Although it’s a little late, I’ve recently been getting more and more into house plants. Anyone on the same bandwagon knows that house plants can be fickle and super demanding with their comfort and needs, one of the most important being sunlight. Now I have a pretty dark house, it’s not the best design to get a lot of sunshine into the house so light is a very special commodity for my fellow houseplants. Recently I’ve thought about getting a little table which I can use as a shelf next to a window to house some nursery pots as well as having a small table that I can use to craft on and use outside in my barbeque area. This is where today’s DIY project comes in, I want to make a little side table which is cute and fun.

After chatting with a friend about this idea, we started looking at ways we could add a fun retro table that wouldn’t get damaged by being outside or possibly having water spilt on it. This table had to be pretty sturdy but also not overly huge and of course, I wanted it to have a little colour. It just so happened that after chatting with my friend about this idea, the very next day she sent me screen shots of someone online creating a mosaic table and I fell in love with the idea. Now I don’t have the original Facebook reel link to the project but I have tagged the original posters, Geneva Vanderzeil, on Instagram for you. For some reason I cannot find this projects original link but if it does appear in the future, I will certainly link it. This creator has heaps of amazing home decor DIY’s and projects so of course, I want her to have her credit for my own project.

When it came to choosing the coloured tiles for this project, I originally thought about going with the colours already found in my backyard which are generally pops of blue and yellow; I did think about creating a mosaic with many blue flowers but at the time of purchasing my tiles, all blue tiles were sold out (plenty now of course!). So then I started looking at the colours around my house and found most spaces have a mix of yellow, orange, pink and green which matches all my wallpapers but also is very closely linked to the original table Geneva Vanderzeil made. I did think about using yellow and blue but besides not getting the colours I wanted, I also didn’t want to have my outdoors area look like I support a certain footy team (nothing wrong with the Eagles but I just didn’t want a footy team as my backyard theme). So although my colours will be very similar to the original post, it’s honestly the best plan I could come up with but I just wanted to explain my own colour scheme choices. To add a little more difference between my project and the original inspo, I also changed the shape of my tiles.

Materials:
Pink Petal Shaped Tiles
Yellow Petal Shaped Tiles
Orange Petal Shaped Tiles
Green Petal Shaped Tiles
White Petal Shaped Tiles
Ikea Table
Grout
Glue

Steps:

-I started by spray painting my table a soft creamy colour to pull it away from the stark white it originally was. I found a 2 in 1 spray paint and primer and gave my table a really good two coats letting it dry fully inbetween. I do expect some scratches over time but I’m ok with that.

-Once dry, I took the top of the table and turned it so it was concave and started to arrange my tiles into a pattern I was happy with.
I started with the larger flowers and then filled in the gaps with the smaller flowers trying to spread out all the colours. This was quite a fun process and I tried really hard not to over think it.
With all my flowers added, I then went through and added in leaves throughout the gaps. I didn’t want to create a very tight mosaic and fill in every crack possible but I was really happy with how my pattern came out in the end.

-When I was absolutely happy with my tile placements, I started to glue each tile down onto the table. One tile at a time, I added a line of glue and then pressed it firmly onto the table. I took my time doing this as I knew once the glue stuck, it wasn’t going to be adjustable.
I let the glue dry for a few hours.

-With my tiles stuck down, it was time to grout. I ended up using a plain white grout as the coloured one I originally chose wasn’t the colour I thought it would be and white just looked brighter. I mixed up the grout in a bowl I use for crafting following the packet instructions. Once mixed I let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before applying.

-Using a silicone spatula, I then spread and smeared the grout all over the table making sure every gap was filled. This took a little time as I was trying very hard not to leave air bubbles anywhere and get into all the nooks and crannies.
Once it was fully grouted, I left it for several hours to dry.

-When it was almost fully hardened, I got a old car washing sponge that I wet and wiped all over the top of the table to remove any grout from the tops of the tiles and the tables edge. This was a very satisfying process but the wiping did reveal some air bubbles which will all be part of the learning curve.

-I left the table to fully dry overnight before giving it a final wipe down with a damp cloth and reassembling it with the legs. It was now done!

Outcome:

When I started this project, the table was supposed to be a BBQ assistant table so we could rest food and tools on whilst cooking but having had this table for a few weeks, it’s become a staple in the outdoor furnishings. This retro floral mosaic table is now somewhere I rest my cup of tea whilst relaxing on my swing chair, it’s where I like to do my repotting, it’s where I sometimes put my potted plants and it’s also become a great little ornamental piece which I love. Having never mosaiced before, I can understand why this project can be daunting but honestly, if I can do it, so can anyone else.

Oh my goodness I am actually so happy with how my table came out and my first attempt at mosaicing anything! I am so glad I chose coloured tiles that match my home and I can now use that table in several rooms and outside for a mini barbeque table (but I’m tempted to make a second table because it was just so much fun!).

The table blends really well into my house and I think spraying the table with paint to leave it a lovely cream colour over it’s original white was a great idea as it helped the table blend into my home. I now use the table to house my propogation plants, for holding my candles and incense as well as just a general catch all table. I don’t think I could be happier with the final outcome of this table and I’m so happy I gave it a go.

If you are wondering what I will do with the leftover tiles, I don’t have too many leftover so I think I might just cover a candle holder, a plant pot or perhaps make a few coasters. I will see how I go once I finish a few other projects.

Of course a special mention to Geneva Vanderzeil for posting the original inspiration, I am so happy to have found something that matches my space and vibe but also gave me a new hobby. I cannot wait to mosaic something else in the future.

This kind of project would be a fun way to upcycle old furniture pieces especially if you were planning to use a space for messy activities such as potting plants or crafts. By adding some mosaic tiles in a fun retro pattern, I think this simple Ikea table has such an amazing lease on life and will bring us joy for many many years.

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