DIY Paper Tiles and Resin Make a One of a Kind Decorated Table

by ArtsyKarma in Workshop > Furniture

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DIY Paper Tiles and Resin Make a One of a Kind Decorated Table

Resin and paper table.jpeg

In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how you can create an amazing tabletop with scrapbook paper tiles covered with resin.


Supplies

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Find an Old Piece of Furniture

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Find a side table or whatever table you want to tile.

I recommend finding it at a non-profit thrift store, but yard sales are a good place to find old furniture too. I actually found the one I'm showing free in an alley.

Remove Hardware

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Remove any hardware parts, such as handles or knobs, if there are any.

I ended up using a different knob that I thought went better with my color choices.

Choose the Paper for the Tiles

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Before you spray paint the table, you’ll want to choose a color theme and pick out a variety of scrapbook paper for your tiles.

Usually, if you get a pack or book of scrapbook paper, the colors are coordinated, so you could just use the papers that come with those. Check out the paper packs on Amazon that I recommend at the bottom of the post.

Paint the Piece of Furniture

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Spray painted side table.jpeg

Spray paint the table with a color that will compliment the scrapbook paper you chose.

Get a Square Paper Punch

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Find a square paper punch in the size you want your tiles to be.

I used a 1-inch square, but as I said before, you could choose any size punch you can find depending on your table's appearance.

Punch Squares

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Paper tiles.jpeg

Start punching out the squares of the paper you chose.

I find it easier to turn the punch over so I can see where I’m punching the paper. You will save paper that way.

Depending on the size of your table and how many different patterns of paper you’re using, you’ll have to punch the same paper multiple times.

I like to add the paper tiles randomly, so I mixed them up a little bit after punching them all.

Space the Tiles

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Before you start gluing the tiles on your table, you’ll want to line them up first to make sure everything’s even.

To do this, space out the tiles along one side of the table. And then you do the same down the other side.

Paste to Furniture

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Start pasting the tiles that you lined up onto the table.

I decided to use an extra-strength glue stick because it worked well. But you could also use Mod Podge since you’ll need it to coat all the tiles in the next step.

After you paste down the side tiles, its just a matter of lining the rest of them up, starting from the inside corner.

Coat With Mod Podge

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Coat all the tiles with a layer of Mod Podge.

You’ll want to do this because it will keep the resin from saturating the paper, which could cause it to discolor.

Add Glitter Glue (optional)

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Add some glitter glue between the tiles.

I like to add sparkle to pretty much everything, so this was a must for me. I chose a red glitter glue that wasn’t too condensed with glitter so that it didn’t distract too much from the tiles. Another option to add sparkle is glitter Mod Podge if you want an all-over glitter look.

Once the glitter glue is dry, you’ll be able to resin.

Mix the Resin

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Mixing resin.jpeg

Measure and mix the two-part epoxy resin.

The easiest way to measure the resin is to get a silicone measuring cup made for the job. I’ve only seen the measurements be half epoxy and half hardener, but check the instructions on the bottles just to make sure.

That way, you can add the epoxy to a certain level, double the number you filled, and add the hardener to that amount.

For example, I filled mine with 3 ounces of epoxy, And so I added hardener to 6 oz:

Stir up the mixture really well for about two minutes.

Add the Resin to Furniture

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Resin on table top.jpeg
Smoothing resin edges on table top.jpeg

After stirring vigorously for a couple of minutes, pour some of the epoxy over the tabletop.

Don’t do this in bright sunlight because the epoxy will start to harden too quickly.

Use a spatula to move the resin around to cover the whole surface.

Make sure you look closely for any spots missing resin. That happens easily.

You’ll also want to look out for any big air bubbles. Pop those with a pin if you see any.

Run the spatula along the edge of the table to avoid drips.

Let dry for a couple of hours or overnight.

Attach Hardware

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Replace or reattach the hardware.

All Done!

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Paper tile table top.jpeg

When all is said and done, you should be left with an amazing, one-of-a-kind piece of furniture you can be proud to show off.