Elegant Monogram Coaster DIY

Upcycle your old wooden flooring sample squares with a little paint and a stamp kit to create personalized monogram drink coasters.

It's a super easy DIY that turns leftover tiles into elegant home decor accents that protect your wooden tables. Plus they make a fabulous gifts. 

In fact, it's not even a very useful superpower.

Heck, I'm not even sure it can be classified as a superpower. Maybe it's more of a...skill? Or a talent?

Well, whatever you call it, I have it.

And exactly what is this magical "it"??

It is the ability to see a piece of junk as something else. Something useful and something beautiful.

And I can do it in under 2 minutes flat.

Seriously. Happens all the time.

Old wooden fan blade? Junkie angel art.

Thrift store bundt pan? Elegant bird feeder. 

Abandoned plate rack? Rustic garden trellis.

I'm rarely challenged. And it doesn't just happen in second hand shops.

Like Superman's suit, my upcycling brainpower travels with me and its always scanning the room ready to transform items with a single thought.

It makes my husband nuts.

For example, about a year ago, we were shopping for a possible room renovation when we stopped to grab some vinyl laminate flooring samples at Home Depot.

He was busy picking colors.


Poor guy. HE was looking at floor tiles.

I was looking at decorative drink coasters. Which is precisely what I saw when he handed me the first sample.

Vinyl flooring product, resistant to wear and water with a rubber back in a neat little square? Um, hello? Isn't that what everyone sees?

Apparently not, because every time someone in the house asked if they could throw them away and I told them no, they were coasters, they thought I was nuts.

See? Superpower.

Anyway, for months now, I've been using those samples to protect my poor little coffee table without any adornment at all and that was never the plan.

So this week, when I emptied my craft closet onto my kitchen table, I decided to make them over with some paint and stamps that were just waiting to use their own superpowers for far too long.

It was another quick and easy DIY with elegant results. And totally free, which is how I like them best.

Here's how I did it.


Ok, so I started by gathering my supplies.



Once everything was on the table I got to work.

Now you have to remember that I'm a lazy crafter, not into clean up or too much mess. 

So I literally dumped some white paint onto the tile and started brushing it on. I was a little concerned that since the tiles were vinyl the paint wouldn't stick, but it did. No sanding or scuffing necessary.

When it was totally covered, I set it aside to dry and moved on to the next tile.

The paint dried very quickly. By the time they were all coated, I was ready to stamp.

I love stamping. Easier than stenciling, but you get the same great result.

It's such a simple process. Just open your stamp pad and carefully press the stamp onto the ink. The only warning I have is don't press too hard. You only want the raised area of the stamp to get inked.

If you get the ink anywhere else, it has the potential to bleed onto your tile...and that's no good.

Next, you place the stamp where you want the design to be and push down. Again, only apply enough pressure so the raised part of the inked stamp comes into contact with the tile.

And try to apply even pressure, so you don't wriggle the stamp so it blurs or move it so it smears. Ok, so maybe it's not easier than stenciling.

But really once you get the hang of it, it is. I promise. If I can do it, anyone can.

And here's a little trick if it's not perfect. Fill it in with paint.

My tiles had grooves and divots to mimic real wood, so the "K" stamp didn't connect well in all places.

No worries, I grabbed my tiny brush and filled in the spots.

The last step in this process was to give all the tiles a light coat of Mod Podge to seal them.

After all, these coasters were made for work. I didn't want my artwork to get washed away.

Or worse, that black ink to run all over my cups or hands.

All in, I think this project took me about 15 minutes.

Of course, I only made made three coasters.

The rest are waiting in the wings for their turn.

I have other ideas for them.

Sometimes those superpowers just can't be contained.

What's your superpower?