Super Easy Ouija Board Table Mats and Coasters

Are you looking for some fun Halloween decor with plenty of style? Old ouija board designs from the late 1800s/early 1900s are both spooky and classy, perfect for home decoration that doesn’t involve a bunch of plastic pumpkins.

We decided to make ouija board table mats, and what better way to consult the spirits at a party than matching planchette coasters!

Ian created 2 board designs: a classic one that we pressed using glow in the dark HTV, and an Art Deco style one that we pressed in gold. There are silver and gold coasters to match the board designs, which we made using adhesive vinyl.

All of the SVGs for these projects are free to download from our Resource Library: all you need to do is cut and apply your vinyl!

Video: Super Easy DIY Ouija Board Mats & Coasters

Quick navigation:

• Choosing blanks and HTV/vinyl
• Materials and tools
• How to make ouija board table mats
• How to make planchette coasters

Choosing blanks and HTV for the ouija board design

We wanted to make a table runner for the coffee table, but couldn’t find anything good in a simple, smooth black runner that wasn’t terrible quality. We ended up using plain large cotton cloth napkins that can be centered on a table runner.

Ian specifically designed the ouija board SVGs to be flexible – instead of a rectangular box around everything, he included corner and side elements that can be placed in a rectangle or in a square if you want to make a throw pillow, tote bag, or something else with a square shape.

The HTV we are using: Siser EasyWeed Glow in the Dark and Siser Metal in Gold. You can use any HTV you like. If you want to decorate a vinyl placemat instead of cloth, you can use adhesive vinyl instead of HTV.

Choosing blanks and vinyl for the coasters

For more durable coasters I’d usually recommend sublimation, but I wanted to make these with fancier-looking finishes (textured metallic). So I’m using adhesive vinyl to create the planchette designs.

I like cork-backed coasters for a non-skid surface that won’t scratch my tables. You can use plain cork coasters, but I prefer cork-backed ceramic or MDF (hardboard)/cork sublimation blanks which have a nice smooth surface. For this project, I’m using ~4″ (10 cm) diameter cork-backed hardboard sublimation blanks.

I’m using permanent adhesive vinyl: Siser EasyPSV Starling in Matte Black and Cricut Premium Vinyl Textured Metallic in silver and gold.

Materials and tools

How to make Ouija board table mats

Download the design(s)

You can download our free, ready-made SVG files from our Resource Library. There are two ouija board designs, classic and Art Deco:

1800’s dark carnival style or 1920’s spiritualist-consulting-the-ancients deco? You decide! (Please note: all our files are free for personal use only.)

Import the files into Design Space

The next step is to open a new project in Design Space and upload the SVG file(s). The SVGs import at approximately 11×17″, which are the dimensions we used for pressing on our blanks.

• all of the elements in each design are grouped but not attached so you can edit and re-size them as you like
• if you want to use the files as-is:
  • re-size them and attach everything. The files will cut exactly as shown and you will need a 12×24″ mat to fit the board design

The longest element of these designs, as-is, is 15″ (the 2 lines of letters). To cut using a 12×12″ mat:

• ungroup the design – these elements will then show up as separate pieces in the mat preview when you go to make your project
• the lettering is a single element. to break it into pieces that can be cut separately, duplicate the lettering and use the Contour tool to erase half of each lettering block.

After these steps are done, the design is ready to cut. Click Make it and then arrange your cuts on the mats.

Mirror your mat(s) when you go to the Mat Preview!

Cutting your design: do a test cut first, if needed

Always do a test cut before cutting your full design if you are using a material for the first time. We didn’t need to do that here, but I recommend it if you’re using a new material.

Create a triangle inside a square weeding box by adding a square and triangle from the Shapes menu to your canvas. Click Attach to keep them together and size to about 0.5″. I usually make them a color I’m not using for my project so they will be on their own mat when I go to Make It.

