Brighten up your summer barbecues with these hand-painted floral coasters

These beautiful creations are perfect home décor and they make great gifts.

Coasters are great way to save the surface of a table or bedside cabinets from hot drinks and spillage. My favourite thing is when practicality and beauty fuse together and these coasters do just that. They add artistic flair to a space while saving you time cleaning and money in the long-run.

The designs and colour palette are totally up to you and you can mix things up depending on your home’s aesthetic. I love to include colours that are reflected in my linens or cushions.

You don’t need to spend a heap on the materials either, some blank coasters from the craft section of Kmart or Spotlight work a treat and student quality paints are equally as great.

You will need:

• Blank coasters made from wood
• A selection of Resene testpots
• Paintbrushes in a few sizes, try keep them small
• Paint palette or something to mix paints on
• Paper
• Pencil
• Eraser
• Varnish spray

Step by step:

1. Paint the coasters all over in your choice or background colour, you may need a couple of coats. Allow to fully dry.
2. Sketch out some designs you think might look good on the coasters, I often use Pinterest or Instagram for inspiration but intertwine my own ideas.
3. Once you have chosen 2-3 designs (depending on how many coasters you are making) you are happy with, begin sketching these lightly onto the painted coasters. I typically produce two of each design.
4. Get painting your designs. If you don’t have the exact colour you want feel free to mix up your own with what you have. Be careful to apply slowly and gently to allow for crisp, delicate lines. Finish up by adding little dot works or highlights to leaves and stems with a pale colour. Allow to fully dry.
5. Once dry, spray your varnish on each coaster following package instructions. Only apply a quick and fast coat to ensure there is no colour bleeding.
6. Pop them around your house and show them off to your guests!

3 ways to style your coasters

1. As a beverage coaster for your morning cuppa or cheeky vino.
2. As a candle display, they look gorgeous with short and wide pillar candles.
3. As a statement piece of decor on a side table or desk.