Overview

• The next time you’re remodeling your bar supply area or overhauling your kitchen, don’t toss out your glass coasters. Like many household items, glass coasters can be repurposed into a number of craft projects. With just a couple of supplies and a little bit of time, you’ll find new uses and new lives for your glass coasters.
  
  

Photo Coasters

• A plain glass coaster becomes a completely personalized place to rest your drink with an old photo and a few household supplies. Before beginning, ensure your photo is one you don’t mind putting to other use; make a copy of it, scan it into your computer to save as an electronic file or choose something non-essential. After cleaning your coaster of any wetness or ashy debris, trim the photo so it’s slightly smaller than the coaster. The edges of the coaster should peek out to frame the photo on all sides. Add glue around the frame of the back of the photo and press flat onto the coaster to secure it; smooth any glue bubbles with your fingers and wipe away excess glue with a tissue or cotton puff. Your coaster needs a final step to protect it from condensation or drips; apply a layer of contact paper, which is clear, sticky film similar to cling wrap, over the top of the coaster. Trim around the edges and wrap the film under the bottom of the coaster to secure.
  
  

Garden Path

• If you can get your hands on a large supply of glass coasters, such as friends’ castoffs or a restaurant auction, you can craft an attractive garden pathway leading to your flower and vegetable beds. The options for the pathway are as varied as the garden flowers themselves; you can sort coasters by color, going from the clearest glass to the opaque, pressing them into the dirt to form a walkable rainbow. You can make checkerboard patterns by alternating clear and opaque coasters. If you’ve got the tools, you can break up the coasters and set the shards into cement, forming circular or square walking stones that glitter off the shards’ edges.
  
  

Baby Memento

• A smooth glass coaster is just about the perfect size to capture a moment in your baby’s lifetime forever. A quick trip to the craft store yields baby-safe washable paints; choose pink or blue to go with your newborn. Experiment with a neon color or something to match your home’s decor. Pour the paint in a flat container and gently press your child’s hand or foot into the liquid, then apply the hand or foot directly to the coaster. Towels or wet wipes nearby make instant cleanup quick and simple. After the print dries, you can further customize the coaster with paints, markers or stickers with your child’s name and date of birth.