Andrew attended a fun birthday party at a local art store, where the guests made several different types of art projects. Making colorful tile coasters with alcohol ink and then swirling the colors with a gas lighter caught the attention of both kids and adults. At Andrew’s request, we decided to make more of these colorful tiles at home and thought we would share our experience with our readers. Here’s “How to Make Colorful Coasters with Alcohol Ink“.
Before you Try this Project
This is not a project for really young children. Alcohol ink will stain, so it is important to wear gloves and cover your work area. Painting the tiles did not seem to be a messy issue, instead the difficult part was opening the bottles for the first time.
I had most of the items for this project at home, however, I did have to purchase the inks and sealant. I have no complaints with the products I purchased, so for your convenience I have listed shopping links where you can read more or purchase the product. I would buy these products again, so I feel confident in offering suggestions. Some of these, are affiliate links, which means Andrew and I will make a small commission at no cost to the buyer. We will never suggest products that we haven’t personally used.
Supplies
White 4X4 Porcelain Bathroom Wall Tiles
Alcohol Ink in Vibrant Colors
Metallic Alcohol Ink
Rubbing Alcohol
Clear Polyurethane spray
Gas Lighter
Cotton Balls
Paper Towels
Gloves (Not necessary, but I had a purple thumb for a few days)
Old clothes or art cover-ups
Purchases
Andrew and I purchased a dozen, white, wall tiles at a local builders store. You could also paint mugs, wine glasses, glass pendants, glass Christmas ornaments, or even light switch covers. The ideas are endless, as Pinterest and search engines will prove!
I purchased a set of alcohol inks from Amazon in different colors, as well as some metallic colors. If money is an issue, you can make these types of inks at home. I only write about what I have experienced, so I can’t really comment on DIY inks.
In a weak moment, I added an alcohol ink blower to my shopping cart, just because I thought Andrew would like to blow the paint across the tile. He loved using the blower, just not for the ink! I did not consider how many ways a boy can find to use a squeezable blower – like blowing cat fur, leaves, dirt… you know, all that stuff you look past, but boys find intriguing. On the other hand, I liked the effect that the blower had on the paint. It takes a bit of coordination to blow the ink before it dries, so children might have a difficult time with this.
In order to protect the tiles from liquids and scratches, spray a clear polyurethane coat over the dried ink. I purchased Krylon’s Clear Polyurethane spray. Besides protection, the sealant gives the tiles a nice finished look.
The Process in Steps
- Line up the colors you plan on using.
- Clean tiles with rubbing alcohol.
- Drop, or blow, various colors of alcohol ink on the tile.
- After painting, add a few droplets of rubbing alcohol.
- Quickly run the gas lighter over the tile. (ADULTS ONLY!)
- Allow the ink to dry.
- Spray the tile with a coat of clear polyurethane spray and let dry for 30 minutes.
- Spray a second coat of polyurethane and dry.
- Add felt pads to the bottom of the tile to protect furniture.
And, voila, you have instant beautiful coasters for your home, or for a gift!
To Use or Not Use the Gas Lighter
Children should never use a gas lighter; this is an adult step only! If you are shy about using a gas lighter, I don’t think it is a necessity. However, with that said, I like the way the heat blends and swirls the colors, giving the tile an aura of extra vibrancy. Of course, there are also the ooo’s, ahhh’s, and squeals from on lookers that is just as priceless.
The flame is not as dramatic as one would think, but there is the element of ‘fire’ so it is important to be careful.
*REMINDER! Move flammable items away from the area when using the lighter. These items would be the rubbing alcohol bottle, used cotton balls and bottles of alcohol ink.
The Satisfaction of Alcohol Art
We loved creating these tiles and have decided to branch out and try different items like coffee mugs. I am always on the look out for art that will interest Andrew, and add variety to our homeschool art classes. We hope you have as much fun with this project as we did!
