DIY Mosaic Garden Table | Design, Glue, Grout & Finish

Kylie
by Kylie
$200
12 Hours
Medium
Mosaic Craft For Beginners... Make your own pretty mosaic table top! This one has a star feature, but you can make it how you like :) Any old table you have lying around works great for this project; mosaic is a great way to re-purpose your old furniture and give it new life.

You really don't need a lot of equipment to get started. In this video we cover how to plan, design, glue, grout and finish your mosaic project, along with an overview of the simple tools you'll need to get started :)
Check the video above to learn how to make your own! OR you can always read the step-by-step instructions below :)


For this project I'm using Italian glass mosaic tiles which create a lovely shimmering effect, but you can really use whichever tiles you like. Apart from that, you'll just need an adhesive to stick your tiles on with, and a pair of wheeled tile cutters can come in handy too.
It's usually easiest to start with the central feature and border on your piece and go from there. Once you have an idea for your design, draw some marks to help guide you, and start laying out your tiles, moving them around until you are happy and ready to begin gluing them down. For this piece, we positioned tiles to make 6 diamonds, creating a central 'star'.
Once you are happy you've got the main elements of your design, it's time to work on the centre and border, trying different colours and shapes of tiles until you get the effect you like.
Once all your tiles are on, allow a good 24 hours for the adhesive to dry and then it's time to grout.
The kids might like to help with this part too! Mix up your grout as per the packet instructions, and smooth on. It actually feels really nice to do this part with your hands (be careful of sharp edges), or you could also use an old credit card too.
Next, have a bucket of water and a sponge handy...Remove as much of that excess grout as you can (wringing sponge between each wipe), and then it's onto polishing!
An old towel or T-shirt works great for your polishing. Gently rub away any remaining grout that has become 'chalky' on the tile surface. Leave overnight and then finish off with a couple of coats of water sealant to protect all your hard work!
And there we have it! Our finished DIY mosaic garden table, it really sparkles lovely in the sun. I hope you enjoy this post and it helps with your mosaic project! I'd love to hear, let me know in the comments below :) And for more, check my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/kylienation Happy mosaicking :)
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
  1 question
  • Jackie Peltz Nix Jackie Peltz Nix on Nov 04, 2018

    Nice job! I have extra glass tile from a kitchen project that I want to use like this to update an old table. What type of adhesive did you use? Did you use thinset or something different?

Comments
Join the conversation
2 of 10 comments
  • Kathy Troutman Stigers Kathy Troutman Stigers on Jun 28, 2019

    This is beautiful! Ive been wanting to do my back patio table for awhile. Its concrete. what type of table surface did you use here?

  • Sara Pasic Sara Pasic on Apr 24, 2020

    Hello, newbie here! I was wondering how big the table was and aproximately how many tiles you used and their size because I am at a loss as to how many packs to order. Thank you!

Next