These Rae Dunn inspired drink coasters are the perfect addition to your collection–or the start of one if you don’t have any yet! Easy to make and a fraction of the cost of the real thing, you’ll want to give these out as gifts to friends, family, neighbors and co-workers.
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As someone who considers herself a crafter, I have a natural tendency to look at something and ask myself if I can make the same thing, or something similar, for less money than it would be to buy it. In some cases, the answer is yes. Other times, it’s a yes, but it will take more time than I have/want to spend. And of course there are times when the answer is no and I have to buy it. Today, I’m sharing a craft that fits into the first category: Rae Dunn inspired coasters. Although I have to admit that I’ve never seen any Rae Dunn coasters, if you’re familiar with the style, I think you’ll agree that these cute coasters fit right in!
The supplies needed are pretty straightforward:
- 4×4 white ceramic tiles (I found mine at Home Depot)
- matte black vinyl
- transfer tape (optional, but recommended)
- cutting machine (Silhouette or Cricut)
- spray on UV coating (I used a matte finish)
- 1″ round adhesive felt pads
*NOTE* If you don’t have a cutting machine, you can also use rub-on transfer letters and seal them onto the tile the same way I do with the vinyl. I haven’t been able to find any rub-on lettering that is really similar to the original Rae Dunn font, but you can still use rub-on transfers to make your own unique coasters and then seal them with the spray on UV coating!
First, you’ll need to download this Rae Dunn inspired font to your computer. You can find step by step instructions on how to do this HERE.
Next, open the design studio on your computer. Open your text tool, select the font and then type the word(s) you want on your coaster. I’ve noticed that the original Rae Dunn pieces generally use 1-2 words to describe what the dish is for. Since these are drink coasters, I chose the words: drink, gulp, sip and thirsty.
Make a 4×4 square so you will know what size font will fit onto your tile. When I measured my tile, it was actually a little bigger than 4×4, but I wasn’t too worried about the difference because the words I chose still fit on the tile. Size your words appropriately. I used a 200pt font for all four of my tiles because it is a set and I wanted it to look uniform, but you could also do different font sizes if you are giving them out individually.
Once you have each word sized correctly, you will need to connect your computer to your cutting machine. (I use a Silhouette Cameo so the instructions in this tutorial will be according to that design space and machine.) I like to use up as little vinyl as possible so I lined my words up in two rows. In the cut settings, make sure to select the square and then ‘no cut’, or delete it from the page. Place the vinyl on your cutting mat, load it into your machine and start the cutting process.
When it’s done cutting, remove the mat from the machine and take the vinyl off the mat. I like to cut the words apart before I weed the vinyl around the words. Then I adhere the transfer tape to the top of the vinyl and rub all over the words so it will stick better to the transfer tape. Peel away the paper on the back of the vinyl.
Wipe the tile with a damp cloth. Carefully center your vinyl words on your tile. Again, rub all over the words so they stick to the tile. I like to use a credit card or other thin, stiff piece of plastic to do this. Then peel the transfer tape off the words gently, at a 45 degree angle.
To seal the vinyl onto the tile, and also provide a layer of protection, spray the tiles with a UV coating. I use the Krylon UV coating in matte and it works really well. Make sure to spray in a well-ventilated area (read: not inside your house) and let the coating dry for about an hour.
Lastly, place the 1″ round adhesive felt pads on the bottom of the tile in each corner. Press firmly.
Now you are ready to use them or gift them!
With Christmas around the corner, I’m always looking for gifts I can make for my family and friends and these Rae Dunn inspired coasters definitely fit the bill! You can also find a ton of other great DIY gifts below as part of our monthly Inspire My Creativity link party. I hope you look around and see if there is something that inspires you!
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Next month, our theme is the color RED!
13 Comments
I LOVE this! They turned out so great!
as a RD fanatic, this has my heart! awesome tutorial
Fun idea with minimal fuss!
Love it! Such a great gift idea, but I’d have to make another set for myself 😉
These are so cute and such a good idea! I love Rae Dunn items, I just wish they were easier to find!
These are adorable. This is such an easy tutorial too. Thanks so much!
These are great! I’m just wondering if that clear coat you used holds up to heat? Would it be safe to put a coffee/tea mug on it?
Hi Mary! That’s a great question. I haven’t tried putting anything hot on the coasters, just cold drinks. According to the label on the spray can, it is moisture resistant but it doesn’t say anything about heat, so I can’t give you a definitive answer on that. I would assume it would be ok, but you’d probably have to try it out yourself to know for sure. I’d be grateful if you let me know either way so I can update my post based on your findings!
These are so awesome! I love them so much! Fun and they seem like I could make them. Thanks for the idea!!
These are so cute! I love Rae Dunn stuff. I just downloaded that font too, super cute.
I love these. This font is my favorite right now. Such a cute gift idea.
These are so cute! I just love that cute font! What a great gift idea!
The font is seriously perfect, isn’t it? I actually gave this set I made away as a Christmas gift.