How to Upcycle Tiles as Wall Art

3 Materials
$15
15 Minutes
Easy

This week I decided to pull out some Mexican Tiles that I used to use as coasters and put them up on the wall – gallery style – where my kids can’t reach or break them and I still get to look at them.


Did I mention how super simple it is to upcycle tiles as wall art?


It’s super simple.


And you don’t have to use exotic Mexican Tiles either – what about making a colourful tile wall out of sample tiles that you got when you were redoing a kitchen or bathroom? They might not have been right for that project but that doesn’t mean you can’t group them together and make an amazing art installation!

These particular tiles are pretty sentimental to me as I bought them on a visit to Mexico when my Father was living there. He used to live there half the year before he passed away. I’ve not been back for years so they hold memories of my Dad. It seemed a shame to have them stuck away in the cupboard!

Add disc hangers


I’ve used the Invisible Disc Plate Hangers before for hanging actual plates but not for anything else.


The discs come in varying sizes depending on the weight of the object you are trying to hang. I decided to buy the smallest size for this project.


Below is what the back of my tiles look like. The advice for using these hanging discs on plates is to clean them first (the plates).


I did give the tiles a quick wipe, but as you can see they are terracotta and pretty rustic so I didn’t attempt more than that.

While this is a super simple way of hanging tiles or other objects as wall art and it takes no actual time to apply the discs – you do have to wait overnight before you actually hang your items.


I know! Total bummer when the project is otherwise so quick!

Basically you have to put a bit of water on the back of the discs. Wait 5 minutes. Stick it to the back of your tile, plate or other object….and then wait a whole 24 hours before you can actually hang it.


But it’s worth the wait to get something that allows you to actually hang your tiles flush to the wall. I actually tried another product on one of the tiles – a sticky back saw tooth hanger and the result was I couldn’t get the tile to sit flush at all.

This is the other hanger type I tried - I’ve yet to attempt to pry it off the back so I can add it to my wall with a disc hanger.


The Invisible Disc Hangers by contrast are made to be soaked off and removed without damaging your item.


So if I wanted to take them off the wall when the kids are older and use them as coasters again, I could. Which is a bonus.

Choose your hanging


I just used small nails directly into the wall to hang my tiles on the loops of the disc hangers.


It is probably a bit more secure to use a proper picture hanger but I was concerned it might stop them sitting flush on the wall.

Layout


All that’s left is to choose a layout that you love.


I hung my tiles on the wall of my stairway so I put them at a bit of stepped angle as it just seemed to suit the space and the way I would be looking at them.


You can also see my  upcycled pallet art  on the other wall.

And that's it! Quite possibly the easiest upcycle project ever!


I hope it’s sparked your imagination to not only upcycle tiles but also to find other ways you could fill the blank walls in your home with any manner of objects like this. I’d love to see what you come up with!


If you liked this post you might want to check out the Home Decor Section of my blog, Upcycle My Stuff that is full of similar fun and easy home decor ideas.

Suggested materials:
  • Mexican Tiles   (Mexico but you can also buy on Etsy)
  • Invisible Disc Hangers   (Amazon)
  • Nails and/or picture hangers   (Hardware Store)
Kristen Hubert
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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