I have an outdoor dining table that had some cracking paint. I repaired the top and painted it with white latex outdoor paint. But it doesn’t clean well and always looks dirty. So I thought, might as well make a mosaic on the top! This would work great for an end table, coffee table, or a dining table like I’m doing. Plus tips for making a beginner DIY mosaic table.

beginner diy mosaic table

Let’s start with the video tutorial so you get an overview on what I did. Then, I’ll dive in with more details below:

If the video doesn’t work here, you can watch it on YouTube here. It’d mean so much if you’d watch the video! I’m trying to get better at my video skills so I can grow my YouTube channel. If you have a few minutes to watch this and/or subscribe, I’d so appreciate it.

SUPPLIES

• Floral Plates (mine are from the thrift shop)
• Mosaic Tile Wheeled Pliers
• Tile Nippers
• Gorilla Glue Construction Adhesive (I used 4 bottles)
• Unsanded Grout (in the color Bone)
• Cut Resistant Gloves
• Safety Glasses
• Metal Scrapper
• Plastic Putty Knife
• Mini Broom and Dust Pan

before

Here’s my outdoor dining table that I’ll be redoing. I did some repairs on the finish on the top and painted it with outdoor latex paint. Since then, it doesn’t clean well and always looks dingy. Plus it’s boring, so let’s add a mosaic!

The inspiration for this project is my souvenir plate wall that’s outside by the table.

safety when making a mosaic

When cutting the plates for the mosaic, make sure to wear Safety Glasses to protect your eyes and Cut Resistant Gloves to protect your hands. Make sure to do this for your beginner DIY mosaic table.

When working on this project, I cut my finger pretty badly and wish I’d been wearing my gloves for protection.

step 1- Break the plates

Start by gathering plates- I thrifted mine. Note, always get more plates than you think you’ll need. My 4′ round dining table took 85(!!!) plates.

Next, begin cutting down the plate. I like using the inside circle of the plate. Use Mosaic Tile Nippers to cut the plate down to the flat inner round section.

It’s nice to have a mini broom and dust pan handy to keep the work surface clean of plate shards.

Save interesting edge pieces from the lip of the plate for filler and edge pieces.

step 2- figure out the layout

Begin by cleaning the table well.

Once all the plate pieces are cut, lay them out on the table. I thought it looks best to have the circles as close together as possible. Seeing mostly plates will be the most interesting and beautiful layout in my opinion.

step 3- glue the plates down

And now, apply glue to the bottom of each plate and press it firmly into place. For this project I’m using Gorilla Glue Construction Adhesive. It works outside with tile and wood. Tile adhesive would also work nicely.

step 4- fill in the cracks

Next, begin filling the cracks between the plates. Begin by applying construction adhesive in the negative space.

Then, break off pieces of a plate’s rim into little chunks. Use Tile Nippers or Mosaic Tile Wheeled Pliers.

Fill in the biggest piece of mosaic that will fit in the area you’re working on. Keep filling in with smaller pieces until the whole section is complete.

For the edges, use pieces from the plate rim so that there’s a finished edge on the outside of the the table. 

Note- this will take awhile. For my 48″ round table it took 8+ hours.

step 5- grout

Finally, it’s time to grout. To prep for it, use a scrapper to remove any excess glue that’s dried in the joints or on top of the plates.

If needed, use a Dremel tool to sand down any sharp edges of the plates that may sit about the grout.

Apply the grout to the table. Spread it into all the gaps between the plates.

Once the grout has dried for 10-20 minutes, use. a sponge to remove the excess grout. 

Finish by cleaning the grout haze off with a microfiber cloth. It’s exciting to see the plates come back to life and sparkle again!

after

And now, after working on this table for 6 days, it is done! Doesn’t it look like a mosaic work of art?!

It took a lot of time, but I’m so proud of it! Do you see all the tiny pieces that were laid one by one by hand?!

It looks so pretty outside! I’m very proud of it!

The plates were all a little different heights. Because of that the table isn’t perfectly flat. I don’t know how to fix that, but it was something I struggled with. Despite that, the grout really helped to even things out. And it is very pretty!

price breakdown

For this project, I spent $100 on plates from the thrift shop. The plates cost between $0.50 and $2.00 per plate. Then I spent $40 on the Gorilla Glue Construction Adhesive.

All of my other tools and supplies, I had on hand (Mosaic Tile Wheeled Pliers, Tile Nippers, Unsanded Grout (in the color Bone), Cut Resistant Gloves, Safety Glasses, Metal Scrapper, Plastic Putty Knife and Mini Broom and Dust Pan.

In total, this project cost $140.

In conclusion, I’m so proud of the table! It was hard work and time consuming. But I think it is beautiful! And a work of art. Now I can enjoy it for years to come. What do you think of how the table turned out? Would you try this beginner DIY mosaic table?

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