Busting up your bathroom? Whether they come off in one piece or immediately go to pieces, don’t let those tiles go to waste.
There are so many useful and creative ways to upcycle those old bathroom tiles, and these projects are a fun, creative way to spend a weekend afternoon:
Mosaics
Even if you don’t consider yourself artistic, you can easily re-purpose broken bathroom tiles into a beautiful mosaic. Have a serving tray that needs some excitement? A bland staircase or back splash that could use some fancying up? Even beautiful stepping stones for the garden or refinishing a patio table top – there are countless applications for both indoor and outdoor use.
Creating a mosaic is a relatively easy task. You’ll need:
- Broken Tile (be mindful of sharp edges and shards that could cause splinters)
- Bonding Agent
- Sandless Grout
- A surface – flower pot, table top, serving tray, etc
Before you begin, think about your design and sketch it out. While you can let the image unfold before you, it might be easier to map something out so you have a pattern to follow.
Check out this in-depth tutorial by Arts & Crafts Centre for more on how to create your own mosaics at home.
Drainage
It may have never occurred to you that you can use broken pieces of ceramic tile to help drainage in potted plants. Good drainage is key to helping keep roots from sitting in too much water and rotting.
Use smaller pieces of broken tile at the bottom of your plant pot or container before filling it with soil. Cover the drainage hole with a large tile shard so that water can pass through, but the soil doesn’t fall out of the hole.
Re-Tiling
Just because your bathroom tile no longer suits your bathroom design doesn’t mean it won’t look great somewhere else. Have you heard of the concept of “shopping your home”? Basically moving a piece of furniture or artwork from one room to another to give it (and the space) a new lease on life. The same can go for tile.
As long the tile is removed correctly, you can reuse it for a variety of projects and spaces, like your kitchen backsplash, new entryways and counter tops, or smaller creative projects like picture frames. Wikihow offers a great tutorial on how to remove your wall tiles without breaking them.
