JeNNspeak: Color Ink Coasters

I saw this idea on Pinterest not long ago, and I thought these coasters were so beautiful and unique. The girls and I have some special gifts to give in the next few weeks, so we decided to make something special instead of buying some trinket to give.

So we spent a little time this weekend playing in alcohol ink to make these very unique drink coasters from ceramic tiles. Both of my girls just loved this activity, and it was super easy, too. I think I might need to pick up a few extra tiles and have them make some for their Mama, too!

You'll need white ceramic tiles, different colors of alcohol ink,
alcohol blending solution, and water based sealer/varnish.

You'll find the Adirondack alcohol ink and blending solution in the stamping section at your local craft store.

First, coat your tile with the clear blending solution.
Then start adding drops of ink.

We used a straw to blow and diffuse the ink.
Doesn't it look like silk?

You can add a second color while the first color is still wet, or wait until the first color is dry, and the results will be a bit different with each method. Add as many or as few colors as you like. The possibilities are endless and each tile will be unique and different. The ink does start to dry pretty fast, especially if you're blowing on it with a straw.

I personally didn't have much success with mixing colors while still really wet because they just turned into a black murky mess for me. When that happened, I just added more blending solution and washed the tile off and started over. I really tried to not do that too many times.

My older daughter using the straw to diffuse the red ink.

My younger daughter used the tip of the ink bottle to just
push the ink around. Her pattern is looking like flowers.

These tiles are ready for a clear sealer/ varnish.

First, I tried a sealer that needed to be painted on with a brush. Even though I allowed the ink to dry overnight, the act of brushing on the sealer smeared and streaked our ink. So I had to wash that tile off with the blending solution and start over with it.

I happened to have in my craft closet a can of spray varnish sealer and with it was able to apply the first coat without messing up the ink designs. I plan to add several more coats, allowing to dry well in between each one, before I declare them ready for use.

I absolutely LOVE these coasters, especially the ones the girls made. I hope the gift recipients love them, too. We really enjoyed making them.