I’m sure I’m not the only one who rarely prints out photos anymore! I take a ton of them, especially on my phone, yet they rarely see the light of day. These simple photo coasters using Mason jar lids and EnviroTex Lite Pour-On are a great way to keep those summer vacation memories in mind, year-round.
DIY Photo Coasters with Resin
Hi friends! This is Jane from Sustain My Craft Habit, a DIY, craft and home decor blog I write with my sister Sonja. We’re always on the search for creative ways to decorate our homes and resin makes it easy to make unique and inexpensive decor and gifts. For example, at Christmas time we made glittering photo ornaments with the kids’ school photos as gifts for their grandparents. And recently we created hand-lettered wood slice key chains with resin which made great end-of-year gifts for the kids’ teachers!
After spotting these wedding themed DIY photo mason jar coasters I was inspired to make my own set as a keepsake of our summer vacation at the beach. I’m fortunate to be able to spend much of our summers at our family cottage near the shores of Lake Huron, Ontario. Looking forward to those precious warm weeks on the lake is what helps us get through our long Canadian winters! And now we’ll have these drink coasters to keep the memories fresh.
Materials Needed for these Photo Coasters with Resin
- Photos of your choice, printed to size on glossy photo paper
- Scissors
- 6 Gold Art Minds lids
- Ultra Seal Multi-Purpose Sealer / Glue (or any clear drying craft glue)
- Paintbrush
- Envirotex Lite Pour-On
- Cups, stir sticks, straw or kitchen torch, disposable work surface, gloves
How to Make Resin Coated Photo Coasters
Read all package instructions. Use gloves and work in a well-ventilated area on a surface protected with plastic or newspaper.
Preparing the Photos and Lids
Print out your photos such that the shortest side is just larger than the lid insert. Use the lid insert to trace out the images.
Cut them out with sharp scissors.
Glue the lid insert to the rim. This is important to prevent the resin from seeping out. This step isn’t necessary if you use a one piece lid.
Glue the image into the lid.
Paint a generous layer of glue along the edges and over the image to seal it all together. This make take several coats, especially in the edges. Let dry completely (I left mine overnight).
Pouring the EnviroTex Lite Resin
Mix equal parts of resin and hardener in a clean measuring cup. I used about ½ oz per coaster (3 oz total volume).
Stir for 2 minutes then transfer into a second clean measuring cup. Stir with a clean stir stick for another minute.
Distribute the mixed resin evenly across the six lids.
Tip the lids as needed to make sure it gets into the edges of the lids.
After 10-15 minutes blow off any air bubbles rising to the surface of the resin using a straw or small kitchen torch. Repeat as necessary over the next 1-2 hours.
Place the lids on a level surface and cover to keep dust from settling in. Leave to cure overnight (24 hours for a soft cure, 72 hours for full cure).
I love how these coasters turned out. I think they would also look adorable with a magnet attached to the back for the fridge. We make these monogram fridge magnets last year which we use to this day!
For another project using your photos you have to see Sheri’s DIY Glossy Photo Transfer Wood Slice project. It’s definitely on our to-try list!
Happy summer vacationing friends!
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Jane and Sonja are sisters, moms and lifelong craft addicts both living near Toronto, Canada with their families. They share their love of creativity, nature and coastal DIY ideas on their blog Sustain My Craft Habit. They craft and decorate their homes using repurposed and upcycled items and materials found in nature.
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