DIY Mosaic Stool

I have had this previously shabby, and now 100% CHIC vintage stool for over 2 years, so it was def time for it to get some TLC!!

Over the years this stool has taken a beating! It has been my go-to piece for every random job I could think of, serving as a plant stand, a spray-painting station, and basically just a catch-all for whatever random item I wished to display. BUT, when I originally purchased the stool I loved the adorable legs and had every intention to upcycle it! So I think this little stool has definitely earned it's makeover!!

First, I sprayed everything but the top a lovely olivey green!

Then I started sanding!! I had to sand down the top to have an even, clean surface to adhere my tiles. Check out all of the layers of paint!:

BUT wait! I skipped the best part...

Making the tiles!!! 

Mosaic tiles can get expensive quick, even for a small area like this so, I decided to go a different route and make my own using...

SUPER CHEAP THRIFT STORE PLATES! YAYY!

As you can see I got most of these plates for a mere $0.50! This isn't all the plates I used, there were about 3 others I also used ($0.50 each), bringing my grand total for tiles to $5.00! 

Now comes the fun part... Smashing Plates! 

I smashed my plates by sandwiching them in an old bath mat and smacking with a hammer! I have seen other methods online including throwing a pillowcase full of plates off a balcony! Just remember to be safe!!

After making my tiles, the next step was to glue them in place! You could prearrange them before glueing if you have a certain pattern in mind; I did not so I did it on the fly and started glueing! 

I used this clear tile adhesive I got at Michaels, that works pretty much like glue:

Almost done glueing!

After all the tiles were glued I let it dry overnight as the bottle instructed!

Last step is the grout!! After a mishap with some unmixed grout I bought at Home Depot (I might have misread where the fill line was and added twice as much water as I was supposed to... oops!!!), I splurged for the pre-mixed kind:

about $12 at Home Depot

Pre-mixed grout is ready to use, so with the help of my Dad :), Thanks Dad!, we got to it! After the whole top was grouted we removed the excess and let it dry for about an hour. Then I came back with a big yellow sponge (also from the tiling section at home depot) and cleaned the remaining grout of the tiles. After 24 hours, the grout to fully set and my stool was ready to use!

Check it out:

My plant is in a small Delft Planter I got at Goodwill :)

Close-up :)

This is the newest edition to my patio garden and I absolutely Love how it turned out! The broken plates are the perfect alternative to store bought mosaics, and they have so much more character :)


Thanks for stopping by!

-Liz :)