DIY Infusible Ink Coasters Repurposed
Have you ever made coasters with infusible ink? They are so much fun to do. Check out these coasters I made on neoprene blanks to hang on a bulletin board. This project was a result of ordering a big package of coaster blanks that were not made of a solid material like I had expected. They are exactly like computer mouse pads, only smaller.
I was working on a group of Cricut crafts to display on a bulletin board above my desk. Since these coasters were so lightweight, I knew they would be easy to hang up with some colorful tacks.
Materials:
Cricut machine
StandardGrip cutting mat
Infusible ink sheets in desired colors/patterns
Cricut portable trimmer
Heat resistant tape
Cricut EasyPress
Neoprene coaster blanks
The quotes I used were saved in my Pinterest account. I selected ones that reflected my personality and interests.
In Design Space, I created a square template the size of my coasters and typed each quote inside a template for a proper fit. I made each one a different color on my Canvas and grouped and attached each one, so my Cricut would know to cut them out on separate mats.
When they were ready to cut, I clicked on "Make It" and calculated the size of infusible ink needed for each coaster. I always cut a piece slightly larger than the blank to make sure the design completely covers it. I used a different color and pattern of ink for each coaster.
I loaded the transfer sheets onto my cutting mat one by one, making sure the inked side was facing up. I also remembered to mirror my design in Design Space, so it would be facing the right way once ironed on.
Below are all six designs cut out and weeded. I used my fingers to weed instead of a weeder tool to avoid scratching the surface of the ink. However, I did my best to avoid touching the ink as much as possible.
Two of my designs did not turn out well, so I ended up redoing them. For one of them, the font I used was too small, and I knew it would not show up well on the coaster, so I chose a different font and recut that one. It was much better.
The second design was kind of blurry and hard to read because the infusible ink pattern was a bit too busy. That one I redid after it was already applied to the coaster, as I had not anticipated that result.
Before applying the infusible ink to the coasters, I preheated my EasyPress 2 to 385 degrees. I selected the Cosmetic bag setting in the Cricut Heat Guide since the coaster tops were more like a fabric, and neoprene was not listed for infusible ink
While waiting for the heat press to warm up, I used a lint roller to remove any dirt particles from the coasters. Once the EasyPress 2 was ready, I preheated the coasters for 15 seconds as directed by the Heat Guide.
Then I centered the designs over the coasters and attached them with heat resistant tape to avoid the transfer sheets shifting around during heat application, which could mar the designs.
I flipped the coasters over, so the transfer sheet was face up, and laid them on a piece of cardstock to protect my EasyPress mat from the ink. Then I placed a piece of butcher paper over the transfer sheet before adhering it to the coasters with the heat press. I applied heat for 60 seconds per the Heat Guide instructions.
Here is one of the coasters done. You can see that the infusible ink pattern makes this one a bit hard to read, too, but I chose not to redo it, as it seemed good enough to me.
And here are all six of the coasters done.
Here they are on my bulletin board, along with some other items I made.
You could certainly make coasters like this and use them for their intended purpose. They would be great for children to use, as they are unbreakable. Another option would be to make some type of children's game with coasters like this. I already have an idea for one. Can you think of anything else to do with neoprene coaster blanks and infusible ink?
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. Albert Einstein
Leslie
How to Make Infusible Ink Coasters
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