Creating Your Own Paper Faced Tile Designs

by Gary Piscopo

When you're planning a renovation or craft project, you want to use tiles that offer the colors and patterns you absolutely love. If you've been searching and just can't find the "perfect" tiles, you'll be relieved to know you can create your own tile designs simply by using a mosaic tile grid. Want a new pattern? Wish you could blend your own colors? Need a customized mosaic picture? Here's the easy way to get exactly what you want.

The materials you'll need for this project include:

Glass Tiles – I like Giorbello Classic Tesserae, Atlantis, Urban Collection, Summer Clouds, Gold Leaf or any other 20mm x 20mm x 4mm glass tiles which fit into your tile grids.
Tile Grid(s) - (for 20mm x 20mm tiles)
Craft Paper
Wallpaper Paste
Inexpensive Paint Brush (approximately 2”)
Small Paint Roller
Bucket and Paint Mixing Stick

Step 1: Prepare Your Tiles

After having chosen your tile design and colors, separate your tiles into loose pieces (if they are paper face mounted just soak them in warm water – if they are mesh mounted soak them in warm water and use a scrub brush to remove any residual glue from the back of the tile).

Step 2: Prepare Paper Face Sheets

Cut sheets of craft paper about 1/2” smaller than the overall grid size. This will allow you to keep the edges of the tiles exposed so the tile sheets can be aligned next to each other when mounting.

Step 3: Mix Wallpaper Adhesive

Mix the wallpaper adhesive according to manufacturer’s instructions (or use pre-mixed adhesive). Dilute the adhesive so it will be easily removed after mounting your tiles. Water down your adhesive by 50% (double the amount of mixed adhesive by adding an equal amount of water).

Step 4: Tile Layout

Place your tiles into the tile grid according to your mosaic design. Be sure to place the tiles with the finished side up.

Step 5: Apply Adhesive to Craft Paper

Using a paintbrush, wet the face of a sheet of the craft paper with a thin film of wallpaper paste. You'll want to apply the adhesive evenly over the entire sheet of paper

Step 6: Attach Craft Paper to Tiles

Place the craft paper onto the tiles in the grid with the adhesive side facing the tiles. Center the craft paper - the edges of the tiles should still be showing. Using a small dry paint roller press the paper against the tiles and smooth out all bubbles from between the paper and the tiles.

Step 7: Let Dry

Allow the paper to dry before removing the tiles from the grid. Drying time varies depending on temperature, humidity and the amount of adhesive used. It typically doesn’t take long.

Step 8: Remove Sheet from Grid

Once the sheet has dried, you can remove it from the grid by simply flipping the grid over and peeling the tile sheet away from the grid.

That's it! You've created your own custom, paper-faced tile. Now you can install it on walls or use it for crafts. Your friends and family will be quite impressed and you'll love the results.