DIY Otomi Coasters

In addition to the Otomi patterns,  I used the following supplies:

• Silhouette Portrait machine
• Clear glass tiles
• Adhesive vinyl
• Transfer Paper
• Glass paint – I used Martha Stewart Glossy Glass Paint, but any type will do.
• Felt circles 

After messing with the Otomi images to get them sized and placed as I wanted onto one sheet, I imported them into the Silhouette software. To import, go to the File – Import – Import to Library, saving the image into your Silhouette Studio.To select the area to cut, go to Object – Trace and select Select Trace Area. Choose the image you’d like to trace by dragging and highlighting a square over it. Click “Trace,” then drag the top layer of the image to the right.

Click on the original image and delete, leaving only the outlined image.  Next, you’ll want to set your cut settings. Click on Silhouette – Cut Settings. Set the cut style to Cut Edge and the Material Type to Vinyl.

Now you’ll need to prepare your Silhouette for cutting. To do this, ensure this blade is set to 1-3, depending on the age of your blade. Many people use the cutting mat for cutting vinyl – it helps to keep it from moving around too much and gives it a bit of stability. I did not do that this time, but I would recommend it in the future. Whatever method you decide, feed your vinyl into the Silhouette. Make sure you have a hair-tie handy. Just in case. What, everyone doesn’t do that?

In the software, click Send to Silhouette. These are the four designs I used for my coasters, as I cut them as one. As detailed as these cuts were, it took less than five minutes for the Silhouette to complete.

Here they are cutting – you can see the vinyl sliding a bit.

Because I was using clear glass, I decided to use the relief of the Otomi pattern as my stencil instead of the animal cutouts themselves.

Using the included hook tool, I carefully removed the shapes and images from the vinyl sheet, one at a time.

Then, using a piece of sticky transfer paper, I lay the transfer paper over the vinyl, pressing firmly, and smoothed away any air bubbles.

When I lifted the transfer paper, the vinyl was arranged perfectly.

Laying the Vinyl side up onto the glass tile, again, I applied pressure and smoothed it over to ensure no air bubbles and pulled away from the transfer paper, leaving the vinyl stencil adhered to the tile. Just like magic.

Now it was time to paint. Using a spouncer, I applied a thin layer of paint to the stencil. Let it set for 15-minutes – and remove the stencil. Leaving it any longer will result in removing not only the stencil but also the paint. Pretty frustrating! Allow the paint to air dry for one hour.

Place the coasters in the cold, filthy and archaic oven, paint side up, and set the oven to 350F. When the oven reaches 350F, bake the coasters for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the tiles to cool in the oven.

Apply felt circles to the corners of the paint side, and your coasters are ready to use!

I love the pop of color and fun they add!Now onto the good stuff! First, do check out my friend’s blogs and projects. It is truly an honor to work with such talented women, and you are sure to find something that catches your eye!