After overcoming my fear of tiling, I have suddenly become flooded with ideas for more tile projects I can create outside of renovating my rental properties. I've even started a Someday Tile Pinterest board where I obsess over all the tile options that are out there. I cannot get enough.
When Mercury Mosaics reached out with some tile for a project, I already had an idea a tile pedestal! Pedestals are perfect to display my other obsession of collecting ceramics and plants so this truly was a dream passion project.
If you, like I once was, are terrified of tiling, I highly recommend starting with a small, low stakes, project like this tile pedestal or a mosaic. It will help you familiarize yourself with the process, tools and materials. Then when you find yourself in the high stakes situation of tiling something more permanent, like a backsplash or a floor, you'll be better prepared for what's coming!
See below for my step-by-step diy tile pedestal tutorial, if you want to follow my exact project below are the materials you'll need.
Materials
3 2 x 2 plywood project panels
48 #6 wood screws
10 sq ft of 4×4 tiles of your choosing! (I used these in 65W Amber Brown and 123R Patina)
Grout (I used SimpleGrout in Brown Velvet, but have used this Mapei Pre-Mixed Grout in the past and found it easier to work with!)
Tools
Microfiber Cloth (optional, but these help wipe away grout and prevent grout haze!)
Optional: Tile Cutter or Tile Saw. I did zero cuts for this pedestal, but if your pedestal is a more unique size, you may need to make tile cuts!
Step 1 Plan
Tiling requires precise measuring and planning if you skip this step you might as well skip the whole project! The planning is half the fun of tiling.
Once you have picked your tiles you will need to plan the size and shape of your pedestal to fit that tile, especially if you want to make zero cuts like I was able to for this project. Start with a layout of how many tiles you will be placing on each side and then size the top based off the sides. Finally you can determine the overall size to build the plywood base based on the tile measurements and layout.
Do not forget to accommodate for:
- The actual tile size (for example, my tiles are listed as 4 x 4 but they are slightly smaller and due to the handmade nature, they vary slightly from tile to tile)
- Grout thickness, I used a 1/16 grout line
- Thickness of your plywood (unless you are doing mitered edges)
For this pedestal each side had 5 rows of tile and 3 columns, with a top that was 3 tiles by 3 tiles thus the plywood base dimensions were:
Top: 12 x 12
2 Sides: 12 x 19.5
2 Sides: 11 x 19.5
The 2 sides differed in sizes to accommodate for the depth of the plywood panels and the butt joints I used to build the pedestal.
Step 2: Construct the Plywood Base
You've already done the hardest part of this project; the construction is a breeze compared to the planning!
To construct the plywood base, first cut each panel down to size. Then glue the edges together one at a time and secure with corner braces, I used butt joints and corner braces to make it extra simple to keep this pedestal square. Secure the top after securing all sides together.
Step 3: Place Tiles
Time for the project to start coming to life! With your plywood base constructed and dry, it's time to place your tiles.
Grab your tile adhesive and plan to do only one side of the pedestal at a time. I found it easiest to lay the pedestal flat, but if you are more confident in your tiling skills, you can tile all sides at once if you leave the pedestal standing up.
Apply the tile adhesive on 1 side completely. Always apply adhesive in straight lines for the best tile adhesion. Place all tiles working off a level line (the edges of my pedestal were my level line so I built my tile up from those). While your adhesive is wet place tile spacers to evenly space the tile.
Work quickly but don't panic, you have more time than you may think to work the tiles into the perfect spacing.
Step 4: Grouting
Grouting is just glorified cleaning in my opinion, but this is where, if you move too slowly,y you will find yourself scrubbing your little heart out! Set yourself up for success with a large bucket of water and a sponge at the ready for cleaning.
I used pre-mixed grout, so no mixing was required, but if you opted for non-pre-mixed grout, read the directions for mixing ratios of grout to water.
Also read the directions on your grout to make sure you understand how much working time you have before it dries, then wipe grout onto your tile pedestal, making sure you have grout evenly worked into all spaces. If your pedestal has an extra-thick grout line for all edges like mine (since I did zero cuts!) make sure to carefully and evenly distribute the grout on these edges. It can be easy to wipe away too much grout!
Once you have worked the grout into the tile spaces, wipe away with a large sponge. Change the water often to avoid leaving any grout haze on the tiles, I also do a final gentle wipe with a microfiber cloth, which is my secret to avoiding grout haze!
Step 5: Decorate!
If you want to protect your floor,s add rubber or felt pads to the bottom of your pedestal. Otherwise, add your favorite plant, vase, or unique object and have fun displaying your objects on your custom-made pedestal! Here you can see I had some fun with the tile patterns and I made my pedestal “reversible” – 2 sides are a subtle check playing off the variation of the tiles and the other 2 sides are a more bold natural check. It’s so fun to give myself two pedestal options instead of one.
Happy tiling, I hope this post inspires some creativity or helps you conquer a project you've been fearing!
xx,
Claire
