Guest Author - Lisa Shea

Mosaics are the little tiles that you often see on a bathroom floor or on a trivet. You can use these same little tiles to cover an entire table - and create a personalized work of art!

To start with, you need a table. Go to yard sales and you might be able to get one for very little money, or even free! People are always getting rid of tables that are stained or marked. In your case you don't care at all because you're going to cover the entire tabletop with something new! Scour local want ads, the internet, and tell people about your quest. Soon a table will come into your life ready for your efforts.

Next it's time for the mosaics. Scout around at local hardware stores. Often they have sales on leftover mosaics that are too small a quantity for them to really sell for "normal purposes". Talk with friends and family. If you collect the mosaics over time you could end up with an interesting mix of large and small, colored and patterned. The more the merrier! Look for "natural" mosaic items too - pretty stones, seashells, other thing that you could put onto your table.

Once it seems like you have enough material, run to your local hardware store and let them know what you're doing. They can steer you towards the sanding paper for the table, the grout for the tiles and the sealing surface for over the top. Start by sanding down your table to get it flat. You're going to cover it up, so it doesn't have to be a perfect job, but you do at least want to get dirt and junk off of it.

Next, smooth down the grout as explained in the grout's instructions. You want a smooth layer to put the mosaics into. Then press in the mosaic pieces in whatever pattern appeals to you!

You'll probably want a finisher / sealer on top - again talk with your local hardware people so based on the mosaics you have, and the grout you have, the sealer will meet up with those needs perfectly.

Voila! A beautiful new family heirloom!