How to make a mosaic coffee table
Gather your supplies
• Solid timber coffee table
• Dulux Preplock Shellac Based Stain Blocker (spray) or similar
• Dulux Design Metallic in Neutral Intrigue (silver)
• Mosaic tile sheets in Pearl White
You’ll also need
Drop sheet; safety glasses; dust mask; power saw; clamps; straightedge; power sander with medium-grit sandpaper to suit; fine-grit sandpaper; paintbrush; PVA; mosaic tile adhesive; white grout; glass mosaic additive; spatula; rubbersqueegee; soft sponge
Here’s how
Step 1 Trim rounded edges off table for a modern look, if desired. To do this, lay out drop sheet and, wearing glasses and dust mask, use power saw along clamped straightedge to cut off rounded edges from all 4 sides of tabletop. Keep your cuts square and even on each side. Discard offcuts.
Step 2 Wearing glasses and dust mask, use power sander to sand top of table. Work in the direction of the grain, removing all varnish.
Step 3 Using fine-grit sandpaper, gently hand-rub over timber legs to provide tooth for stain blocker to stick. Brush dust from table and shake out drop sheet.
Step 4 Position table in centre of drop sheet with top facing down. Brush or spray table legs, frame and cut edges of top with stain blocker. Do not apply to tabletop. Let dry.
Step 5 Use paintbrush to paint legs, table frame and edges of top with 2 coats of Silver. Let dry after each coat.
Step 6 In a small bowl, mix a solution of 50% PVA and 50% water. Use paintbrush to apply to raw timber tabletop. Let dry.
Step 7 Working with 1 sheet of tiles at a time, place a dot of mosaic adhesive on the back of each tile.
Step 8 Starting at 1 corner of tabletop, stick tiles to timber. Repeat applying adhesive and sticking down evenly spaced sheets of tiles until top is covered. Where necessary, trim sheets of tiles to suit before sticking in position. Let dry
Step 9 Use spatula to mix a 50/50 ratio of white grout and liquid (25% water and 25% glass mosaic additive) to a toothpaste consistency. Working in sections, apply dabs of grout to tiles and spread into grooves of tiles using rubber squeegee. Repeat until all tiles and perimeter are grouted. Let dry.
Step 10 Wipe away residual grout from top of tiles with damp soft sponge. Let dry
