Star Coasters

Materials:

• 3/8" (5mm) thick cork; 6 1/2" x 7" piece per coaster
• Craft knife
• Ball point pen
• Paint brush; one regular brush and one fine liner brush
• Acrylic paint red, white and/or blue

1. Trace the star onto a piece of cork using a ball point pen.

2. With a craft knife, cut out your star from the cork.  If you angle your knife slightly (instead of using it straight up and down) as you cut you will achieve an angled edge which gives a nice professional look.  Caution:  cutting should be done by an adult.
3. Paint the top and sides of each star either red, white or blue and let it dry completely.  The bottom of the coaster will remain unpainted.
4. Using the fine liner brush; paint a dashed line in a contrasting patriotic color close to the edge on the top of the star.

   Idea:  For younger children, if they have trouble painting the dash lines around the perimeter of the star, have them make dots instead.  If they are too young to make a border with the dots, simply let them make dots all over the surface of the star.  An easy way to make the dots is to dip the handle (not the brush end) of a paint brush into paint then touch it to the surface where you want the dot, reloading the paint after every one or two dots.

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