Mid-Century Cardboard Tile Table

Recently I saw a beautiful mid-century tile table at a high-end thrift store for a small fortune.  Well, not a small fortune, an ACTUAL fortune!  I decided to see if I could replicate it with some inexpensive materials, just for fun.  I used cardboard for the tiles and some simple hair pin legs instead of the tapered wood legs.  Once I poured the resin over the tiles I couldn't believe how much they looked like REAL tile.  It was a wonderful surprise.  Remember to always look for alternatives and don't forget to Make Your Mark!

I'm ready for a classic cocktail!

Not sure about the rug, but it matches!

Watch how to make it here!

STUFF I USED

Famowood Glaze Coat 2-part epoxy resin

Americana Decor Outdoor Living Paint

Americana Decor Metallics in Vintage Brass

3/4" plywood for the table top

Tacklife tools:  Jigsaw, Drill & Sander

Cardboard

16" Hairpin furniture legs

E-6000 Glue

Swing arm paper cutter

HERE'S HOW

1. Paint cardboard in several different colors

2.  Cut the cardboard in 1" x 1" tiles

3. Create your table shape in paper and then trace onto the plywood

4.  Cut out the shape with a jigsaw

5.  Paint the table top (I chose a battleship gray)

6.  Cut some of the tiles in half and glue them along the outer edge of the table with E-6000

7.  Glue tiles inward, row by row and adding some solid rows of gold and yellow toward the center

8.  Adhere 2" wide masking tape around the table to create a wall

*Make sure it's adhered all the way around the edge

9.  Press the tape under the table all the way around

10.  Follow the instructions for mixing the Glaze Coat and then pour it on the table

*I used 1 quart for this project

11.  Spread the resin evenly on the tiles with a sponge brush

12.  Pop the bubbles with a long arm lighter or small torch then cover and cure overnight

*Watch the table for about 30 minutes since air can get trapped inside the cardboard tiles

13.  Remove the tape and smooth out the rough edges with a sander

14.  Mix a small amount of Glaze Coat to cover the rough edges and let cure overnight

*This will make the sanded edges look like glass again

15.  If you want you can paint the edges with more Vintage Brass

16.  Screw the hairpin legs on the base and you're done!

The Glaze Coat is like Glass when it cures!

So happy with this!

Don Draper might have had one of these!

Cardboard Mosaic Table with Gel Press

This project took a couple of days to make and it was worth it!  The longer a project takes to make, the more likely it is that I'll have it in my home for years to come.  Recently, on a fantasy furniture shopping expedition, I saw a 1960s mosaic table made with beautiful blue and green tiles.  It was $3000 dollars and as much as I LOVED it, I'd rather spend that kind of money on a  hair transplant and some new shoes.  Still, I couldn't get it out of my head.  Cut to me using my Gel Press to create cardboard tiles that had a very similar feel.  A thrift store table and some Glaze Coat and I had a 60s inspired mosaic table sitting in my living room!  I love it much more than the one I saw, too! Remember to find ways to create something if it's out of your budget and of course, always 

MAKE YOUR MARK!

Styled and ready for company!

 Bare and beautiful!

Watch how to make it here!

STUFF I USED

Thrift store table

Americana Decor Outdoor Living paint

E-6000 Glue

Gel Press

Famowood Glaze Coat (2 part epoxy resin)

Cardbaord & Masking tape

DecoArt Tribal stencil

Sticker Paper (I used 11 sheets to cover this table)

 HERE'S HOW

1. - 3.  Trace the table top on a large sheet of paper and then fold in half and half again 3 times to create "pie slice" folds

4.  Mark out 1/4 of the pattern with a marker

5. & 6. Center and mark the stencil in the middle of the pattern and 1/2 of the stencil around the edges

*This will help with your tile placement later

7.  Paint the entire table in Americana Decor Gold and let dry while you work on the tiles

8. Fill squirt bottles with Americana Decor in Adirondack, Gold, Morning Glory and Lily Pad

9.  Squirt small amounts of Adirondack, Morning Glory and Lily Pad on your Gel Press and use a brayer to lightly spread the colors

10. - 12.  Place the sticker paper on top, bray the back so "print" the paint and then carefully remove the sticker paper to reveal beautiful mottled pages

13. - 16.  Place the Tribal stencil on the Gel Press, bray Adirondack and Gold over it, remove the stencil and then Gel Press the stencil on top of the mottled pages

17. - 20.  Stick the pages to cardboard and cut out and 1/2 circles (from your pattern) using a craft knife

21. & 22.  Use the pattern to center a full circle tile in the middle of the table and the 1/2 circles evenly around the edges and then glue in place with E-6000 Glue

23. & 24.  Cut the rest of the cardboard into "broken" tiles and fill the rest of the table with pieces about 1/8" apart

25. & 26.  Create a barrier/lip around the table with two rows of 2" wide masking tape

*Make sure it sticks all the way around

27. & 28.  Mix the resin according to directions (I used 2 quarts) and then pour evenly on the tiles

29. & 30.  Smooth out the resin with a foam brush and then pop the bubbles with a small torch or long arm lighter

*Cover and cure overnight

31.  Once the resin is cured, remove the tape and sand rough edges with a sander or sandpaper

32.  Coat the sanded edges with a thin layer of resin and let cure again overnight

So proud and worth the effort!