DIY Disco Tile: 5 Things to Know
I’m continuing on my thrifted DIY projects (peep the last one here) with a disco makeover! I decided to give “disco” ing a shot with this super cool resin boomerang I spotted at my local thrift shop.
I loved the boomerang shape plus it’s a tray with the top being sloped down. So I snagged it and ordered a few packages of peel and stick disco tiles in a teeny tiny size.
Here’s the boomerang as I found it.
And the peel and stick tiles I ordered, you can see how teensy they are.
I went with the smallest tiles I spotted on Amazon because I figured it would be the easiest way to form the edges.
This was how I decided to start, with laying the bulk of the top down evenly. I figured it would make for the most aesthetically pleasing vs if I started from the sides up or base up.
It wasn’t super time consuming but I worked on it over the course of a few days maybe 45 minutes or so each time. I kept getting frustrated with it. Which leads me to the finished product…
In full transparency I am not super thrilled with it. I drastically underestimated the weird angles and different thicknesses along the sides and edges. The angles also made it difficult to lay anything straight past the main tray portion.
Please do me a favor and don’t look too closely 🫣
Here’s the other side. I was able to line up the edge quite a bit better because this side actually had a flat edge coming down from the top but I ran into another problem, adhesion.
Yes I busted out some super glue.
If you look at it from a distance it is quite pretty and it sure does sparkle.
So you may be wondering “why are you sharing this if you don’t like how it turned out?” Well I figure if I only shared the successful DIY’s that would be a big representation of DIY. Sometimes things don’t go as planned and we learn from it for the next time.
Which brings me to the things I learned for the next time I do a disco tile project:
1. Be very mindful of the shape of the item. Any hard edges or weird angles will make it very hard to line up the tiles leaving you with a bit of a messy situation. You will either have overlapping tiles or big gaps.
2. Take the items material into consideration. I didn’t think there would be any issue with the tiles sticking and as long as it was a completely flat surface they were fine. Any slope or change in surface level made it virtually impossible for them to stick at all. I even had to super glue the corners of the boomerang which didn’t even fully adhere them. I think because the resin made it not the most suitable base.
3. Select appropriate tile sizes for the shape of the piece you intend to cover. I’m glad I went this small and almost wish I had looked a bit more to see if I could find even smaller tiles. The smaller they are the easier to apply to unusual shapes and get good coverage to help minimize gapping.
4. Take into account how many tiles you will need. I started out ordering 1 package and quickly realized it wasn’t going to be enough. I had to wait a few extra days for 2 more packages to arrive in order to finish it.
5. Be careful with the tiles. They are glass and really sharp which for some reason I didn’t think about. I did end up with a few little cuts, so proceed with caution.
At the end of the day I’m glad I tried it. And even though, if you look at it closely it, there are boatloads of issues/imperfections and some of the edge tiles are hanging on for dear life, it is an unusual piece that lights up a room with sparkle in the sun exactly how I hoped.
So now I need to find a spot where it can do its thing but no one can get too close to it. 😂
What do you think? Have you ever disco tiled anything? If so how did it go, any tips you can share? Hit me up in the comments with your experience!
I plan to try again when I come across an unusual item, we’ll see if it goes any better the next time now that I’ve learned a few things.
And don’t forget to hit up the subscribe box for my next project, I’m adding fringe to a chaise!
XOXOXO
Maureen
March 29, 2023I would be tempted to put it in the garden where it would sparkle and no one would get up on it.
Tina Bousu
April 13, 2023That’s a great idea! Although since I’m having adhesion troubles I would have to be careful to keep it from getting wet. 🫤
Pat
March 29, 2023It looks good from here! 😂 I can only imagine how frustrating it must be with the curves, etc. I’m glad you shared though…I’ve never thought about adhering the tiles to a surface. I do think I’ll try it!
xo
Pat
Tina Bousu
April 13, 2023Thanks Pat you are too sweet. Definitely give it a go! I just wish I picked an object that was less curvy with edges haha.
Deb Crofutt
March 30, 2023Hi Tina, well, I zoomed in on it and I’m here to say, considering the unusual shape of the boomerang, you did a great job. I love the sparkliness of it. More than anything though, I love that you decided to disco up a boomerang. ❤️
Tina Bousu
April 13, 2023Thanks Deb! The sparkle adds so much and really transformed it. I also learned alot for the next time I disco tile something so that’s a win for sure too.
Jennifer
May 17, 2023I’m going to attempt disco tiling a crystal skull bottle. I’m sure it’ll be a hot mess. Lol I’m wondering if glass will a decent base.
Tina Bousu
June 22, 2023Hi Jennifer, oh that sounds amazing! I’m also curious about the glass base. I wonder if that would be really good vs mine that was almost waxy but not?! Please do feel free to send over an email with your experience or add ithere I would absolutely love to hear how it goes. xo