Priyadarshini Obaiah's Question

Hi Readers,

Priyadarshini, a regular visitor to my blog has a question..........

PRIYA'S QUESTION

I've been a regular at your blog since few months...my sis gave me the link..I especially liked the posts on decoupage idea and technique ...Just last week, my 2 year old nephew ripped off the laminate from my centre table; there was a slightly raised edge, that i had meant to stick using fevicol, but he gave me no chance to do that :)Landing on your blog again this morning, I was stuck by this decoupage thing. I'm wondering if i can try this out on the center table.. instead of going for another fresh new laminate. Please let me know if this will work..i've never tried out such a thing ever. Your suggestion is much appreciated.
Thanks, Priya.

ANSWER TO PRIYA'S QUESTION

My Suggestion to your question is that instead of going in for a decoupage, you should try some mosaic work on it with broken glossy tiles. See the picture below.

(Picture courtesy: here)

You can opt for simple geometric designs such as these. If your table is square, think of a black and white chess design that can also be used as a chess board.

PROCEDURE TO DO THIS MOSAIC WORK

• Clean the surface of the table
• Come up with a design concept and simply draw it out with pencil.
• Decide on the colours of the design. If you are particular about the right colours, then simply buy 3-4 tiles in different colours and break them yourself. (TIP: to do this simply put all the tiles in a cloth bag and using a hammer, tap on them gently till all the pieces are broken) On the other hand, you can go to a tile shop and buy broken tiles in Kilograms. This will work out cheaper. But you will have to segregate the colours after you get it home.
• Decide the size of tiles that you will be using to achieve the level of details that you want.
• Prepare a mixture using adhesive cement and water. Glue your tiles onto your design surface one at a time. Make sure to leave at least a minimum 1/8 to 1/4 inch gap between tiles to fill in with the grout later.
• Make sure to allow the cement mixture to set the full recommended time before attempting to start grouting the gaps (the recommended cure time should be posted on the pack).
• After the cement has fully cured or set, it is time to start grouting. Start by mixing your grout according to manufacture instructions. Slowly spread the grout into the cracks. Using a sponge make sure to remove any and all excess grout.
• Rinse out your sponge often to avoid clumps dragging across the surface. Don't overdue whipping down the cracks or you will start to remove the grout between the tiles. Keep the surface damp at all time so the grout does not cure to fast as it will crack.

I hope this helps you. Please tell me if you do it. Also send a picture of the work done. ALL THE BEST.