Sometimes it pays to take a second look at that pile of rubbish at the side of the road. That’s what DIY author Geneva Vanderzeil did when she stumbled across an old table during a council rubbish collection.
WATCH: Charlie Albone upcycles a coffee table and a fish tank for a spectacular new look
With more than a few DIY makeovers under her belt, the keen upcycler gave the table a design-led makeover, using patterned tiles to create a gorgeous new look.
Here’s Geneva’s step-by-step guide to doing it yourself.
Gather your supplies
For the table
- Sturdy table
- Johnson Tiles 97mm x 97mm satin finish tiles
- 60cm x 120cm MDF sheet (plus screws and drill)
- 3mm tile spacers
- Davco Tile Glue
- Dunlop Ultra White Tile Grout
- British Paints Bright White Ceiling Paint
For the painted tiles
- Megatreat Liquid Terracotta
- Rustol-eum Clear Spray
- Foam brushes
Here’s how
Step 1
If you want to, paint your tiles with terracotta paint in random shapes. Do two coats of paint and then spray with the spray enamel to reduce chipping.
Step 2
To work out the size of tiles and spacers you should use, measure the table. Our table was 60cm x 120cm. I found tiles that were 97mm and chose 3mm spacers so each set of tile and spacer was 100mm (10cm). The table would therefore need 6 tiles x 12 tiles. This meant we didn’t need to cut any tiles.
Step 3
Because our table had longer legs, we first cut the legs of the table to turn it into a coffee table height (400mm) using a saw.
Step 4
Prepare the surface for tiling by sanding the top of the table. I screwed on a piece of MDF to the top of the table so I had the perfect surface.
Step 5
Apply the glue to the surface of the table using a tile adhesive spreader. Press the tiles down, and use the tile spacers to ensure that the tiles are equally spaced. Let dry for 24 hours.
Step 6
Grout the tiles by spreading grout over the tiles and pressing it between the spaces of the tiles. Use a sponge to clean the tiles before the grout dries. Leave to dry overnight.
Step 7
Paint the legs of the table. We did two coats of white paint.
You might also like:
How to make a mosaic coffee table
7 gorgeous ways to decorate a coffee table
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