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Activities / Bidriware / Bidri-Style Coaster

Bidri-Style Coaster

Bidri-Inspired Coasters: Black Base and Silver Patterns from Karnataka

Level
Intermediate
Duration
1.5 - 3 hours (plus drying)
Budget
₹250 – ₹795
Age
12+
State
Karnataka

Materials

  • Round wood or MDF coaster blank, 10 cm (4 in)
  • Matte black acrylic paint
  • Silver paint pen, medium tip, water-based
  • Water-based gloss sealer or varnish
  • Fine sandpaper, 220 to 400 grit
  • Flat or sponge brush, 2.5 cm wide, and a small soft brush
  • Compass, ruler and white chalk pencil
  • Felt or cork circle, 9 cm, and white glue
  • Dust mask, damp cloth, paper cup and cotton buds

Steps

  1. Sand the blank coaster lightly and wipe off the dust
    This is an inspired-by project: real Bidriware is cast zinc and copper alloy, engraved and inlaid with silver, then blackened, and you will copy its black and silver look with paint. Rub the top and edge of a 10 cm (4 in) round wood or MDF coaster with fine sandpaper until it feels smooth, then wipe it with a damp cloth. Wear a dust mask because MDF dust is fine and irritating.
  2. Paint the top and edge with a first coat of matte black acrylic
    Use a flat or sponge brush to cover the top and the side edge with one thin, even coat of black acrylic paint, brushing in one direction. Keep the coat thin: thick paint dries with ridges that show under the silver. Let it dry for 30 minutes. Put the coaster on a paper cup upside down so you can reach the edge without touching wet paint.
  3. Add a second black coat and let it dry for 1 hour
    Brush a second coat on, this time in the other direction, across the first one. The black should look solid with no wood showing through. Let it dry for 1 hour until it feels cool and smooth, not tacky. Drawing on paint that is not dry leaves tracks.
  4. Draw the guide rings and eight wedges with a white pencil
    Put the compass point in the centre of the coaster and draw a ring 4 cm from the centre (1 cm from the edge), a second ring at 3.2 cm and a small circle of 1 cm in the middle. Then use a ruler to draw four straight lines through the centre to split the coaster into eight equal wedges. Use a white chalk pencil, because graphite does not show on black paint. Press lightly so you can wipe it off later.
  5. Sketch one flowering vine in a wedge, then copy it into all eight
    In one wedge draw a simple Bidri-style motif, such as a flowering vine with two leaves, a poppy or a small trellis of diamonds, with chalk. Keep it about 2.5 cm tall and symmetric. Copy the same motif into the other seven wedges, turning the coaster each time. Common mistake: making a complicated motif. Simple motifs repeated eight times look elegant, and complicated ones look messy.
    Tip: Draw the first motif on paper, cut it out and trace around it eight times.
  6. Trace the guide lines with a silver paint pen, starting with the rings
    Shake the silver paint pen and press the tip on scrap paper until the paint flows evenly. Trace the outer ring first, turning the coaster instead of your hand, then the second ring, then the middle circle. Work slowly with a steady hand to get thin lines about 1 mm wide. Then trace the motif in each wedge, one wedge at a time. Common mistake: pressing the tip down too hard, which floods the line with paint.
    Tip: Rest the side of your drawing hand on the table to steady it.
  7. Add fine silver dots and small leaves between the wedges
    Fill the gaps between wedges with small dots, each about 1 mm across, by touching the pen straight down and lifting. Add tiny leaf shapes next to the vines. Bidri patterns are dense, so fill the empty spaces but leave some black to show. Let the silver dry for 2 hours without touching it, then wipe off the chalk marks with a dry cotton bud.
  8. Seal the coaster with two thin coats of water-based gloss sealer
    Brush on one thin coat of water-based gloss sealer in quick strokes all in one direction, without going back over the same place, because wet sealer can drag the silver. Let it dry for 1 hour, then brush on the second coat. The sealer gives a light gloss and protects the silver from rubbing. Common mistake: scrubbing the brush back and forth, which smears the silver lines.
  9. Glue a felt pad on the bottom and let it set
    Cut a circle of felt or cork 9 cm across and glue it to the bottom with white glue. Place a book on top for 30 minutes so it sticks flat. The pad stops the coaster from scratching tables. This coaster is decorative: wipe it clean with a dry cloth and keep hot or wet cups off it, because the water-based sealer is not fully waterproof.

Sustainability

Medium - reuses cork or MDF blanks; acrylic and varnish are plastic-based. Inspired-by exercise: real Bidri is cast zinc alloy with silver inlay and blackened with a soil solution

Safety

Varnish and spray fumes, so work in a ventilated space; paint stains; sanding dust, so use a mask for MDF