How to paint wood coasters

Wood Coasters

In this post I have taken pallet wood and demonstrate how to paint wood coasters that look like tiles. My Neighbor uses wood Pallets for his wine holders, you can read all about that here, I loved the idea of doing my own project using these pallets to paint wood coasters.

My blog periodically contains affiliate links meaning that if you make a purchase, I might make a small commission at no extra charge to you. Purchases made through them are greatly appreciated.

I was inspired by Moroccan tiles and wanted to create a painted wood coaster that emulated this look. These are an easy, inexpensive project for the house as an accessory. Also a great gift to give someone, perfect for a housewarming gift!. By using wood I loved the idea that I was reimagining them into tiles. That is to say a great way to utilize a design element to apply in an unexpected way.

I went on Pinterest to research designs for my project. Because this is my go to place to search all my visual needs! You can check out all my pinterest board inspirations here. before I got started I found a bunch and pulled together a few that had the elements I was going for. Once I found my inspiration I created my own designs that would sit well together.

Painted wood coasters look

I wanted to do a positive negative look on my painted wood coasters. I achieved this contrast by using one stain and two colors. My pallet wood was light in color, so by using a dark maple stain it gave each wood coaster a deep luxurious wood tone. This transformed each coaster immediately!

I designed each tile in a 3.25″x 3.25″ stencil to cover the whole face of each coaster. I then brought my designs into my Silhouette Studio software and made my stencils using clear contact paper that I could apply directly onto each coaster. You can purchase my stencils here on my Etsy page.

Steps in designing my painted wood coasters

• Cut Pallet wood into 3.25″x 3.25″ squares using a miter saw, or hand saw. The measurement was determined by the 3.25″ width of my pallet wood plank.
• Use a hand sander. I love my mouse sander, it’s easy to handle and smooths down all the rough edges and surfaces.
• Stain using a wood stain, On my coasters I used Miniwax dark walnut stain. Depending on your pallet wood and stain, results will vary.
• Create or purchase stencils. You can buy the ones I show here, on my Etsy store.
• Place stencils on coasters. I decided to keep a very specific color palette by using white and blue to keep to the feel of an actual tile.
• Use a sponge or small brush to paint your designs!
• After paint is dry, apply a clear coat of miniwax polyacrylic to seal in the paint.

Liquitex basics paint Colors used on these specific coasters are:

• Titanium white
• Phthalocyanine blue
• Mars black

Stained wood coaster with white stencil

First, place the stencil on the coaster and dab Titanium white Liquitex acrylic paint to fill in the areas. Then, using a tweezer pull off the stencil. Once its all dry ,seal with miniwax polycrylic clear matte finish for a water resistant surface for glasses and cups.

Painted white with blue stencil coaster

Using Titanium white liquitex paint and brushing with the grain, coat the top of the wood coaster. When fully dry, apply your stencil. Then use Liquitex Phthalocyanine blue with a touch of Mars black to deepen the color a bit. Next, dab the paint on in a downward motion to avoid picking up the stencil with my brush. With a tweezer I pick up the edges of the stencils. Last step is to to seal the coasters I use a foam brush and apply my Miniwax polyacrylic clear matte finish to seal them up. So there you have it!

Stencils to make your own coasters, or any other project that may use these fun stencils can be found here on my Etsy store.

Below are all the Materials I used to create my one of a kind stenciled Coasters.

1. Miter saw
2. Mouse Sander
3. Miniwax wood stain
4. Original stencils
5. paint brushes
6. Titanium White Acrylic Paint
7. Phthalocyanine blue Acrylic paint
8. Mars black Acrylic paint

This was such a fun project. I Cannot wait to break out some more pallet wood for my next project. Thank goodness for my neighbor. He supplies me with the wood and his cutting expertise, Thanks, Brian!

Check out my picks on cool coasters that can be purchased. My original designs add such fun to any table, especially when cocktails are involved!

Fun Coasters to buy

Not everyone has time or wants to DIY wood coasters, so below are some eclectic coasters that would be a crowd pleaser. Check them out!