If a picture is worth a thousand words, some of us can say with absolute certainty that we have novels dedicated to our beloved pets. If that’s the case, why not take the opportunity to show off those pictures (and the love you have for your four-legged friends) just in time for International Cat Day? Today’s craft gives you the chance to do just that by creating cat photo coasters.

Although our focus today is on our feline friends, you can follow this process to encapsulate any kind of photos to create these mason jar coasters.

To follow along with our quick video tutorial for this project, watch below:

What You’ll Need to Make Cat Photo Coasters:

• ProMarine Supplies Table Top Epoxy Resin
• Photos
• Mason jar lids
• Gloves
• Scissors
• Safety glasses
• Measuring cups
• Stir sticks
• Optional: Blowtorch or heat gun
• Tracing utensil, such as a pencil

Preparing the Photos for Resin

Print out the photos that you’d like to encapsulate. We know it’ll be hard to choose your favorite photos, but these coasters are easy to make, so why not use them all? Print out all of your pet’s adorable antics on either printer paper or photo paper. Keep in mind that you will be cutting up the image to some degree. Think about the composition of your photos and make sure everything is going to fit inside the jar lids you’ve chosen.

Before we use any resin, we want to make sure we cut our photos to fit the jar lids. A great way to approach this accurately is to place the jar lid upside down and centered on your photo. Then, use a utensil to trace the outside of the lid.

Carefully cut around the line you traced with scissors, removing small amounts and test-fitting until it fits snugly in the lid.

You can seal the photos down with an adhesive, like CA glue or Mod Podge, if you’d like. This isn’t an essential part of the process, but it can help keep everything in place before you pour the resin. Just make sure you allow the adhesive enough time to dry.

Prepping the Resin for Coating Photo Coasters

Once you’ve got your photos glued smoothly onto the mason jar lids, it’s time to mix up some resin. ProMarine Supplies Table Top Epoxy Resin is really simple to measure out and mix with a 1:1 by volume ratio. Use one part Side A and one part Side B, combine, and stir slowly and thoroughly to mix.

When properly measured, mixed, and cured, Table Top Epoxy should provide you with a nice, glossy coat that will serve to highlight and brighten up the pictures underneath.

Pouring the Resin

ProMarine Supplies Table Top Epoxy is self-leveling, so when you pour, keep it slow. This will give the resin time to evenly level out and fill the necessary space. How much resin you use will depend on the size of your mason jar lids and how thick you’d like the coat to be. It’s okay to have a little extra, and it’s also easy to mix up a little more.

Bubble Removal and Curing Process

Sometimes, air gets trapped in epoxy resin during the creation process, but it’s nothing to panic over. There are actually many different ways to remove air bubbles in resin. Using a blowtorch is one of the most common methods.

If you’re comfortable, quickly light the blowtorch, move it six or more inches above the poured resin, and watch the bubbles disappear. Bubbles may continue to rise before the resin is fully cured, so feel free to come back and torch it a more few times. We have an article detailing more tips on how to safely handle propane or blowtorches safely.

Once the bubbles are gone, allow your coasters to sit somewhere where they can cure in a clean dust-free environment, in temperatures around 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. After 24 hours, your coasters will be cured enough for use, and in five to seven days, they’ll be fully cured.

Glossy DIY Coasters with Photos of Your Furry Friends

When you’re finished, you’ll have gorgeous and glossy photo coasters shining the spotlight on your favorite fuzzy friends­—feline, canine, equine, or otherwise! You can use them as coasters or display them in your home. We also think they’d make paws-itively wonderful gifts for a fellow animal lover!

Not only will your photos look even better than ever, but the epoxy resin will also serve as a waterproof seal that should protect them from drink condensation.

Have you ever created a resin project with your favorite animal in mind? Share your animal-themed projects with us on our social media. If you liked this tutorial, leave us a comment letting us know what you think and if there are any projects you’d like to see from us in the future.

As always, happy crafting!

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