Smashing Glass Tray

Make crime pay with a cool dresser valet made of recycled car window glass.

Give an ordinary wooden tray an edge with shattered green glass from a broken car window. Simple high-gloss resin lets you embed the glass safely while creating an ultra-modern mosaic.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Wooden or bamboo tray, 6"x6"x2"
Shattered glass from a car window, 2 cups
EnviroTex Lite Pour-On High Gloss Finish, 8-ounce kit
Disposable cups, 2
Wooden chopsticks, 2
White Con-Tact paper
Household silicone sealant, clear
Medium-sized cardboard box
Scissors
Ruler
Level

WHAT TO DO
Step One
Measure the inside bottom of the wooden tray and cut a piece of contact paper to fit. Stick the Con-Tact paper to the bottom inside of the tray. Seal the inside corners and bottom edges of the tray with the silicone sealant and let cure for 45 minutes. Pour the shattered glass into the tray and shake the tray until the glass creates an even layer. The glass should be about three-quarters of an inch deep.

Step Two
Following the directions on the EnviroTex Lite box, pour the entire contents of the resin and hardener into one cup. Mix thoroughly with a chopstick for one minute. Then pour the mixture into a second cup and mix with a new chopstick for one minute.

Step Three

Immediately pour the resin mixture evenly over the layer of shattered glass until it is completely covered. Place the tray on a completely level surface and cover with a dust-free box. Let the tray cure undisturbed for 48 hours. 

Tiny Bubbles: Don't worry if you whip bubbles into the resin as you stir it. Once you have poured the resin, most of the bubbles will de-gas on their own within five minutes. If any bubbles remain, gently exhale over the surface and the bubbles will rise and pop.

Don't Get Busted: Be a law-abiding crafter and put away the hammer! Instead, call an auto shop that specializes in window repair and ask them to save you some glass.

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!

Mind the Gaps
Tip the disc slightly to evenly distribute the resin to the edge of the wood veneer tape.

Italian Vitreous Glass Mosaic Tile furnished by Mosaic Mercantile, (877) 9-MOSAIC, www.MosaicMercantile.com.

Serve With Style Mosaic Tray

A handcrafted tile tray looks like a million bucks (and it's easier than you think)!

A colorful tray is just the thing for serving those Lime Sparklers at your next summer soiree. To make your own, start with a circle of wood (available at home improvement stores) and a funky flower pattern. Mosaic with glass tiles in poppy red, tangerine, and lime. Then resin the surface for a glossy finish. Tray chic!

YOU WILL NEED:
particleboard disc (11 3/4" diameter, 5/8" thick)
wood veneer edging tape (13/16" wide, 39" long)
12 finishing nails (1 1/2" long)
2 screen door pulls with hardware (4 7/8" long)
1 can apple red spray paint
Elmer’s Craft Bond Tacky Glue
vitreous glass mini mosaic tiles (3/8" size):
100 poppy red tiles
200 tangerine tiles
300 lime tiles
Envirotex Lite Pour-On Finish (8 oz. kit)
chalk
screwdriver
hammer
scissors

WHAT TO DO:

Step 1
Prepare the particleboard disc by taping the wood veneer tape around the edge of the disc. Secure with finishing nails. (Make sure the wood veneer tape is flush with bottom of the disc to create a 1/8-inch lip on top.) Spray paint the wood-edged disc red on all sides.

Step 2
Attach the handles to the sides of the disc.


Step 3
Copy the pattern onto the tray with chalk. Glue each tile to the tray surface following the pattern. Let the glue dry thoroughly. (Clean any remaining chalk lines with a damp cotton swab.)

Step 4
Mix the Pour-On Finish according to the directions on the box and pour the resin over the tiled surface. Tip the tray slightly to evenly distribute the resin to the edge of the wood veneer tape. Let dry for at least 48 hours.

Bubble Buster
Don’t be afraid of stirring bubbles into the resin. Five minutes after you pour it, the bubbles will rise to the surface. To release them, gently exhale over the surface and those bubbles will pop!

Transfer Tip
To transfer the pattern onto the tray, follow these steps.
1. Enlarge the pattern so the diameter is 11 3/4 inches across. Cut out the enlarged pattern into a circle.
2. Trace the outline with a piece of colored chalk.
3. Flip the pattern over and set inside the tray. Rub the back of the pattern to transfer the chalk onto the wooden disc.

Objects Of Our Affection
Now that you are a mosaic master, why not try these tile alternatives?
broken china
marbles
stained glass
keys
coins
seashells
river rocks
sea glass