DIY Dog Silhouette Coasters

We adopted Quinn almost a year ago this week (May 4th) and she is such an important part of our lives. When a rep from her rescue approached me about making something for their online auction, I was only too glad to oblige. I tossed around a few doggy themed ideas (like my no-sew waterproof placemats) and finally settled on crafting up some unique coasters.

I wanted to appeal to a wide variety of dog lovers so rather than picking one breed, I went with a variety. Plus, Quinn is a bit of a mutt (Beagle & German Shepherd mix) so it only felt right to go that route in support of the other pups out there. The silhouettes I chose were: dachshund, Boston terrier, German shepherd, pug, beagle, and boxer.

I used a set of unfinished coasters from Michaels and Dollar Tree contact paper to make the stencil. To dress up the simple wooden disks, I opted to paint with a shimmery champagne gold acrylic. This project was so incredibly simple that I don't think it's really necessary to even write out detailed instructions. Take a look at the process below and if you have any questions, leave a comment or send me an email!

1. Wash and prep your coasters for staining
2. Apply a water-based stain in your color of choice
3. Immediately wipe off the stain.
REPEAT STEPS 2-3 UNTIL YOU HAVE ACHIEVED YOUR DESIRED COLOR

4. Find the silhouettes of your choice online and cut them out on clear contact paper (or removable vinyl)

5. Apply the stencil to the center of your coasters and apply metallic paint (or the color of your choice) with smooth brush strokes

6. Remove the stencil carefully; don't worry if the finish gets a little messed up because it's easy to go back and dab on extra pain or stain.

7. Once the front is dry, stain the back of the coasters

8. Cut out circles from a sheet of foam to apply to the back of the coaster

9. Adhere the foam circle to the back of the coaster with permanent double-sided tape

10. Your coasters are already looking pretty snazzy at this point but since it was water-based paint and stain, it's important to seal them.

11. To make mine water-resistant, I added 4 coats of clear acrylic sealer which really ramped up the color and the overall finish of the set! I'd highly recommend this

How cute are these? I spent about $5 on the coaster set and they were auctioned for $30! I realize that isn't a huge sum of money, but it's not too shabby for an afternoon craft project. Since I sealed them with lacquer spray, they are completely water-resistant and the bottom is covered in foam to protect your tabletops from scratches. 

These would be a fantastic and thoughtful gift to the dog-lover in your life! What breed/animal would you just love to have on a set for yourself?

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