Paper Mache Tea Coasters

We come across a lot of things daily which we think are waste products and don’t hesitate to show them the way to dustbin, but they should be given a second chance and should be reused. From a long time I was thinking of making something with paper mache but my mind didn’t permit me to use old newspaper for that, as newspapers can be used for many other purposes too. Then I started storing egg cartons for paper mache.

I am a tea lover and at my place coffee mugs are always purchased in pairs, for me and the man in the house :). But often don't find coasters according to the mugs and when I find the matching one another problem is that what will I do with a set of six as I need only two pieces. So believing in the mantra of 'want it make it', before few days I made some coasters. Today I am going to share how I made some very beautiful tea coasters by using paper mache.

Items required for making paper pulp
1- Egg cartons (You can also use any paper or cartons)
2- Plaster of Paris
3- Water

Items required for making the final item
4- A plastic scale
5- Acrylic paint
6- A white paper
7- A pencil
8- Paint brushes

Step-1
Tear the egg cartons to small pieces and soak in water over night.

Step-2
Grind this along with water into a smooth paste.

Step-3
Strain this pulp, so that all water drains out. Squeeze out the water as much as possible.

Step-4
Mix paper pulp with plaster of paris in 2:1 ratio. Knead well for sometime.

Make a dough like this. It will not become completely smooth like flour dough.

Step-5

Draw the required shape on paper.

Step-6
Fill the shapes with paper pulp.

Step-7
Flatten it properly with wet hands, so that it's surface becomes smooth.

Step-8
Now using a plastic scale give the impressions of a leaf. Leave it to dry for a complete day (You can give any shape and size).

Step-9
Now paint it with your desired colours. I painted them according to my coffee mugs.

After painting it allow the paint to dry for few minutes and then it's ready to use.Don't wash these, they can be wiped and cleaned with a damp cloth.By using three egg cartons I made six coasters and some other items too (That's a suspense ;) ).

So use less amount of cartons if you don't want to make so many items.Those items are coming soon on blog. :) :)

Have a look on the other tea coasters that I have made. They are customized according to the coffee mugs.

Red button tea coasters...

And some round printed tea coasters....

Creating something by using a waste product brings immense satisfaction and joy to me. I keep on falling in love with them daily. :) :)