Remember a month or so ago when I shared how to make your own
color blocked galaxy mirrors? Well, shortly after I made those, I whipped out a few extra 4″ marble tiles I had laying around and made the prettiest galaxy coasters ever! I seriously need to watch myself or I may end up with whole house filled with interstellar swirl prints!
But lucky for you, these coasters are super simple to make and make, so if you are as obsessed with them as me, you can easily make yourself a set in just one afternoon of crafting.
The Supplies:
This is normally where I share all the how-to photos, but sadly I can’t seem to find the photos of took of the process. So, instead I will show you photos from when I made the mirrors because the process is pretty much the same, just on the marble instead.
Once you have all your supplies and your gloves are on (the alcohol inks will stain your hands for a few weeks if you don’t use them!), use the tape to tape off the part of the marble coaster that you don’t want painted and make sure the tape is very well adhered. You will also want to work on a protected surface. I covered my table with plastic wrap to protect it from getting even more paints splatters on it! Ha!
Next, drip on your colors in bands onto the exposed part of the coaster. Make sure not to add too much of the alcohol inks, only a few drops should do.
Next tip the coaster to let the excess ink drain off onto your protected surface or onto a crumpled up paper towel.
Once drained you will get this swirly gradient look on your coasters. The last step is to add a few flecks of gold by shaking your paint pen over the coasters in a downward flicking motion.
Once you have added the flecks, gently peel off the tape and let the ink absorb into the coaster. The last step is to trace the tile on your cork contact paper and adhere the cork to the underside of the tile to create your coaster.
Marble is so absorbent that you don’t have to even seal the ink on, but if you are still worried you can give the coasters a coat of spray varnish to seal them.
In the coaster above you can see a line down one side. This was one where the ink bled under the tape, so I went ahead and made the whole think galaxy. So, make sure your tape is well adhered and you don’t use too much ink to prevent bleeding.
But overall it was such a fun project and I love the combo of the marble on one side and the bright intergalactic swirls on the other.
Have you played with alcohol inks before? I have only just dabbled in them and while they are messy, the results are kinda worth it!
Alcohol inks are so much fun and perfect for a galaxy project! I agree that they can be messy, but I don't know of anything else that achieves similar results.
I can't wait to try this! I've always wanted to buy alcohol inks, but this coaster project is just what our table needs! Thank you.
These coasters are so pretty. I have never worked with alcohol inks before, but this makes me want to try for sure.
http://www.kindnesscurated.com
I had a friend that made me some coasters with alcohol inks and it peeled off after moisture got on the surface (because of drinks being placed on them).
The alcohol inks actually absorb into the marble and don't wash off even with soap and water. The coasters that your friend made were likely polished ceramic, so the alcohol ink wasn't able to absorb into it.
I LOVED the look of yours and tried it myself, but did not have the same results. The alcohol ink absorbed almost immediately into the marble coaster. I had to use a TON of the ink just to get it covered in color (since it would absorb too quickly to spread around…just a few streaks), and the coloring is much darker than in your example. It still looks kind of cool, but definitely not what I was going for.
I just made these as Christmas presents and they turned out AMAZINGLLY. Thank you so much!
I do have a question about the seal though, you said varnish spray would be good enough but will that just soak in to the marble as well?
I didn't actually even seal mine and they held up great!
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I love this idea. I am going to make some coasters that match my living room colors.
Thank you so much for explaining how to do this.
You are welcome! Glad I could inspire you!
I LOVE everything you do!
Thank you so much!
[…] ink is stunning. Combine it with a hexagonal marble coaster and there is pure genius! Kara, from Kailo Chic Life, makes such vibrant DIY projects and this is just the tip of the […]
Can’t wait to try this project. Never heard of it before.
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I see it’s been a year now since you’ve made these lovelies. How have they held up? I made a set and after a few days of use the ink is scratching in places.
Did you use honed marble? The ink really gets absorbed into honed marble better. I haven’t had issues with scratching. Maybe try a sealant like waterproof modpodge or spray poly acrylic to keep them sealed and protected.
Do you think this would work with a Cricut stencil instead of painters tape? So you could make shapes or letters in the swirled color? Or will the stencil be unable to be peeled off if it’s covered by the ink?
I’ve never worked with their stencil materials, but as long as it is sticky it should work. I would recommend giving it a try. I don’t think there will be an issue with removing the stencil, only the possibility of the ink bleeding through or under it.
Where do you buy the marble tile??
I bought mine on Amazon. I linked to them in the materials list.
Where did you buy the marble tiles? I clicked on the link but the marble tiles were all connected.
They are just on a mesh backing to hold them in place. You simply peel them off of the backing to use them.
I tried to do this and it didn’t work. The ink didn’t drip off at all. It soaked in. And when I used more ink, the colors immediately bled and blended to black. Did you water down the ink? Could you make a video of you doing this so I can see exactly how you did it? Thank you
I’m so sorry it didn’t work! Did you use rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle to wet the coaster first? The alcohol inks aren’t water soluble, you have to use alcohol to dilute them. But I just sprayed the tile with the clear rubbing alcohol until wet and then dropped on the alcohol inks and tipped the tile so any extra ran off the sides. But if you want, try using just one or two drops to avoid just getting a saturated black.
I read your directions and materials list very carefully. You do not mention the step where you spray the base material, marble tile or mirror with alcohol. It is only mentioned in one of the later comments. I am glad I read them all. As a newbie to alcohol inks, I wouldn’t have known that I needed to do this for the process to work properly. Your coasters are beautiful and perhaps an edit to the directions would be a big help to your readers.
What does she spray them with? Yes, if there are instructions missing you this tutorial it is pretty pointless.
You can spray them with rubbing alcohol to spread the alcohol ink.
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OMG!!! I love it an I most definitely will be doing this. Have you ever tried the alcohol ink (wish I never heard of) but tried on a canvas?
I have tried it on a canvas, but it doesn’t work as well on there because the canvases are usually coated so the ink doesn’t absorb as well. But you can use it on paper! And frame that!
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Need some inputs on tile size, 4” marble tiles are getting pricier. Can someone suggest if 3”hexagonal marble tile works well as coasters? If yes please do share a link where I can buy. I couldn’t find any in iur local home depot or lowe’s hardware stores
[…] 18. Galaxy Marbled Coasters […]
Do you think if I sprayed a light mist of water while I’m applying the alcohol ink it would streak easier?
The water won’t work with the alcohol. You will need to try to use rubbing alcohol instead to streak and spread the alcohol ink.
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How long do these take to dry?
a few hours, but it’s best to leave them overnight to fully dry.
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What are the base coasters made of? Where can u buy these at? Can y please leave a link to wear to buy them, and what they are made out of. Is it ceramic? Tile? There is nothing in your post about where to buy these or the description. Thanks!
They are marble tiles. If you click on the name on the materials list it takes you to the exact ones I bought to use.
Liquor inks are such a lot of fun and ideal for a cosmic system project! I concur that they can be chaotic, however, I don’t know about whatever else that accomplishes comparative outcomes.