Click Make It and choose the test cut mat, cutting using the manufacturer’s recommended settings first. If the HTV weeds cleanly from around the triangle, you’re good to go. If not, adjust your cut settings.

Suggested cut settings for Siser HTV

Siser EasyWeed Glow and Metal:

• Cricut Explore Air 2: Vinyl+
• Cricut Maker: Heat Transfer (non-Cricut)

Weed your HTV

After your design is cut, weed the HTV. If you’re using Siser, this will be very easy – they even put it in the name!

These are pretty easy designs to weed, but you may want to refer back to the SVG preview image to remind you of what gets weeded out. The most intricate part of either design is the moth on the classic board, and even that wasn’t that difficult.

Press your design

We pressed our board designs using an EasyPress 2.

Siser recommends adding 30ºF to their normal press temperatures if you are using an EasyPress.

These are the recommended press temperatures, times, and pressures for each HTV (adding 30ºF to Siser):

• Siser EasyWeed Glow and Metal: 335ºF, 10-15s, medium pressure
• Glow gets a hot or cold peel, but Metal is cold peel only

I will be using firm pressure with my EasyPress due to experience (too little pressure = lifting after laundering). If you are using a conventional heat press, use medium-firm pressure.

Pressing Step 1. Prepare your base material:

• remove lint and debris with a lint roller
• pre-press to remove moisture and wrinkles

Pressing Step 2. Press your design:

Both of these designs are super easy – just press your single layer! If you have a 16×20″ heat press, you’ll just do this in one press, I am using a 10×12″ EasyPress so I have to press in 2 sections. All pressing was done on a 16×20″ Cricut pressing mat.

Classic board design (Siser EasyWeed Glow HTV):

1. center the design on the blank, no tape needed if you’re doing it in one piece
2. cover with a parchment or teflon sheet and press: 335ºF for 15s
   • press in sections with your EasyPress, we pressed in 2 sections with our 10×12″ press
3. the carrier sheet was peeled hot, no lifting of the HTV was seen. Re-press under your cover sheet if necessary

Art Deco design (Siser Metal, gold HTV):

1. center the design on the blank
2. cover with a parchment or teflon sheet and press: 335ºF for 15s
   • press in sections with your EasyPress, we pressed in 2 sections with our 10×12″ press
3. the carrier sheet was peeled COLD – we cool our designs by rubbing the blank on the tabletop, do not peel warm!

4. optional re-press: we covered the design with teflon and re-pressed for a few seconds (335ºF for 2-3s) to give the HTV an antique/embroidered look:

How to make ouija planchette coasters

Download the design(s)

You can download our free, ready-made SVG files from our Resource Library.

There are 4 different planchette coaster designs, 2 that match our classic board design (white), and 2 that match the art deco board (gold):

Import the files into Design Space

Open a new project in Design Space and upload the SVG files.

Each image is 2 layers: the black circle base and the colored planchette design (white or gold)

• the planchette image will cut as a single layer, no need to attach anything
• the black circle and the top layer design are grouped: just re-size to fit your coaster blank

Before re-sizing, measure your coaster blanks using both imperial (inches) and metric (cm):

• although coaster blanks tend to be approximately 3.5″ or 4″, they can vary between manufacturers (e.g. Cricut and Michaels ceramic coasters are slightly different sizes)
• metric may be a more accurate measure; the ~4″ coasters we used were actually 10 cm
• to re-size using metric in DS: go to Settings in the main menu next to your profile name, choose the Canvas tab, and toggle to Metric

After re-sizing, the design is ready to cut. Click Make It and then arrange your cuts on the mats.

DO NOT mirror your mat(s)

Cutting your designs: protect your vinyl and do a test cut

Although I use a brayer to stick my vinyl to the mat, I also use a felted squeegee to make sure there are no bubbles underneath. A felted squeegee protects your vinyl from scratches, making them popular for doing window tint, vehicle wraps, and even wallpaper installation. They are a cheap and invaluable tool for crafting and you have your pick of colors and sizes on Amazon.

