small table
12" x 12" smooth mirror tiles (available at home improvement stores)
6" x 6" beveled mirror tiles (available at home improvement stores)
glass cutter
rule
gloves
eye protection
mirror putty
grout (premixed or powdered)
notched trowel
grout float (optional)
rags
acetone
400 grit wet/dry sandpaper
Note: Look for furniture pieces with flat planes that will be easier to cover with the rigid mirror tiles.
1. Measure and cut plain mirror tiles into strips to mount to the sides of the table. Carefully measure and cut the strips as large as possible; If the table has curved corners, finish the long strips before the curve. To cut mirrored tiles, use a glass cutter and a straight edge ruler to mark the glass where you want to cut. Then firmly bend the glass to break it at the cut.
Security alert: Always wear gloves and eye protection when cutting glass. The edges will be extremely sharp, and small shards of glass can fly when you break the glass.
2. Attach the long mirror strips to the sides of the table with mirror putty or tile adhesive. Make sure the pieces butt up against each other with no gaps between the mirror strips.
3. To apply mirrors to rounded corners, mark and cut a long, thin strip of mirror about 1/4" wide with a glass cutter. Cut this thin strip into several pieces, each of which sits on the height of the table.Put these pieces together and adhere them to the curve of the side of the table.
4. Once you have all of your sides in place, it's time to start working on the table. Try to use the largest mirror pieces you can, working from the center of the table to the edges. We used 6" x 6" beveled mirror tiles for the center of the table, surrounded by smaller mirror pieces. Do a dry fit of all your mirror pieces before you start to putty them together.
Note: When measuring for the table, be sure to measure and cut the mirror tiles for the top so that the edges of the mirror pieces on the sides of the table overlap.
5. For a curve on the table top, mark the mirror tile in the shape of the curve and cut it with the glass cutter. Sand the cut curve with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper to smooth the curve.
6. Once all the mirror tiles are in place, clean the table with acetone to remove excess caulk, then finish the table with grout to smooth any rough edges. Use premixed or powdered grout; Gray or silver grout works well because it blends in with the color of the mirrors. For a more dramatic effect, use a darker grout. Apply the grout in the spaces between the mirrors with a rubber glove or putty knife.
7. Remove any excess grout with a rag and allow grout to set according to package directions. Once the grout is ready, clean the piece with a new rag.
