Tile coasters are very hot right now. It is because you can print anything on them. They especially suit older works of art and if you go onto any of the big sites you will see that many types of tile coasters have actually now become collector’s items. They actually look like reproductions of vintage postcards with images on them by Diego Riviera, Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Freda Kahlo and others.
You can also get humorous ceramic tiles. These have jokes, political statements or funny images on them. An example would be the image of a piggy bank saying the phrase “Change is good.” You can also get the old iconic signs like a big peace symbol, the big LOVE image with the crooked L or the smiley face.
One drawback of tile coasters is that they are fragile and that they do break easily. Sometimes the condensation from the glass creates suction and this causes the coaster to stick to the tile. This is usually noticed to late by the user of the glass and the tile smashes to the floor.
One of the most unique developments in the industry of tile coasters is AbsorbaStone. These are coasters that work great and look great .They have a textured finish that keeps them from bonding with the bottom of the glass so it does not pick the tile up, drop it and smash it. This type of coaster is usually backed by cork to keep them skid free. This technology is also used to make cutting boards, trivets and memo boards.
Another popular type of coaster is the recycled variety. These are made from recycled ceramic tiles. Images are painted on them and then they are lacquered so they are durable.
Thinking of getting a tile coaster of a different sort? You can now get tile coasters that are actually made out of SCRABBLE Tiles. These are easy to make yourself. You simply glue Scrabble tiles to thin cork sheets in clever drink related patterns and then coat the whole thing with a sealant. You can buy about 100 regular wooden tiles for about $100 from Hasbro, the manufacturer of Scrabble tiles. You can also go to garage sales and buy old games and collect the tiles for making your own tile coasters that way.
There are also plenty of places online where you can get your business logo branded onto some tile coasters. These make a great Xmas gift. These places online that sell customized tiles tend to allow you to upload some kind of image of your own which they then print onto the tile. You usually order these in bulk although some suppliers of tile coasters will let you do this one by one. These can make great corporate Christmas gifts. The beauty is you can have any type of message printed up on a ceramic tile the way you can a button or a T-shirt or a mug. It is a great way to get the word out about your product.
Author Archives: Jennifer
How to Decorate With Chandeliers
When it comes to lighting effects, not all chandeliers are alike. Here is a rundown of the different types of chandeliers and the type of light they are likely to cast over your dining room table.
Late Victorian: The late Victorian style of chandelier lighting is very similar to the late seventies style of chandelier. This style consists of stacked circular glass blown globes that are stacked in brass wheels of usually eight and then four tiers. This type of chandelier casts a very soft pearly glow and look best in a dim wood paneled room. The more stark seventies versions with the pure white opaque glass look best hanging over a kitchen table and tend to cast a much brighter light.
Gas Electric: This style of chandelier consists of tulip shaped flutes and is usually made of heavy engraved glass. In Victorian times there would have been candles inside these frosted flutes but now a days there is candle shaped light bulbs or regular light bulbs. This style of chandelier which is usually mounted on a metallic wheel, whether it be brass, iron or metal, are usually very bright and sometimes look better somewhere like a bathroom where you need lots of light and not necessarily in a dining room where something more subtle is required.
Arts and Crafts: You know you are looking at an Arts and Crafts style of chandelier if the glass shades are dangling downwards from the wheel rather than sitting like cups on the rim of the wheel. This is characterized by balanced mobiles that consist of two to four to six lampshades on a rustic looking metal frame that hangs from the ceiling.
Mission Style: If the chandelier has black iron limbs or wheels then it is probably mission style. Mission style chandeliers usually also have square shades made of streaked white or pearly opaque glass. This type of chandelier usually casts a dimmer light then most.
Wagon Wheel: This eclectic chandelier was a common sight in the suburbs in the seventies and basically consisted of a wooden wheel that was topped with miniature lamps shades. It casts a nice, yellowish dim light for a dining room.
Atomic Age: Also known as a fifties revival style, these are the chandeliers that look like metal starbursts from which shoot multicolored Christmas bulbs. This unique style never seems that dated as it looks both modern and antique at the same time and the light that it can cast is often pretty because of the different colored bulbs. It does however cast a dimmer light than most.
Art Deco Chandeliers – These are getting rarer and rarer and cast beautiful soft lights the colored round pendant drops and flower shaped fluted shades that are characteristic of the style. The glass on an art deco chandelier is often green or pink and it can also be frosted or streaked with color.
There are hundreds of more styles of chandeliers, especially if you want to get into discussing crystal pendant chandeliers but the above represents the most common and affordable styles that you can find online or in stores.