DIY Network

Vinyl Tile Mosaic Give a new twist to mosaic art. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-131

Turn commercial flooring into mosaics you'll love.

Michele Beschen takes mosaics into a whole new area by using vinyl tiles—the kind typically seen in commercial flooring applications. These cheap, easy-to-work-with tiles are a natural for anyone who wants to B. Original with mosaics. And, since they're designed for high-traffic flooring, they're durable as well.

Vinyl tile is a great choice for crafters who have maxed out on ceramic tile or who just want try something new. See what you can do with vinyl mosaics on a table, picture frame or other surface. Scroll down to get started.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Vinyl Tile Mosaic

• Try using the inexpensive vinyl composite tiles available at all home improvement stores. They are more likely to be sold as commercial flooring and usually are labeled as a Congoleum product.

• Check the larger stores for tile—they often carry a wider variety of colors. You also can stain the tiles to get additional color in your piece; experiment with different stains to see what you like.

• Unlike ceramic tiles, these are easy to break up with your hands. Do your finer shaping with tile nippers (figure A).
  
  
• Use a tile adhesive designed for this type of product. Butter the tile with the adhesive, then apply it. If you like, glue down some glass gems or other embellishments along with the tiles (figure B).

• Let the adhesives cure completely, then seal the piece with a coat of polyurethane. This can help protect the porous tiles.

• Add a complimentary color grout; wear gloves and push the grout down in between the tiles and other ornaments (figure C). Clean off the excess grout and let cure completely. Give the piece two more coats of polyurethane.