On your summer trips to the beach, if you look a little more closely at the sand, you’ll find more than shells: you’ll also find small pieces of glass that have been worn smooth by the sea. Before you walk past them, take a look at this idea for using them to make a beautiful decorative serving tray.
What you’ll need:
1. A wooden serving tray, ideally white
2. Sea glass
3. Tile adhesive
4. Grout
5. A notched trowel, a rubber grout float and a sponge
How to make it
1- Using a notched trowel, spread a thin layer of tile adhesive over the surface of the tray, then comb the adhesive with the teeth of the trowel. It’s best to work in sections rather than spreading the adhesive over the whole surface at once. Take care, too, not to apply the adhesive too thickly, or the pieces of glass will sink into it.
2- Press the sea glass into the adhesive in the patterns you like, again working in sections. Be careful not to sink the pieces into the adhesive (which is why we said the layer shouldn’t be too thick). It’s also a good idea to read the instructions for the specific adhesive you’re using, for example on how long it takes to set. If there’s too much adhesive in some spots, try removing it with a toothpick.
Keep working section by section until you’ve covered the whole surface.
3- Now it’s time for the grout. Put the amount you need on the grout float and start pressing it into the surface so that it fills the gaps between the pieces of glass. Make sure it gets everywhere, even into the corners.
The result will look something like this. Next, use the edge of the float to remove any residue or excess grout.
4- Using a damp sponge, wipe the grout off the surface, where the glass is, and leave it to dry. If it needs further cleaning to bring out the shine of the sea glass, you can go over it again with the damp sponge once it has dried.
And that’s it! Your tray is ready for serving summer cocktails to your guests!
Source: www.sandandsisal.com
Text – Editing: Natasa Lianopoulou
