Vintage New Year Coasters will start your New Year party in an old-fashion way!
The design charm is in the old-world fresco effect. The secret is using 4" x 4" tumbled marble or travertine marble tiles, the lighter the color the better. We found ours at our local Habitat for Humanity thrift store for $.50 each, but many tile stores have a "bargain bin" of mismatched tiles. The images are applied to the tiles as water-slide decals, which are then dissolved into the stone surface with turpentine. The result is an aged image that seems to be hand-painted on the stone. Materials for these New Year Coasters
Instructions
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Print
the vintage images on waterslide decal paper. There are three images on
the PDF page, so print a copy for every three coasters you want to
make. Trim the images with scissors or a paper cutter, rounding the
corners slightly. (You can also tear the edges of the images or
cut a jagged edge, to make the edges blend into the stone a
little more.)
Follow
the directions for applying the decals to the tiles, using the
"turpentine application method." This involves using turpentine to melt
the decal material onto the rough stone surface. The steps are: (1)
Brush a wash of turpentine over the face and sides of the
tile. (2) Soak the decal in warm water until it begins to separate from
the paper backing. Dab off excess water with a tissue or
sponge. (3) Slide the decal, face up, onto the tile. Position it
quickly in the center of the tile. Dab off excess water again with a
tissue. (4) With a foam brush or soft brush, apply a quick wash of
turpentine over the face of the decal (see 
Tumbled
marble tiles are 4" x 4" x 3/8" squares cut from marble or travertine
(a
light-colored porous calcite stone). They are "aged" by abusing them
mercilessly with gravel until their edges and surfaces are worn and
pitted to
perfection. Bargain tiles and seconds often have chipped-off corners,
which are
just fine for this craft.
This
relaxes the decal film so it will drape better. (2)
Before applying the decal to the tile, liberally brush turpentine over
the
surface of the tile. (3) Before applying the soaked decal, dab
off excess water with a tissue. (4) Try to position the decal on the
center
of the tile immediately, because it may not reposition easily due to
the turpentine. (5) Dab off the excess water again with a tissue and
let it dry for a minute or two. (6) Gently brush turpentine over the
entire decal and let it dry for eight hours or overnight. If the decal
does not completely embed onto the stone, use a spray bottle to mist
the decal with some
additional turpentine. Too much turpentine or
heavy brushing can damage the decal like the photo above (VOE - Voice
of Experience).
