In this lesson, you’ll learn how to transform broken ceramic plates into a beautiful mosaic tray. Kayla will show you how to use the pieces as tiles, adhere them with mosaic glue, and finish the surface with plaster or grout to create a smooth, durable design. It’s a hands-on, beginner-friendly project perfect for creative reuse lovers.
*Note, this video is recorded from a live workshop that took place in Nov 2025.
🛠 Supplies You’ll Need
-
Mosaic tiles or broken ceramic plate pieces
-
Mosaic glue (craft-store or Amazon)
-
Mosaic plaster or tiling grout
-
An object to mosaic on (wooden coaster or tray, small table, piece of wood, glass, etc.)
-
Something to stir + apply plaster/grout (spatula, stick, scraper, old gift card, etc.)
-
Damp sponge for wiping away excess plaster/grout
-
Wipes or a place to wash hands it
👩🎨 Meet the Teacher: Kayla Shaffer
is an art workshop instructor with a love for hands-on creativity. She teaches Turkish mosaic lamp making, pressed flower art, tufted rugs, and more. A lifelong crafter, she’s explored sublimation, quilting, polymer clay, miniatures, ceramics, and countless other mediums. When she’s not leading workshops or crafting on her own, she’s spending time with her fiancé and her labradoodle, Ellie.
🎥 Watch the Video
💡 Key Takeaways
-
Smaller pieces make better mosaics — especially from curved objects.
Plates are easiest to use because they’re flat; bowls and mugs create curved shards, so breaking them into smaller tiles helps them sit more evenly on the tray. -
Breaking plates is simple (and cathartic): double-bag + hammer.
Kayla breaks thrifted or chipped plates outside on concrete, using two Ziploc bags to contain shards. No special tools required unless you're doing jewelry-level precision. -
Glue method: coat the surface, then place tiles with 15–30 minutes of open time.
Mosaic glue goes on white and dries clear. Spreading glue over the whole tray before placing pieces speeds things up; you can still shift pieces around while it’s wet. -
Grouting is messy but forgiving — load it on thick, then wipe back.
Use pre-mixed grout (white or black). Push it deeply between all gaps, leave for ~15 minutes, then use a damp (not wet) sponge to clean the tiles. Expect to do a second wipe after it dries. -
Tile spacing and tile height don’t need to be perfect.
Uneven tile thickness is fine; grout fills differences. Gaps can vary, but smaller than 1 cm is easiest. Bigger gaps = more grout used.
💬 Join the Fun & Share!
Did you learn along with us? Do you have your own mosaics technique to share? Drop a comment below with your tips or show us what you made! We’d love to see your projects!
If you’ve got a skill related to creative reuse and want to share it in a Teach Us workshop, reach out! hello@peovee.com
