Running With Sisters: Smashing Tile Table

Accent your entryway with a colorful glass-tile table. Mosaics are traditionally finished with opaque grout, but clear resin lets the beauty of the vitreous glass tiles shine through. A simple wood veneer edge gives the table a clean outline and creates a bed for the poured resin. For a table this size, three legs are plenty and add a playful touch. This delightful modern mosaic piece will add a splash of color to your decor.

You Will Need
plywood disc (17 ¾" diameter, ¾" thick)
adhesive wood veneer edging tape (13/16" wide, 56" long)
3 unfinished wood table legs (16" tall for a side table, 28" tall for a pedestal table)
3 mounting plates for legs (with 5/8" screws)
16 finishing nails (1" long)
spray primer
spray paint, Larkspur Blue
UHU all-purpose glue
vitreous glass mosaic tiles (¾" size):

200 Pacific Blue tiles

100 Lemon Yellow tiles

100 Lime Green tiles
Envirotex Lite Pour-On High Gloss Finish, 8 oz. kit
chalk
pencil
ruler
screwdriver
hammer
scissors
plastic cups
disposable stirring stick
protective gloves
safety glasses

Directions

Step 1
To create a bed for the mosaic tiles and resin, attach the wood veneer tape to the edge of the plywood disc, making a lip the height of one tile. To keep the resin from seeping through, make sure the tape is tightly pressed to the edge of the wood with no gaps. Secure with evenly spaced finishing nails.

Step 2
Prime the plywood disc and the three wooden legs, then spray paint Larkspur Blue.

Step 3
To transfer the design onto the plywood disc, enlarge and photocopy the template onto an 8 ½-inch by 11-inch piece of paper. Draw a 16-square grid on the template (3 horizontal lines and 3 vertical lines). Draw a scaled-up 16-square grid on the plywood disc using chalk. The grid on the plywood disc will be larger, but will have 3 horizontal lines and 3 vertical lines just like the template.

Step 4
Copy the image from the template to the plywood disc, square by square. Look at each square in the template grid and draw the lines you see onto the same square on the plywood disc using chalk. When the entire image is transferred, remove the grid lines using a cotton swab and water. (Leave the image lines!)

Step 5
Break about half of the green, blue, and yellow tiles by tapping the tiles gently with a nail and hammer on top of a very hard surface like a sidewalk. Protect your eyes please!

Step 6
Glue the blue, yellow, and green tiles to the disc surface, filling in the design as you go. Leave about a 1/8-inch gap between the tiles. Select triangle-shaped or curved broken tiles to use along the curved edges of the design. (Wear protective gloves when handling the broken tiles.) Use unbroken tiles to fill in large spaces. Smaller broken pieces can fill in the gaps. Let the glue dry thoroughly, then clean any remaining chalk lines with a damp cotton swab.

Step 7
Mix the Pour-On Finish resin according to the directions on the box. Resin is persnickety, so follow the directions exactly! Pour the resin, slowly covering the entire tiled surface. Use the mixing stick to push the resin into unfilled areas. Let dry for at least 48 hours on a level surface in a dust-free area.

Step 8
When the resin has cured, gently turn the plywood disc over. Attach the three mounting plates to the underside of the plywood disc one inch from the outside edge at twelve o'clock, four o'clock, and eight o'clock. Screw the legs into the mounting plates. Flip your new mosaic table over and feast your eyes!