Learn how to make mandala art coasters with this easy tutorial! These mandala drink coaster ideas, add a unique touch to any space.
Welcome back to Another Coaster Friday! This week, we are diving into beautiful mandala art and I’ll show you how to make a mandala coasters DIY. Perfect for adding a unique flair to your drink coasters, this project combines colorful pigment and delicate mandala art to create stunning results.
Materials Needed for the Mandala Coasters DIY
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- Coaster mold
- White pigment
- Bright orange pigment
- Bright yellow pigment
- Bright green pigment
- Transparency film (laser printer)
- Transparency film (inkjet printer)
- Circle cutter
- Mandala art designs (free mandala designs but you can do a search to find others)
- Resin
- When deciding on which resin to use for your coasters, you need to keep in mind whether you want it just for cold cups or for hot ones as well.
- If only for cold drinks, you can be flexible and use whatever brand you like:
- If you want it to work for both hot and cold drinks, you need to look for a heat-resistant resin, like these:
- FX Poxy ~ According to the manufacturer, this one is heat resistant to 500° F.
- Stone Coat
For this project, I also used a fast-curing resin that cured white. You can just add white pigment to the regular resin for the same effect.
How to Make Mandala Art Coasters DIY
When coming up with drink coaster ideas, it’s fun to experiment with colors and designs! Mandala art is perfectly suited for this type of project!
Mandala Coasters DIY Directions
Step 1: Prepare the Resin Base Layer
Mix three ounces of resin for the base layer for your mandala art coasters. I used FastCast for this first layer. It cures fast and it cures white. If you’d rather use a clear curing resin, go right ahead, just add white pigment to it.
For the first two coasters, I did a white background. I poured one ounce into each cavity in the coaster mold.
For the last one, I added color. I separated the remaining resin into three small cups. Then, I added the pigments, poured them into the coaster cavity, and swirled them around. I wanted a vibrant background under my mandala art.
TIP: If using FastCast and you want to add color to the third mandala art coaster, mix that one separately. It set up so fast when I was doing it that I could not get the colors mixed in fast enough. Lesson learned!
Pop the bubbles with a lighter or heat gun and let the resin cure.
Step 2: Pick Your Mandala Art Designs
Find your mandala art design. Great resources include mandala coloring page sites or I have a mandala design site linked above that offers free designs. Also, don’t be afraid to create your own one-of-a-kind mandala art!
Black and white designs look fantastic but you can add color digitally for a whole different look!
Step 3: Print Your Mandala Art Designs
Print the mandala images on transparency film. I used a laser printer. I have been told it works with inkjet too but I have not personally tried it. Make the images about 3.5 – 3.75″ in diameter.
Use a circle cutter to cut the images to be about 3.75″ in diameter. The coaster mold cavities are 4″ in diameter and we need them to be a little smaller than that, so we can get rid of bubbles.
Step 4: Pour the Top Layer of Resin
Mix 3 ounces of clear curing resin. Pour about one ounce into each coaster cavity, then slide the mandala art transparency pages into the resin. Press down with a stir stick to remove any trapped bubbles. Pop any remaining bubbles with a lighter or heat gun and let the resin cure for a minimum of 12 hours.
Step 5: The Reveal
Once fully cured, unmold the coasters and reveal your beautiful mandala art coasters! These unique mandala coaster DIY creations make amazing gifts or great additions to your home and are fun drink coaster ideas.
If You Want To See More Drink Coaster Ideas
- Step by Step Resin: How to Color-Blend Coasters
- Stained Cork Coasters Refresh
- Your Resin Coasters Are Not Curing: Top 5 Reasons Why
- Color Shift Paint Resin Coasters Black Background
If You Love Mandala Art, BUT…
If you love mandala art but don’t want or have time to make it yourself, there are a bunch of drink coaster ideas available and ready to be shipped right to you!
