Mosaic coaster

You can probably get away with giving the gift of a cup-of-tea-in-bed on the 14th - if it's presented on a handmade mosaic coaster that can be used for the rest of the year.

What you need

Small offcut of plywood or MDF
Pencil
Jigsaw
Sandpaper
Craft knife
PVA glue
Old plate(s)
Hammer
Safety googles
Cardboard box
Towel
Gloves
Cement (or PVA glue; see step four below)
Grout (either ready-made or in powder form to mix with water)
Sealant (optional)

What to do

1. Decide what shape you want your coaster to be and then draw this on to the centre of your plywood - you can do it freehand, or trace around a template. A simple circle, heart or square is best. Make sure the shape is wide enough to put a cup on.

2. Cut out the shape using a jigsaw; if you have any rough edges, use sandpaper to smooth them off. Score lines in a criss cross pattern on the top of the plywood and then brush it with a layer of diluted PVA glue (one part PVA to five parts water will do just nicely).

3. Make your mosaic tiles from old plates. The safest way to do this is to put your plate into a cardboard box, wrong way up, with a towel over it. Don your safety googles and, starting from the edge of the plate, use the hammer to break it into pieces. Continue to break the plate with the hammer until you get the pieces to the right size - mine were about 1-2cm wide.

4. Have a play around with designs before you start sticking the tiles on, to make sure your pattern works. When you are ready, put your gloves on and spread a thick layer of cement on to a section of your plywood, pushing your tiles into it. If your pieces are different thicknesses, push them into the cement to the desired level - a slightly uneven surface won't matter, but pieces that stick out too much will mean that a cup of tea won't sit too well on your finished coaster. If you don't have any cement, you can always use PVA glue, but you won't be able to control the height of the tiles. When the base is entirely covered, leave your coaster to dry.

5. When dry, fill in the gaps between the tiles with grout: spread it over the top of the tiles with your gloved fingers, making sure you get it into all the nooks and crevices. I also put a thin layer around the side of the coaster to get rid of any sharp tile edges. Let your grout partially set before you wipe away the excess with a damp cloth. Again, leave your coaster to dry.

6. To finish, remove any bits of grout from your tiles with a non-scratch scouring pad and then buff with a piece of newspaper. You can also cover the coaster with a layer of sealant, if you want to (recommended for people who always spill their tea).