| | | |

Handmade Hostess Gift: Initialed Coasters

How to make monogram or initial drink coasters. These can be used when entertaining or to make and give as unique customized hostess gifts.

Handmade-Hostess-Gift-Ideas

The holidays are coming which means two things:

1. You will be entertaining family and friends in your home and will need a place for your guests to safely place their drinks.

2.  You will be invited to a holiday party or two and will need a hostess gift.

These easy and affordable initialed cork coasters covers both. No matter if you have people coming or you’re going  – there will be a need for coasters for all the holiday drinks that will be served.

Protect your tables in affordable style by making a set for yourself and another to give as a handmade hostess gift.

Have fun with the designs –  draw your own, use initials,  your monogram, stencils of snowflakes, holly, Santa, something your child drew, or print a favorite design out on your computer to transfer.

Permanent markers come in a wide range of colors -use one or more colors to coordinate with your decor. There is no limit as to what you can draw on them.

How to Make Initialed Drink Coasters

Supplies-needed-to-make-initial coaster

supplies needed:

  • Cork coasters – I bought these in the garden department at Walmart
  • Printed initial – I used the font – David in 30o pt. size  It is very similar to Times New Roman or Georgia.
  • Transfer paper – craft store
  • Pencil
  • Sharpie or permanent marker

How to trace lettering on a surface

1.  Lay transfer paper face down on coaster. Center cut out letter on top. Make sure it is straight.  Using a pencil make an outline of the letter. The pressure of the pencil point will transfer graphite on the transfer paper to the cork.

Handmade-Holiday-Gift-Ideas

2.   When you are done, remove letter and transfer paper to reveal a graphite outline of the letter.

Handmade-Gift-Ideas---Initial Coasters

3.  Fill letter in with a permanent marker.

Handmade--Hostess-Gift-Idea

If needed, repeat filling in with marker until you have a nice even color in your letters.

Holiday-Hostess-Gift-Ideas-

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

23 Comments

  1. Wow!!! love this hostess gift thank you for the info and I will have to check out your other posts

    Reply

  2. hi, i am new to this but the transfer paper you use is it the one that is used to iron-on prints to t-shirts or is there another kind of transfer paper, thanks a mill

    Reply

    1. Hi Breda –

      I use graphite transfer paper, not iron-on transfer paper. It is grey paper that will leave a mark on the coaster when you draw over your image. I buy it at the crafts store. The Martha Stewart brand of paints carries it at Michaels. I think it is rolled up and hanging on the wall display.

      Reply

  3. Love this idea! I have a question though, will the ink bleed at all if you actually put it to the test as a coaster?

    Reply

    1. Hi Melissa – If you use a permanent marker there will be no bleed through at all. I have used my coasters for a few years now. There is no bleeding of the ink at all. One coaster has discolored over the years in some spots from sitting on a table that got a lot of sun. I simply went over the letter again with the black marker to make it as good as new. :-)

      Reply

  5. I love personalized and customized stuffs! :) I will try this out. This is a good idea for christmas gifts!

    Reply

  6. love the idea and preparing to make some for holiday gifts. However…would the color run when it gets wet? should I attempt to seal the color with ??? modge-podge?

    Reply

    1. Hi Rhonda –

      Before I posted the project, I tested them out under running water and placed cold and hot drinks on them. No bleeding or running of the ink at all. I used a Sharpie brand permanent marker – no sealer needed. I have been using them for 2 weeks – we use them everyday and they look perfect even after something wet is on them.

      Reply

  7. Another easy and fantastic idea! I would love to make these with seasonal images of Santa and snowmen! Might even be able to use cookie cutters to make the outlines. Thank you for the idea!

    Reply