I'm intimidated by tile work. There, I said it! Maybe because I've seen some horrific DIY tile projects that made me cringe. I mean, how hard is it to follow a level chalk line? But I digress...ahem.
But smashed tile mosaic work? Ah, now THAT I can totally do. This was my first ever mosaic project and I totally loved the way it came out.
Ooh aah! This mosaic covered my ugly, grungy kitchen windowsill that had gotten the worst for wear over many years. I needed a good, cleanable surface that looked good for my houseplants! Because, ladies, I am seriously infatuated with my houseplants.
http://makethebestofthings.blogspot.com/2012/03/house-plant-fanatic.html
But smashed tile mosaic work? Ah, now THAT I can totally do. This was my first ever mosaic project and I totally loved the way it came out.
Ooh aah! This mosaic covered my ugly, grungy kitchen windowsill that had gotten the worst for wear over many years. I needed a good, cleanable surface that looked good for my houseplants! Because, ladies, I am seriously infatuated with my houseplants.
http://makethebestofthings.blogspot.com/2012/03/house-plant-fanatic.html
I bought 4" tiles in two colors and put them in a paper bag before breaking them up with a hammer. THIS IS IMPORTANT-breaking tile is like glass, it is sharp and dangerous and flies everywhere! Safety glasses are good, too. Next step-I marked the dimensions of the window sill on a bit of cardboard and laid out the pieces on the counter, right next to the kitchen window where I was working, so I could transfer each piece with no fuss.
I used tile adhesive to glue each piece in place. This does not set up quickly and gives you a bit of leeway to move things around. I made sure to use the edge pieces to line up with the front lip of the windowsill.
I waited overnight then spread the grout the next day. This will be messy (I wore latex gloves and used an old plastic spatula) but make sure you get in between each piece. At this point it will look horrible, but wait! Following the directions on the grout package, wipe off the excess with a damp sponge. You will see your project transform before your eyes. So cool and so satisfying!
Using the tile pieces with straight edges made adding the reed molding on the front easy peasy since everything was nicely lined up. I love how this came out! But, alas, we left it behind when we moved into our new place, so I'll be doing this soon on my new kitchen window sill, now that I know how easy it is.
Plus, I've been seeing some very cool pebble mats out there in blog land and I just have to try making my own. Hmmm, a pebble mosaic window sill mosaic maybe? I'll be posting right here when I do either project!
Please join me at the linky parties on my sidebar. You never know what cool and creative ideas you'll find.