As I mentioned in the ouija board section, DO A TEST CUT if you haven’t used your material before – especially if you use a specialty vinyl like textured metallic.

Suggested cut settings for Siser and Cricut adhesive vinyl

Siser EasyPSV Starling:

• Cricut Explore Air 2: Vinyl
• Cricut Maker: Vinyl

* I cut this vinyl using the Cricut Premium Vinyl setting from the Custom Materials menu

Cricut Premium Vinyl, Textured Metallic:

• any Cricut machine: Premium Vinyl – Textured Metallic setting in the Custom Materials menu

* As per my instructions for cutting tiny letters, I use the Deep Point blade for cutting detailed images in smaller sizes. If you don’t get good results with your Fine Point Blade and the Textured Metallic setting, give this a try:

• for Explore Air 2, use the Washi setting with the Deep Point Blade (use default or more pressure)
• for Makers, use the Deep Point blade with Aluminum Foil setting (NO multi-cut) or make a custom setting with Washi pressure (85) and the Deep Point blade

Weed your vinyl

Ian simplified the moth and other images for the small size of the coasters, making them easier to weed. It took me about 20 minutes to weed all 4 coaster designs.

Transfer your Vinyl

1. Prepare your coasters: wipe down with a microfiber (lint-free) cloth; I wiped my blanks with 70% isopropanol.
2. Cut a piece of transfer tape to fit your base circle and remove the backing paper.

3. Lay the transfer tape over the base vinyl and burnish with a squeegee

4. Flip the vinyl over and remove the backing paper
5. You can center your circle with the coaster one of 2 ways:
   • A) put the vinyl sticky side up on the table and position your coaster over the vinyl, checking to make sure you don’t see any black edge peeking out; lower the coaster onto the vinyl starting at one edge

• B) place the coaster on the table and position your vinyl over top of it, then stick it to the middle of the coaster first, and use your squeegee to smooth it over the coaster, from the center towards one edge them the other

6. push out any bubbles using your squeegee and remove the transfer tape
7. lay the transfer tape over the planchette design and burnish with your squeegee, going over the front and back of the vinyl

8. Flip the design and pull off the backing paper horizontally, keeping it as flat as possible

9. center the planchette design over the coaster and apply the vinyl to the base, burnishing with your squeegee

10. remove the transfer tape and burnish under a piece of the backing paper to protect the design and make sure it is firmly adhered. Your coaster is finished!

Do you need to coat your finished coaster with Mod Podge?

No! There is a tendency for crafters to want to coat every finished vinyl project with Mod Podge, varnish, epoxy, or some other sealant. Mod Podge is great for decoupage, but vinyl is designed to be used with its own adhesive. The best way to ensure the longevity of adhesive vinyl on any surface is to make sure the vinyl is adhered properly by applying it to a clean surface, then letting it cure (we recommend leaving your coasters for 72 hours before using).

Adhesive vinyl (especially brands like Oracal, 3M, or Avery) is meant to withstand outdoor conditions for years. Heat, moisture, freezing, UV light: these are the conditions that even the most basic sign vinyl can withstand for 3-5 years, and there is even vinyl made to hold up against more extreme conditions (e.g. marine vinyl for boats).

What about the crafting vinyl that I used for this project? EasyPSV Starling is top rack dishwasher-safe and is even rated for boat graphics. Cricut Premium Textured Metallic vinyl is only rated for indoor use, but is water-resistant and suggested for use on glassware.

Bottom line: the vinyl I used for the coasters doesn’t need to be sealed. If you want the most durable vinyl possible choose Oracal 651 or EasyPSV Starling for the whole project. Vinyl is PVC and isn’t for food contact surfaces, but for coasters it is fine.

And now your project is complete!

Both practical and fun, we hope you enjoy this easy-to-make ouija board decor this Halloween!

Is there something we didn’t cover here? Ask your questions in the comments below.

Moth graphic adapted from:

Image by pch.vector on Freepik