DIY Coasters: How To Make Dyed & Stenciled Coasters

People ask us all the time how we come up with our craft ideas. Sometimes we have a technique we want to do and sometimes we see a designer item that inspires us to make our own. But today’s idea came another way. We found a set of gorgeous square wood coasters and thought we must do something to them. We wanted to decorate them in a way that still showed off the beautiful wood grain, but we wanted to give them a little something extra. So we came up with these Boho Dyed & Stenciled Coasters.

The dye we used is meant to be used on natural materials like wood, rattan, straw, and cloth. The colors are vivid even though the dye only goes on for a short time before you wipe the excess off. And the wood grain does show through beautifully! Here’s a video we made showing just how we applied the dye and also how we added the stenciled designs. Follow along as we make the elephant coaster, then use the steps below to make your own.

Disclosure: We are Plaid Ambassadors and get all kinds of wonderful craft materials from Plaid. We love their products and used their Ultra Dye and Stencils for this project.
Also…
This post has some affiliate links for products we think you’ll like. Even if you don’t want to buy the items online, we think it’s helpful to see what they look like, so you can buy them at your local craft store. If you make a purchase from one of these links, we’ll make a small commission. There is no additional cost to you at all, but it helps us a little so we can pay for our web hosting and the tools and materials we use in these videos and blog posts. All opinions are our own from our own personal experience.

DIY Coasters: How To Make Dyed & Stenciled Coasters

Materials

Square wood coaster
Plaid Ultra Dye (The colors we used are Tantalizing Teal #5614, Blue Bayou #5606, Lady Marmalade #5612, & Hot Pink #5609)
Craft Paint (We used Plaid FolkArt Acrylic Craft Paint in Wicker White #901)
Clear spray paint sealant
Stencils (We used Plaid FolkArt “Tangier” Stencils designed by Handmade Charlotte.)
2 Sponge paintbrushes
Protective gloves
4 Self-Adhesive felt pads (protective feet)
Scrap paper or newspaper
Disposable plates
Paper towels

Steps

1. Cover your work surface with scrap paper or newspaper. Don your gloves. Pour a little puddle of Ultra Dye onto a disposable plate. Use a sponge paintbrush to paint a layer of dye onto the coaster. Paint the front, back, and sides of the coaster.

2. As soon as you have all the surfaces covered, wipe the excess dye off the coaster with a paper towel. Look for areas that look wet and wipe them until they look dry. The color will remain on the wood.

3. Let the coaster dry, then give it a coat of clear sealant spray paint. Make sure to seal the front, the back, and all the edges.

4. When the sealant is dry, you are ready to stencil. Figure out which stencil you want to use and where you want it on the coaster. Pour some white paint onto a disposable plate and dab the sponge paintbrush into the paint. Then dab the sponge paintbrush onto the scrap paper or newspaper to remove any excess paint.

You don’t want too much wet or drippy paint on the paintbrush. Hold the stencil in place with one hand and dab the sponge paintbrush straight up and down so the paint goes though the opening of the stencil. Make sure you get paint out to the edges of the stencil opening. Remove the stencil carefully, then let the coaster dry.

5. Paint the coaster with another layer of clear sealant spray paint. Repeat to make a set of four coasters.

6. Add protective feet to the back of each coaster.

These coasters would make a cute gift tied up together with raffia, don’t you think? Have you tried Ultra Dye? Do you like the look of it? We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a comment!
Happy Crafting,
Jennifer & Kitty

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