Tile mosaics for trays and other projects

I began by exploring the use of printed tiles grouted into some 9" x 13" black wooden serving trays. The resulting pieces can be seen in my recent posts. Now I am experimenting with turning single images into a tile mosaic.

The following tiles are available for purchase direct from my gallery shop. Incorportate them into a craft project of your own to create a one-of-a-kind gift, tray, wall decoration, back-splash, or other unique item.

Many stores offer wood trays that fit six 4-1/4" tiles that will work perfectly for these images above. Simply glue the tiles into the base of the tray and you're done. Here are some on-line stores selling these wood products to help get you started:

• http://www.bigceramicstore.com/Supplies/WoodTraysBoxes.htm
• http://www.aftosa.com/wotrfor641ti.html
• http://www.aftosa.com/wt64.html
• http://www.aftosa.com/ormetr.html
  

Slightly larger trays will work too. I used trays with an inside area of 13.25" long by 9.16" wide. As long as the space between tiles is reasonable (I used 1/8" plastic spacers), just fill in the gaps with a non-sanded grout. It helps to cover the tiles with a painter's tape for the initial grouting to avoid major scratches. Remove the tape at a point the grout is being smoothed about half way through the process. Grouts come in a variety of colors to coordinate with your image and/or the color of the tray.