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DIY Watercolor Coasters

Last week we gave you a peek into the Plaid Creator’s Summit that I attended in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago (if you missed it you can find the post here). During my visit I had the chance to try out a bunch of new product’s from Plaid Crafts, and today I’m SO excited to show you one of my favorites!

One thing that I love about working with Plaid is that they have products for all skill levels and believe that being creative is for everyone! I love this because I am not an artist but love creating and trying out new methods, and even though today’s project was definitely new territory for me, these products are totally usable for even the most novice of painters (ME). I’m talking about the new line of Martha Stewart® Soft Gel Watercolor Craft Paint and Watercolor Brushes and Pens (available exclusively at Michaels)!

Since I’m not a painter, I’ll admit that I was a little nervous when I learned I would be working with these products since I know next to nothing about watercolor techniques. However, it took no time at all to fall in love with them! These paints have a permanent gel-based acrylic formula which makes them different from traditional watercolor and MUCH easier to blend and work with as a beginner. Plus, they can be used on multiple surfaces, you can use them as is or dilute them with water for beautiful watercolor effects, and they are durable on indoor and outdoor porous surfaces (which you can’t do with traditional watercolor)! And if those aren’t enough reasons to dive in, they come in 40 gorgeous colors!

I had the best time trying all the colors, blending and diluting them, and the result was these fun Watercolor Coasters! Here’s how I made them:

Supplies Needed:
Martha Stewart® Soft Gel Watercolor Acrylic Paint
Martha Stewart® Water Brush Set
Plain Coasters
Watercolor Paper
Mod Podge Gloss + Brush
Mod Podge Dimensional Magic
Scissors
Pen
Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer

  1. Get set up! Squeeze a small amount of watercolor paint to make a palette, making sure to leave a bit of space between each color (I just did this on a piece of cardboard). I found that I did a lot of diluting of the colors on the palette so you’ll want to give yourself some space. You’ll also want to set out a container of water for cleaning your brushes. Also, since I used the cool new Martha Stewart® Water Brush Set I filled them with water too! These things are amazing because you can squeeze out water as you paint creating a beautiful watercolor effect effortlessly!

2. Start painting! I did several practices with patterns and blending, and used the paints with and without water to get the hang of this. I also did lots of practicing on copy paper before moving on to watercolor paper. (Note: I was wondering if I even needed watercolor paper for this project but once I switched over I was hooked! It holds the color so beautifully and made such a difference!)

3. Let your creations dry completely, then place your coaster on your favorite paintings and trace.

4. Cut out where you have traced. I went a little inside my lines because I wanted the edge of my coaster to show a little bit.

5. Glue your painting onto your coaster using Mod Podge Gloss. I recommend painting both the surface of the coaster and the back of the painting. Be sure to smooth out any bumps or bubbles with your fingers and let dry completely.

6. Once your paper has dried it’s time to add the magic! Squeeze a layer of Mod Podge Dimensional Magic over the entire surface of the coaster, using the tip of the bottle or a small paint brush to evenly spread and coat the surface of the coaster. The Dimensional Magic will likely drip over the sides of the coaster, so simply wipe them with a paper towel or paint brush, and be sure to pop any bubbles with the tip of the bottle or a thumb tack. Let dry overnight.

7. Once your coasters have dried completely, finish with a spray of Mod Podge Clear Acrylic Sealer to make them waterproof and that’s it! The Mod Podge Dimensional Magic looks cloudy when you pour it on, but dries clear giving your coaster an epoxy-like finish that is gorgeous! Now you have made little mini pieces of one-of-a-kind art that will be beautiful on your coffee table! This project would also be a super fun one to get the kiddos involved since it gives you a lovely way to save and use their art!

Can you believe how gorgeous these colors are? I am obsessed with how smooth the paint goes on the paper and the way they change when you add water. I’m officially hooked on watercolor!

Martha has done it again! Is there anything she makes that isn’t beautiful?

Along with the watercolors there are so many AWESOME new products from Martha Stewart® that you can get your hands on right now including the new Martha Stewart® Marbling Medium that can be used with the Multi-Surface Acrylic Craft paints (see the video below!), and a new line of Home Decor Paint with a beautiful eggshell finish!

 

What projects would you create with watercolor? I’d love to hear your ideas! And for more project inspiration be sure to keep up with Plaid Crafts on FacebookInstagramPinterest, and via Email!

ox. Liz

 

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