drying clear, so not too liberal, I guess.

7. To pull the whole look together, I used gold metallic paint and painted the edges of the geode, right on top of the paper. 

I stayed close to the edge because it can also conceal the harsh cuts of the paper that has a hard time getting glued down. I think it makes it look a lot better. It wasn't the same gold, but it worked!

My biggest problem was I didn't make the bases flat enough on the top, but cups still stand. I think the clay makes it look more realistic and sturdier (although clay CAN break), but cardboard would be easier and quicker to make!

I hope you found this helpful and are inspired by it! If you have any questions, feel free to ask them below! I loved this DIY and I think it would make a cute present, for a frugal friend like myself, haha!

«Until next time! x»

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