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  • Mosaic Tiled Table Makeover
    		•
    From "Crafters Coast to Coast"
    episode HCC2C-127F


    PHOTO
    PHOTO
    Project by Laura Hesser of Portland, Ore.

    Laura didn't want to get rid of her old coffee table but it didn't match her new couch, so she decided to give the coffee table a new look. She added a mosaic design to the tabletop and gave the table new life. In this project, she shows us how she did it.

    Materials:

    marker
    3-4 colors of shiny wall tiles
    hammer
    cloth to wrap tiles
    mastic adhesive
    grout
    grout float
    grout sealant
    table or other surface to mosaic

    PHOTO

    Figure A
    PHOTO

    Figure B
    PHOTO

    Figure C
    PHOTO

    Figure D
    Steps:

    1. Start by sketching a design for the table on a piece of paper. Using a marker, transfer design to the tabletop (or other surface, or a piece of wood that will become the base for the mosaic design) (figure A).

    2. Figure out the general color scheme, using about three or four different colors--one background color and then some accent colors (figure B). Buy shiny wall tiles that are either 3" x 3" or 6" x 6." Floor tiles are too thick.

    3. Take one tile at a time and wrap it in cloth. (Note: It's important to wrap the tiles in cloth and/or wear safety glasses. The broken tiles in the image aren't wrapped so they can be visible for instructional purposes.) Using a regular hammer, break the tile (figure C). Be careful about how hard you hit the tile, because it's easy to damage the glaze.

    4. Look for tiles that match the outline of the sketch, so you can actually "draw" the outline of the sketch on the tabletop using small tile pieces. Attach the pieces one at a time using tile adhesive (mastic). It's pre-mixed and comes in a bucket.

    5. Fill in the design with other tiles pieces, breaking tiles along the way.

    6. Fill in all the gaps using grout and a grout float (figure D). Wipe off the excess with a sponge. It takes about a day for the grout to dry.

    7. Finish the mosaic by applying a wipe-on sealant.

    Tips:

    If you don't like the color of the table, you can strip it and re-stain it before you start the tile process.

    If applying the tile directly to the tabletop, you can outline the tile design with wood trim to "frame" the tiles.

    Website: www.hessers.com

  • ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  		• Mosaic Tiled Table Makeover
  		• Painted Gourd Witch
  		• Four Wrapped Paper Projects