Toddler Activities: Make a Mosaic Coaster

Description

Toddler Activities: This is a great craft you can make with your children. Using a coaster mold and some pretty craft glass, buttons or other flat decorations, make a coaster that will last years. Fill the coaster mold with Plaster of Paris, embed your decorations and let dry. Pop it out of the mold gently and you have a coaster.

Materials

• Dap Plaster of Paris (we found the best price was at Michaels Craft Store for the 4 lb tub)

• Coaster molds can be found at most craft stores or on Amazon. We used a clear plastic mold but now they offer a lot of silicone molds that are longer lasting.

• A disposable container and spoon or wooden disposable chopstick to mix plaster.

• Colored Craft Mosaic Glass (we selected ours from Michaels but Amazon also has a wide variety) There is sea glass, transparent glass and mosaic tiles and shaped pieces to choose from.

• Popsicle stick or wooden chopstick to press items into the Plaster of Paris.

• Other items to consider using instead of glass: mosaic tiles, flat buttons.

• Fine grade sandpaper

Steps

• Line your work area with paper and and have your mold ready to fill, and your pieces you want to use to make your coaster ready before you mix your Dap Plaster of Paris.
• If you are using Dap Plaster, mix 2 parts plaster to 1 part cold water in a clean container. If you are doing just a small project, mix 1 cup of Dap to 1/2 cup of water, always keep the ratio 2:1 for best results.
• Stir your mixture slowly until it is a smooth consistency. Do not mix more than what you need for your project as it will harden quickly. Use a container that can be thrown out. We used a large Solo Cup for smaller projects or a recycled strawberry bucket for larger projects.
• Fill the coaster mold with plaster until a little below the top. Do not over fill. When you press the pieces of glass into the plaster, the level of the plaster will rise slowly.
• Gently drop pieces of glass onto plaster. With a popsicle stick or a wooden chopstick, gently press into the plaster until the item is level with the plaster. You can use your finger to gently press the items if you are careful.
• Very gently, while on a flat surface, shift the mold back and forth gently to let all the pieces settle and create as flat a surface as possible. Do not pick the mold up, it must be done on a flat surface and very gently or you will end up covering the pieces of glass. You can also try tapping the side gently to help level the Plaster of Paris.

• Let dry for several hours to ensure it is dry. Gently press behind the mold in a circle to loosen and then carefully pop the coaster out of the mold. Put a dish towel under as you pop the coaster out just in case.
• You can just carefully scrape the excess plaster covering the glass or rub gently with a microfiber towel. This will "polish" the glass pieces. If there are any rough spots in the plaster, use a small piece of very fine sandpaper and very carefully rub the area until smooth.

Tips and Suggestions

• Due to the powder consistency of Plaster of Paris before adding water, handle the mixing of the powder out of reach of children. You might even consider using a face mask to prevent breathing in the powder.
• For younger children use other items like mosaic tile that may be easier to handle and monitor. With bigger pieces, fill the mold halfway or three quarters.
• Although Cobbles pieces are rounded to avoid injury, they are small pieces of glass so it must be monitored very closely.
• We tried putting in the pieces first, then pouring the plaster on top with less than ideal results. The plaster tends to surround the item and get under it. It takes a lot more work to sand it to make the pieces visible.
• Do not throw any leftover plaster of paris mixture down the drain, it can clog your pipes. Instead, let the mixture harden in the mixing container, then throw it into a trash can.

See Our Other Plaster of Paris Craft Ideas

Click HERE to see some of our other craft ideas using Plaster of Paris.