How to Use Chipped Plates to Make Table Tops

Place a stack of two or three ceramic or china plates in a paper bag. If you like, you may also use bowls or cups. However, plates yield the largest number of usable, flat mosaic pieces. Wrap a bath towel around the paper bag, and use the hammer to gently break the plates. Check your progress after a few hits. If the pieces are too large, hammer a few more times. Don't pound away until all that's left is a bag of dust.

Draw your basic design onto the tabletop with chalk. If this is your first project, consider your drawing a starting point, and realize that the finished product may not be perfect or precise. Keep your design simple for best results. Another option is a free-form design that does not follow a sketch.

Lay your mosaic pieces out onto the tabletop, following your sketch. Remember to leave anywhere from 1/8 inch to 1/2 inch between each mosaic piece, so you'll have room for grout. Use tile nippers to cut pieces into just the right size and shape, if needed. Rearrange and tweak your design until it's just the way you want it.

Glue each piece onto the tabletop, one at a time, with tile adhesive. Let the tabletop dry six to eight hours.

Smooth grout over the entire tabletop with your hands while wearing rubber gloves, working the grout over the mosaic pieces and into the crevices between the pieces.

Let the grout dry slightly, for about 20 or 30 minutes. Wipe off the excess grout with a damp sponge, going over the entire tabletop over and over again until the ceramic pieces are revealed. Let the grout dry for about eight hours, or until it is completely dry.

Clean any cloudy grout residue off of the ceramic pieces with a clean, damp sponge. Let dry. Apply three or four coats of glossy varnish with a paintbrush, allowing each coat to dry for about two to three hours before applying the next.