How often have you looked at a table and thought, “Wow, that would look great as a mosaic table?” Do you pass by table bases at yard sales, thrift shops, or any stores and think, “I would love to create a mosaic for my garden or home with that.”
The wait is over! You can now learn how to create your tabletop mosaic from Tami Macala exclusively here at Mosaic Arts Online. Creating a tabletop mosaic can be fun, creative, and very gratifying.
Tami takes her twenty-plus years creating mosaic art and shares her experience, tips, and techniques here for you to learn.
Tami uses ceramic tile in this course, but you can easily use many materials, including stained glass, manufactured tiles, pottery, plates, and more.
In this course, Tami shares:
- Two types of table bases, one with a lip and one without, but most styles will work
- How to clean and prep the base
- How to cut the substrates
- How to choose ceramic tiles for weather and durability
- The best tools for this project
- Tami’s favorite mosaic tile adhesive
- Design and composition
- How to cut and break the tiles
- Tips and tricks for trimming the tiles for the best fit
- How to install the tabletop into the base
- How to grout the mosaic with epoxy grout
- Bonus sections for creating a stained glass mosaic for a table base WITHOUT a lip
By the end of this course, you will have the skills and knowledge to create all types of tabletop mosaics for indoor or outdoor display.
Tami has added her tabletop mosaic flower design to this course for you to use. Tami shares suggestions for sourcing table bases but leaves the search up to you!
Tami has included a PDF of her suggested tools, materials, and resources available for download.
Your Instructor
Tami Macala, founder and owner of Mosaic Arts Online and Create Arts Online, has always had her hand in art. She started out at eleven years old as an oil painter, winning awards throughout Southern California. With a fashion and textile design degree, Tami began a twenty-year career in the movie and television industry as a costumer, dressing leading actors and actresses. Not feeling completely fulfilled as a costumer and the long hours, Tami found a new passion in mosaic art and in true fashion, became a self-taught mosaic artist while continuing her successful career in the entertainment world.
In 2000, Tami started her first company, All Cracked Up Mosaics, creating personal and custom-designed mosaic art commissions for clients all over the US.
In 2009, Tami began teaching mosaic art. She founded her second business, The Santa Barbara School of Mosaic Art, teaching her favorite art medium. There, she brought in world-renowned mosaic artists to teach her students, creating a hub of learning and inspiration.
In 2015, Tami retired from the entertainment industry and founded her latest companies, Mosaic Arts Online and Create Arts Online. Tami and her husband, Jerry, now produce online courses with some of the most sought-after artists in mosaic, mixed media, and fine art.
Course Curriculum
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StartIntro to Table Top Mosaic with Tami Macala (2:11)
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StartPDF for download. Suggested list of tools, materials, and resources
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Start3 Flower design templates for download
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StartMaterials overview (3:16)
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StartTable base options (1:56)
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StartCleaning, painting, and sealing the table base (2:49)
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StartSubstrates (1:31)
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StartCutting the substrates to size (5:28)
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StartDesign and composition (3:36)
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StartTracing the templates (2:03)
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StartCompleting the drawings of the design (2:39)
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StartTile choices for the mosaic (3:00)
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StartTools for cutting and breaking ceramic tiles (3:44)
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StartTile breaking demo (1:42)
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StartTile cutting demo (2:34)
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StartDry laying mosaic tiles in design (4:42)
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StartMixing the mortar (6:27)
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StartTips and tricks for trimming the tile (3:31)
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StartCompleting the first flower (1:50)
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StartHow to float a piece of tessera to meet the height of the tile (8:32)
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StartCreating flow with ceramic shapes (1:44)
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StartFiling in the second flower with custom shaped pieces (5:08)
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StartTips and tricks for working clean. How to file your tiles (5:49)
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StartMortar mixing demo and tile color change (5:26)
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StartCreate a unique center of the red flower (4:47)
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StartBackground tile review (1:48)
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StartAdding the bud vase with background tile (11:39)
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StartHow to cut a fit tiles when you get into a hole (4:44)
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StartTips and tricks while working on the background (1:42)
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StartWatch Tami work in real time as she finishes the tiling of the mosaic (24:24)
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StartHow to clean the mosaic before installing into the table base (4:22)
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StartApplying the glue and the table top into the base (3:00)
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StartIntroduction to grouting materials (5:05)
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StartHow to mix the grout (2:34)
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StartGrouting the table top (12:01)
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StartPhase one cleaning excess grout (7:24)
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StartPhase two cleaning the grout off the table top (4:38)
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StartHow to remove the grout haze (4:17)
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StartReview and wrap up! (0:56)
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StartBONUS: How to create a stained glass mosaic on table base WITHOUT a lip Part 1 (3:14)
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StartBONUS: How to create a stained glass mosaic on table base WITHOUT a lip Part 2 (6:40)
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StartBONUS: How to create a stained glass mosaic on table base WITHOUT a lip Part 3 (3:27)
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StartBONUS: How to create a stained glass mosaic on table base WITHOUT a lip Part 4 (7:54)
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StartBONUS: How to create a stained glass mosaic on table base WITHOUT a lip Part 5 (7:52)