diy autumn coasters & my first giveaway!

Autumn is officially here and I could not be more excited!! 55 degrees outside, cup of coffee in hand. More accurately, this is me -------->

So...to commemorate all this excitement, I have a fun, cheap, and easy DIY project to share: 
Handmade Tile Coaster Sets 

Naturally, I saw the idea somewhere else online (probably Pinterest) and there are a lot of tutorials out there, but this is the way I've found works best.

Materials needed:
- 1 to 4 sheets of scrapbooking paper depending on if you want all the coasters to match or to create a themed set like I did (approx $0.30 each)
- jar of matte finish Mod Podge ($4 and up at Hobby Lobby)
- 1 to 2 small sheets of felt in the color of your choice ($0.25 each at Hobby Lobby)
- hot glue gun and glue sticks (ranges in price but I have a $3 mini one)
- 4 to 6 tiles depending on how many coasters you want in your set (the cheapest ones at Lowe's are labeled 4"x4" Biscuits and are $0.16 each)
- small can of clear satin water-based Polyurethane ($7 at Lowe's)

• Start with a trip to Hobby Lobby. Spend forever picking out your paper, decide how many coasters you want, and end up buying something unrelated just because it's Hobby Lobby.
• Take everything home and set it all out on your desk. Breathe in the inevitable, glorious anticipation that comes with the beginning of a new project. Then, proceed to cut out 4"x4" squares of the paper and felt.

• Wipe the tops of the tiles off with a dry cloth to remove Lowe's dust, and use a thin coat of Mod Podge to apply a paper square to the top of each tile. Set them aside and let them dry.
• Once dry, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the whole surface of the tiles, especially around the edges of the paper to seal them. Let dry.
• Next, apply 2-3 coats of Polyurethane to each of the tiles. Mod Podge is great as a basic crafting glue but it isn't really waterproof - the Polyurethane helps seal the tiles so they're safe to use with drippy, condensation-ing drink glasses. Let dry fully between each coat.

• Once everything is totally dry, use your hot glue gun to apply one felt square to the back of each tile so they don't scratch furniture.
• Stack them up and impress your guests with your crafty awesomeness! (and secretly love the fact that, all told, you only spent about $3)

And since fall is here and I made these coasters for no real reason, I am super excited to announce:

the first-ever giveaway on A Song for the Birds!

That's right, this super cool autumn coaster set can be yours! Plus, a pair of snuggly socks and 

NC local bath salts...man is that a great giveaway, am I right? 

Just leave a comment below letting me know that you were here and by Wednesday, 

I'll randomly select one reader to win! Plus, who knows...I may throw in some other awesome stuff as a last minute 

surprise (wink!). Just my way of saying thanks for reading and that I hope your autumn is awesome!

**Edit 9/25/13 - This giveaway is now closed. Please keep reading in the future for more giveaways, tutorials, and other random fun stuff. Thanks!**