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    Home » DIY Projects

    DIY Family Photo Coasters - Great Gifts for Family & Friends

    April 29, 2020 by Patti Estep 2 Comments

    Jump to How-to Card
    Black and white photo coasters
    Black and white photo coaster

    Learn how to make these family photo coasters. They are simple to create and are the perfect gift for mom or anyone in your life.

    Black and white photo coasters

    I always like to give a gift to my sisters and sisters-in-law on Mother's Day because my own mother and my mother-in-law both passed away at a young age. 

    This year I gathered out some pics of their children at a young age and made these fun coasters. 

    I've made a photo transfer on fabric notebook in the past so I knew it would be a fun project for coasters.

    This post contains some affiliate links (that means if you make a purchase after clicking a link, there's no additional cost to you, but I will earn a very small commission. ) i.e. as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

    Supplies for family photo coasters

    Supplies

    • Coasters
    • Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium
    • Photos
    • Paintbrush
    • Polycrylic or any protective finish

    Creating Black and White Round Images

    The first thing you need to do after you gather your photos is to scan them to the computer or take a photo with your phone and email it to yourself.

    Note: You may want to make a reverse image if your photo has any words or parts that would look odd backward.

    Next, use any program you are familiar with to transform them into black and white images. I used Google Drawing.

    To do this open a new drawing then go to Insert, Image, upload from computer.

    Click on the image. In the right panel go to recolor and choose greyscale. 

    You can also reverse the image at this step if necessary by clicking on the first flip icon (horizontally) also in the right panel under Rotate.

    Next, crop the image into a circle by clicking on the arrow (mask image) to the right of the crop tool and choose Shapes. Choose the circle on the second line.

    Then choose the correct size (2.5 inches) on the right panel to make the image fit the coaster.

    Transfer medium brushed on photo

    Making Family Photo Coasters

    Cut out your image and coat the Mod Podge transfer medium over the top of the image.

    Photo on coaster with transfer medium

    Flip it over onto the coaster and gently smooth out any bubbles or lines.

    Dried photo on coaster with transfer medium

    Wait for 24 hours. Then wet the top with a sponge. You will start to see the image come through.

    Removing glue with sponge

    Gently rub the image in little circles and the glue will come off revealing the image below.

    Second day of photo transfer coasters

    Take your time. In addition to the sponge, I used my finger to rub away the compound too. Once it dries again you may want to try wetting the coaster a second time to remove more of the film.

    Madi and Emily on coaster
    these are my two girls

    Finish by adding a coat or two of a protective finish. I ended up using a polyacrylic and coated the coasters 4 times just to make sure they were durable. 

    Max, Jeremy and Gabby coasters

    It was so fun looking at these adorable faces of my wonderful niece and nephews while I worked on this project.

    All five cousin photo coasters

    I think my sisters will love this Mother's Day present. How could they not?

    Patti signature
    Five coasters with family photos
    Five coasters with black and white kids pictures
    Print

    How to Make Family Photo Coasters

    Learn how to make photo coasters to use in your home or to gift to family and friends.
    Active Time1 hr
    Additional Time1 d 1 hr
    Total Time1 d 2 hrs
    Course: DIY Projects
    Yield: 12
    Author: Patti Estep

    Equipment

    • Computer and printer
    • Paintbrush
    • scissors

    Materials

    • Coasters
    • Mod Podge Photo Transfer Medium
    • Photos
    • Polycrylic or any protective finish

    Instructions

    • Gather your photos and scan them to the computer or take a photo with your phone and email it to yourself.
    • Use drawing software or the Google drawing app.
    • Open a new drawing then go to Insert, Image, and upload from the computer.
    • Click on the image. In the right panel go to recolor and choose greyscale. You can also reverse the image at this step if necessary by clicking on the first flip icon (horizontally) also in the right panel under Rotate.
    • Next, crop the image into a circle by clicking on the arrow (mask image) to the right of the crop tool and choosing Shapes. Choose the circle on the second line.
    • Then choose the correct size (2.5 inches) on the right panel to make the image fit the coaster.
    • Print out the photos.
    • Cut out your image and coat the Mod Podge transfer medium over the top of the image. Flip it over onto the coaster and gently smooth out any bubbles or lines.
    • Wait for 24 hours. Then wet the top with a sponge. You will start to see the image come through. Gently rub the image in little circles and the glue will come off revealing the image below.
    • Finish by adding a coat or two of a protective finish.


    Notes

    You may want to make a reverse image if your photo has any words or parts that would look odd backward.
    Take your time. In addition to the sponge, I used my finger to rub away the compound too. Once it dries again you may want to try wetting the coaster a second time to remove more of the film.

    More DIY Projects

    • Make Your Own Corn Heating Bags
    • How to Make Your Own Birdseed Cakes
    • Make an Emergency Candle Kit for Power Outages
    • Homemade Dusting Spray

    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Carole West

      April 29, 2020 at 12:07 pm

      Patti - these are so neat. I bet your family just loves getting gifts from you. The detail you put towards each project is a gift from within. Pinning this on my workshop board... Love!

      Reply
      • Patti Estep

        April 29, 2020 at 1:12 pm

        Thanks Carole. I loved looking at those sweet faces while I was making them.

        Reply

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