Here’s a last minute project for those days where you have only an hour but still need to eek something out. The longest thing you will have to wait for is the shipping. I promise. These Gold Trimmed Hexagon Marble Tile Coasters are a sophisticated way to decorate a desk or coffee table. They will also make for a very attractive Mother’s Day Gift as well (Spoiler alert mom if you’re checking in). I made these marble tile coasters extra large so they can hold the giant-ass coffee mugs that will be pulled from my cold dead fingers before I submit to dainty, hard to hold cups. Since they are oversized they also double as a marble trivet in the kitchen if need be. I’m all for these multi-use items.
Materials for Gold-Trimmed Marble Tile Coasters
- Marble tile – Here is the 5″ tile I used from Amazon. However if 5″ is larger than what you are looking to make I suggest no smaller than this 4″ tile from Amazon.
- Liquid Gold Leaf
- Small foam brushes
- Felt or Cork (for backing)
- Tacky Glue or Hot Glue (See my previous post about the best types of glue and their purposes)
Prepping the Marble Tile
Originally the marble tile is meant to be used as a chic backing for bathrooms or kitchens. Typically the tiles will have a mesh backing to make it easier to lay and grout. Since we are not using them for that purpose then we will remove them from this mesh backing. It should be fairly easy to peel away. The back of the marble will be a bit rough so I suggest not stacking them so they don’t scratch each other.
Backing the Marble Tile Coasters
Before painting, I took one of the marble tile coasters and used it as a stencil for a felt backing. The felt is something I just had hanging around the house. I think that some thin cork would make for a more professional looking coaster. However, I didn’t think it was necessary to run out and purchase it especially since more than likely it would not be seen often. When cutting the felt out I cut the backing about 1/8″ smaller than the size of the coaster on each side.
Painting the Gold Trim
I had this liquid gold leaf left over from my other project of DIY Personalized Lettering Décor. There are some warnings I have with the paint, it will stain just about every surface and is difficult to remove (or at least I haven’t figured it out, please share if you have). You can also just invest in some Metallic Sharpies. However, I used what I had on hand.
I really enjoyed having the raw edge of the tile exposed as well as a slight bleed around the edge. It gives the appearance that the raw cut edge of the marble is actually gold. The imperfection also gives the coaster character. The paint will dry quickly but still be careful to get as little as possible on your hands.
Assembling the Marble Tile Coasters
While painting I made sure to paint a little bit onto the edge of the back of the coasters. After everything is dried I glued the previously cut felt backing to the center of the coasters. The slightly smaller edge will just create a slight shadow on the underside of the marble but not permit tile from scratching everything up. While gluing I just used a basic tacky glue. Mostly because I didn’t think I needed anything more heavy duty to keep felt to tile and I was too lazy to let my hot glue gun warm up.
Optional Design Ideas for the Marble Coasters
If you were fancy and invested in the Metallic Sharpies this would be a great opportunity to put some inspirational quotes, greetings, or funny quips on the marble. To get some ideas on how to make some of those pretty fonts take a look at my previous post about some Tips and Tricks for Hand Lettering. I tried to take some of my metallic paint and paint splatter it around. While I personally did not really like the effect it did add some texture and dimension to the project that others may enjoy.
Thank you for looking through my tutorial for DIY Marble Tile Coasters. Please share what you did with your Marble Tile Coasters to saturatelife@gmail.com and please visit again soon!
