How to Make Mosaic Table Tops
Making your own one of a kind mosaic table can be a fun and rewarding experience. It just takes a little patience and you will have your own piece of unique furniture. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tiles, small pieces of sea glass, broken plates or bowls.
- Sturdy table that you want the mosaic on
- Grout
- Cement Glue
- Putty Knife
Instructions
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The first step is to select your mosaic materials. You can use tiles, either broken ones or small ones made for mosaics. You can also use sea glass, which can be purchased at most craft stores. Finally you can use broken plates or dishes. Consider making a table out of your grandmother's old chipped china or that special dish that you could not bear to part with. To make a flat surface on your table try to get pieces that are the same width otherwise your table will be bumpy.
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The next step, unless you have selected craft mosaic tiles, is to break your tiles, plates etc. down to small manageable pieces for your table. The pieces should about the same thickness so your table will have a flat surface. Make sure you put the pieces inside several paper bags, a pillow case, or a 1cloth bag before you break them so you do not get broken pieces all over.
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The next step is to prepare your surface. If the table is wood you will need to seal it if you are going to put it outside. If the surface of your table is metal or ceramic than make sure the surface is clean and dry.
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Now comes the fun stuff, arrange the pieces in your desired pattern on the table top leaving about 1/8 inch of space between each piece for the grout. You can make random patterns or use the different pieces to create a picture. Be creative. You can take the pieces right to the edge of the table or you can use larger tiles to make an edge around the side of the table and have the mosaics in the middle. Have fun this is the best part of the project, with the exception of admiring your finished project.
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Now comes the patience. Wear gloves and glue each piece down onto the table top. Make sure you follow the directions on the Cement Glue. The glue must dry completely before you can grout the table.
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The next step is grouting the table. You can pick any color for your grout that works with your tile but darker grouts tend to look better. Prepare the grout according to the instructions and apply it to the mosaic with your putty knife. Make sure you get the grout into all the little cracks and crevices. Apply enough grout so that it is level with your tiles.
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After the grout has started to set you can begin the cleaning process. Follow the instructions on the grout, but generally you can use a damp sponge or cloth to work off most of the grout that is on top of the tiles. Make sure you do not dig out the grout from between the tiles.
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After you gotten the grout out you can take a lint free cloth and get the last layer of grout that forms a film over the tiles off. Polish it to a shine.
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Let the whole thing dry and then apply a tile and grout sealer so you can use your table outside. Now you have a one of a kind table to enjoy for years to come.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have never grouted or tiled anything the people at the hardware store can be a valuable resource for you. They may not know how to make mosaics but they sure know how to tile a floor or bathroom and the process is similar.
You can draw a design on top of the table so you have something to follow. Have fun with the design.
Make sure to follow all instructions on the grout, cement glue and sealers. These are pretty caustic chemicals and you need to be careful with them.
