Creations, Tile Embellished Tray

the Painted Apron

8 years ago

I had some pretty glass tile leftover tile from our master bath redo,

I found an inexpensive galvanized tray at Walmart, part of the Better Homes & Garden collection for only $7.99

I used premixed grout, a large spackling tool and a sponge

This mini glass subway tile comes mounted on a paper backing, as do many small tiles, which makes it much quicker to lay them in place

Spread an even layer of grout* on the bottom of tray and place tiles paper side up {the paper protects the face of the delicate glass tiles}

*you could also use quick set for tile, glue or adhesive

Some tiles may come on a mesh grid with their right side up, in which case you would place the grid side down first on the grout or foundation layer

Once tiles are in place, I used a sponge to dampen the paper, which is made to come right off when wet

I had to add a few tiles around the edges and cut some in half with tile nippers {Walmart} to fill open spaces. Make sure you wear eye protection when using tile nippers 😎

I let the tray set overnight then added more grout in a layer over the top, using the spackling tool to press down and fill all the spaces

As soon as all the gaps are filled, use a sponge to remove the excess grout while it’s still wet, rinsing the sponge frequently, until the tiles are clean