This past month, we did our first ever no-spend month. (More to come on a future post on what we did and the outcome!) With it being Mother’s Day, I still wanted to get my mother and mother-in-law a present but wanted to limit how much we spent to keep it affordable and inexpensive. We decided to make homemade DIY photo coasters out of ceramic tiles!

They came out so cute and the grandmothers loved them!

Homemade DIY photo coasters are the perfect gift! You can personalize them with any picture you’d like! Learn how to make photo coasters out of tile in this simple tutorial that will take you just minutes to complete. This is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, for Grandparents, Birthdays, Anniversaries, and even house-warming gifts! The perfect inexpensive gift!

This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here. 

From start to finish, these DIY photo coasters were done in about 4 hours, and honestly, the majority of that time was spent drying. (The actual work to put them together only took about 10 minutes!)

I honestly can’t wait to make more. My husband may get some for Father’s Day and I think these may be my go-to housewarming gift in the future.

I’d also love to try these with black and white photographs for a more sophisticated look.

Read on for a tutorial on how to make DIY photo coasters from tiles.

How to Make Easy DIY Photo Coasters from Tiles

Watch instructional video now or scroll down for instructions.

I found these white ceramic tiles at Home Depot for $0.16 a piece! I decided to include four coasters in each set, so I purchased eight all together.

Homemade DIY photo coasters are the perfect gift! You can personalize them with any picture you’d like! Learn how to make photo coasters out of tile in this simple tutorial that will take you just minutes to complete. This is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, for Grandparents, Birthdays, Anniversaries, and even house-warming gifts! The perfect inexpensive gift!

The tiles were 4.25 inches x 4.25 inches so I wanted my pictures to be as close to possible in size.

I used Walgreens one-hour photo to print pictures of my daughters in the 4 inch x 4 inch size.

Money saving tip – Walgreens frequently offers coupon codes on photo purchases. Do a simple web-search for coupon codes before purchasing to save money! I found one for 40% off!

You can also use standard 4 x 6 photos and cut them down to size.

You will also need Mod Podge, a foam brush, and an acrylic sealer spray.

Because the Mod Podge can be quite sticky, I would put down some paper or cloth to protect your workspace before you begin.

Homemade DIY photo coasters are the perfect gift! You can personalize them with any picture you’d like! Learn how to make photo coasters out of tile in this simple tutorial that will take you just minutes to complete. This is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, for Grandparents, Birthdays, Anniversaries, and even house-warming gifts! The perfect inexpensive gift!

Supplies

April 2020 Update: Many supplies are sold out at Amazon, Target, and Walmart, but I’ve been able to find most in stock at Michaels. They do curbsite pick up as well!)

Instructions

Your first step in creating DIY photo coasters is going to be to paint a thin layer of Mod Podge directly onto the back of your photo (edge to edge) and stick the photo to the tile.

You are basically using the Mod Podge as a glue. Make sure you press down on all four corners to ensure the photo isn’t peeling up around the edges.

Allow this to completely dry before moving to your next step.

Homemade DIY photo coasters are the perfect gift! You can personalize them with any picture you’d like! Learn how to make photo coasters out of tile in this simple tutorial that will take you just minutes to complete. This is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, for Grandparents, Birthdays, Anniversaries, and even house-warming gifts! The perfect inexpensive gift!

Once dried and the photo is securely attached to the tile, you are going to paint the Mod Podge on top of the photo and tile (from end to end and around the edges).

Because Mod Podge will leave faint lines from application, you want to be consistent in your brush strokes – I painted left to right. The Mod Podge will go on white, but as it dries, it will turn clear in color.

Allow the Mod Podge to dry and repeat. (And then repeat again for a total of three coats.)

Homemade DIY photo coasters are the perfect gift! You can personalize them with any picture you’d like! Learn how to make photo coasters out of tile in this simple tutorial that will take you just minutes to complete. This is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, for Grandparents, Birthdays, Anniversaries, and even house-warming gifts! The perfect inexpensive gift!

After your final coat of Mod Podge is dried, you will want to apply your acrylic sealer.

I would suggest moving your project outside or to a well-ventilated area as the spray is quite strong in smell.

Spray your tiles, being sure to spray the edges and sides as well. Allow the spray to dry completely and repeat for a total of three coats.

Allow the sealer to dry completely between each application.

If you do this outside, be sure to securely fasten any papers or drop cloth you may be using to the ground. The acrylic sealer is sticky until it dries, and anything that it touches may stick.

Homemade DIY photo coasters are the perfect gift! You can personalize them with any picture you’d like! Learn how to make photo coasters out of tile in this simple tutorial that will take you just minutes to complete. This is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, for Grandparents, Birthdays, Anniversaries, and even house-warming gifts! The perfect inexpensive gift!

The final step to create DIY photo coasters is to add padding to the bottom of the tile so it minimizes the chance of breakage.

You can do this a few ways. I chose to add self-adhesive felt pads to the bottom of my coasters. (They were an easy peel and stick!)

You can also purchase thin cork coasters and attach them to the bottom of the coaster using a hot glue gun.

Homemade DIY photo coasters are the perfect gift! You can personalize them with any picture you’d like! Learn how to make photo coasters out of tile in this simple tutorial that will take you just minutes to complete. This is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, for Grandparents, Birthdays, Anniversaries, and even house-warming gifts! The perfect inexpensive gift!

There you have it! The easiest DIY photo coasters for a super cute gift!

How to Make DIY Photo Coasters from Tiles

DIY Photo Coasters from Tiles

Homemade DIY photo coasters are the perfect gift for anyone!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Active Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes

Instructions

Paint a thin layer of Mod Podge directly onto the back of your photo (edge to edge) and stick the photo to the tile. You are basically using the Mod Podge as a glue. Make sure you press down on all four corners to ensure the photo isn’t peeling up around the edges. Allow this to completely dry before moving to your next step.

Once dried and the photo is securely attached to the tile, you are going to paint the Mod Podge on top of the photo and tile (from end to end and around the edges).

Allow the Mod Podge to dry and repeat. (And then repeat again for a total of three coats.)

In a well-ventilated area, spray your acrylic sealer onto the tiles. Be sure to spray the edges and sides as well. Repeat for a total of three coats allowing sealer to dry completely in between each application.

Add padding to the bottom of the tile using either self-adhesive felt pads or hot glue cork pads on bottom of tile.

Homemade DIY photo coasters are the perfect gift! You can personalize them with any picture you’d like! Learn how to make photo coasters out of tile in this simple tutorial that will take you just minutes to complete. This is the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, for Grandparents, Birthdays, Anniversaries, and even house-warming gifts! The perfect inexpensive gift!

Receive Weekly Life Hacks

Subscribe to receive exclusive life hacks and practical information sent directly to your inbox! By using this form you agree with this site's privacy policy.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit
4.7/5 - (4 votes)
Skip to Instructions