- 1). Locate an old patio table. People often discard outdated, worn out patio tables. Be sure to ask the home owner if you are going to get one that has been put out for trash day. You can also find old tables at thrift stores, yard sales, or online exchanges such as Freecycle or Craigslist. Make sure the table's legs are sound. Tighten or replace screws or bolts. Use a larger diameter screw or bolt if the hole is stripped, or use toothpicks or used wooden match sticks to fill the hole partway before tightening the screws and bolts.
- 2). Use a coarse grained sandpaper to roughen the table top. This will make the tile grout adhere better. Do not use tables with open metalwork tops, unless your tiles are very large. it is very difficult, though not impossible, to properly grout an open metalwork table.
- 3). Mark out your design on the tabletop using a carpenter's pencil. Lay tiles on your design as desired, dull side down, leaving a little space between them for the grout. If desired, apply a little dab of instant adhesive to the dull side before setting each tile in place. Wear eye protection and use a pair of tile nippers to cut larger square tiles into smaller pieces and to make other shapes.
- 4). Once all your tiles have been placed, spread grout over the entire project, being sure to work the grout down into each gap between the tiles. Do not worry about covering the tiles with grout, as you will be wiping them down well before the grout sets.
- 5). Using a wet sponge, gently wipe away excess grout, being sure to completely expose each tile without removing any grout from between them. If you remove too much grout, simply reapply and wash tiles again. Allow grout to set two or three days before using your table.Experiment with other items for your mosaics, such as aquarium gems, fragments of crockery, and found objects. Using these items may result in a table that is not completely smooth, so keep in mind your intended use for the table. Smooth tables are easier to clean if you intend to use your table to serve food. If people like your table, you might even start a home business.
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