After your kitchen or bathroom has been remodelled, it is highly likely that you will have a few extra tiles that have been left unused. Typically, contractors and remodelling experts recommend that property owners buy at least 10 percent more of the materials that are going to be used for the makeover of a room as extra, including tiles. This excess amount is usually used to cover for unforeseen events.
In some instances, these excess materials will be left unused. But instead of consigning these tiles to your storage room, basement, garage or attic, you can repurpose these. Here are the top five DIY projects that you can easily do.
Coasters
If you are looking for a unique yet inexpensive gift that you can give away during the holidays or as a souvenir, you can use excess tiles and turn these into coasters.
For this project, you'll need 4x4 pictures printed. Then apply decoupage glue to the smooth side of the tile and lay one photo on that side. Once the glue has dried (typically it takes one hour), apply another layer of the decoupage glue and three layers of clear lacquer.
Portable backlash
Portable backlashes are the perfect gifts for friends or relatives who are renting a property.
For this DIY project, you'll need an MDF board, tiles, 1/8 spacers, an all-purpose clear construction adhesive, pre-mixed grout, sandpaper, caulk gun, razor, ruler, measuring tape, pencil margin float and dual sided sponge.
The first thing you need to do is to measure the area where the backlash will be used and cut the board accordingly. After that, sandpaper one side of the board. Next, install the tiles on the board using the adhesive while using the spacers to create uniform distance between the tiles. Let the tiles dry for at least 24 hours before applying grout. Once the grout has been dried and the excess has been removed, you can now mount the backsplash.
Birdhouse
If you have unused porcelain or ceramic tiles lying around, why not create a birdhouse?
For this project, you'll need tiles, a porch lantern, a spray primer and sealer, acrylic paint and brushes and a drill.
First, cut the tiles to match the dimension of the glass insets of the porch light. After this, apply a coat of the primer and customise the design of the birdhouse. Once the paint has dried, hang the birdhouse on a tree.