Mother's Day Coaster Craft

Coasters for mom, or any other mother in your life, for Mother's Day! 

Everyone uses coasters! Right!? I love useful gifts because that means parents will keep them out all year long. Memories of gifts your kids give you are the best kind, and kids love when their gifts don't get put away and never seen again. 

These also only take about 20 minutes to make and package! 

(not including drying time - I usually make them the day before packaging them so they dry overnight)

Start with little bathroom tiles from Home Depot. I get the most porous looking tiles, so they absorb the mod podge really well! 

You will need lots of mod podge and foam brushes!

Have the students choose their scrapbook paper pattern. I buy a lot in advance and let the kids choose what they think their mom would like. Maybe they want to match her house or maybe they know her favorite color? Whatever they want! 

They use the tile to guide them, and cut the square (or whatever shape they want, really!). It is very important that they cut the square SMALLER than the actual size of the tile. If the edges of the paper go right to the end of the tile, the mod podge won't hold it and they will peel up. 

Mod podge the top of your tile

Place your paper down and then do another thick layer of mod podge over that. Yes, the mod podge will look a bit white, but it dries clear. Make sure not to leave any "goop" - spread it all around!

Here is what some of them look like when they are finished, but not yet dry:

Complete tiles! 

As you can see, some student got creative and did multi-layers with the hearts. They came out so good!!

Wrap it up in a simple, colored lunch bag from the craft store and a clothespin. We later made cards for mom and clipped them in the clothespin, as well! 

Here's a look at the table where the students were making their coasters - They were all given directions at once, and then while they were working on a math assignment, I called them out in small groups to the hallway to do their coaster. So, you may see that the kids below are working on different stages of making their coaster. As one student finished, I called out another student, and so on.