• Bathroom Tile Ideas for Bathroom Floor Tile

    Bathroom tile ideas for bathroom floor tile can help you know what options to consider for your bathroom. Bathroom tile comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, patterns and textures and they are the basis for any bathroom design. Bathroom tile ideas can help you have the very best bathroom possible. Ceramic bathroom floor tile […]

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DIY Mexican Tile Coasters

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I am Courtney Hamby from Hamby Home Décor and I’m so honored to have the opportunity to share these easy DIY mexican tile coasters.

DIY Mexican tile coasters

We’re in the process of building a house with an open floor plan and I’m planning to use the blue and white ceramics in the kitchen which means I need some blue and white accent pieces in the living room as well. Blue and white ceramics are all over the place these days (antique stores, thrift stores, Home Goods, Pier One, etc.) but I have yet to see blue and white coasters which would be beautiful and great accent pieces for our living room. I saw an Instagram picture with blue and white tiles that got me thinking, why not make some blue and white coasters out of Mexican tiles?! And that’s how this project was started!

Here is what you’ll need:

Supplies needed

  • Tiles
  • Cork Sheets
  • Acrylic Paint
  • Hot Glue

How to Make Them:

Step 1: Purchase Desired Tiles

Fine Crafts & Imports has a great selection of Talavera Mexican tiles at great prices ($1.30 each)! You could use multiples of the same style but I decided to make every coaster different by ordering 8 different style tiles. That’s another thing I love about the blue and white ceramics, you can mix all kinds of patterns and it works!

Supplies needed

Step 2: Paint Tile Edges

These tiles are gorgeous and so fun but the sides are rough and unfinished because they’re typically not used alone. I took acrylic paint and painted the edges of all the tiles to give them a more finished appearance and you would have never known they didn’t come that way. I just used whatever color was used on the edge of the tile to make it look as natural as possible.
If any paint gets on the top of the tile, just wipe it off with your finger and it comes right off! Did I mention how much I’m loving working with these tiles? They’re so easy to work with!

Mexican tile edge painting

Step 3: Prep Cork Backing

The tiles are rough on the bottom and need some sort of backing/cushion to protect them from scratching the surfaces they’re used on. I picked up these thin cork sheets from Michaels and it is perfect for this! The tiles are slightly larger than 4×4 so I marked and cut the cork sheet into 4×4 squares.

Corking Mexican tiles

Step 4: Glue Cork Backing

Then all you need to do is glue the cork to the tiles. I used hot glue but any glue will work. Apply glue to the edges and around the center of the cork and place the cork on the bottom of the tile. Press to flatten and secure the cork backing and then flip the tile over and apply pressure.
Note: If you are using hot glue, make sure to apply the glue to the cork, not the tile. I applied the glue to the tile the first time and it cools immediately causing problems securing the cork backing.

Mexican tile cork gluing

That is all!! I’m in love! These will be perfect accent pieces in the living room and wherever they may be used to tie in the “blue willow” ceramics I’m using throughout the house!

DIY Mexican tile coaster

DIY Mexican tile coaster

This blog post was created for the Landeelu blog. You can view the original post here.

Hamby blog profile picI’m Courtney, from The Hamby Home blog. I am a wife and mother of two fur-babies and marketing coordinator by occupation. I have lived in Alabama my entire life. I have always had a love for DIY and frugal home décor projects and that’s usually what you’ll find me doing during my free time. I am a bargain hunter, trash-to-treasure lover and thrifting enthusiast that’s just trying to create a beautiful home on a small budget.

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Different Tile Options For Your Home

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mexican-tile (1)Tile can be a great flooring choice for almost any room in your home. Tile is durable, scratch-, fire- and water-resistant, and easy to clean. Depending on the function of your room, you’ll want to choose a different kind of tile. Here are a few things to consider when picking your tile flooring, and some of the tile options available.

Roughness

It’s important to look at the tile’s roughness before you buy, as this is the quality that determines how slip-proof it is. Baths and kitchens are two of the most important rooms in the house that require tile that is non-slip. Slip-resistant tile is treated with an abrasive material to roughen up the surface, thus making it safer to step on.

Hardness

Some tiles are harder than others, and can stand heavier traffic without wearing down or breaking. The Porcelain Enamel Institute has the following five hardness ratings:

Group I, Light Traffic: good for home bathrooms, where bare feet or socks are norm.
Group II, Medium Traffic: good for home interiors other than kitchen and entryways.
Group III, Medium-Heavy Traffic: any home interior.
Group IV, Heavy Traffic: any home interior and light commercial areas
Group V, Extra Heavy Traffic: can be used anywhere.

Porosity
Porosity is the measure of how water absorbent a tile is. If a tile is not absorbent, it means it is water proof. This is the tile you want to use in baths and kitchens. The porosity ratings are:

Impervious (least absorbent)
Vitreous
Semi-vitreous
Non-vitreous (most absorbent)

Types of Tile
There are countless different types of tiles to choose from. Here are just some of the basic kinds.

Brick – Brick is a good choice for rustic home designs and is usually used in outdoor spaces.

Ceramic – Ceramic tiles are treated in one of two ways, glazed and unglazed. Glazed tile has a glassy surface and comes in more varied and brighter colors. It is also more stain resistant, but not slip-proof. Unglazed ceramic tile is rougher and its color is already present during firing. Unglazed tile need sealant to help with stain resistance.

Porcelain – Porcelain tile is very dense and resistant to moisture.

Saltillo – Also called Mexican tile, this type of tile is air dried, giving it a unique look. However, the exposure makes it softer than other tile and less durable.

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Mexican Tile: A Quick Guide for an Amazing Tile!

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mexican-tileIf you like color, and art, and design, you’ll love Mexican tile. With a deep rich history and deep rich colors these tiles are truly works of art. Read on and find out why.

Mexican tile, also known as Talavera Mexican Tile, has been made in Mexico since the 16th century. These ceramic tiles are actually hand-made and hand-painted. The style is a mixture of the local Mexican influence and that of the Spaniards who brought with them the wheel and tin based glaze method. The name Talavera comes from the Spanish town of Talavera de la Reina, well-known for its tile work and pottery. The majority of Mexican tile historically has been made in the Mexican state of Puebla. This is due to the fact that not only did this area have an abundance of churches and monasteries in need of tiles, but it also had an abundance of excellent clay. The hallmark of Mexican tile is its deep rich color. Originally, tiles of this type were only blue (cobalt blue) and white. This was because not only was this blue a stunning color, but because it was a very expensive pigment at the time. And by using this expensive pigment the artisans were ensuring the authenticity of the tile to the consumer. However, later on, several more colors were added. Technically true Mexican tile can only have six colors, these are: blue, violet, orange, black, green, and yellow. They can be distinguished from the machine-made tiles because they have a high gloss finish and a raised design. Currently there are only a few workshops in Mexico which offer true Talavera tile.

Mexican tiles have quite a few advantages over normal machine-made ceramic tiles. Firstly, they are much cheaper than normal ceramic tiles, in many cases half the price. They also are handmade, which makes them unique and individual works of art. Their colors can also bring warmth to any room or space. And, they are very easy to clean. The only disadvantages being that in some areas they may not be easy to find locally, and must be ordered online. Also being a little more fragile than other types of tiles, it would be a smart idea to order a few extra to compensate for breakage. But that being said it’s always smart to buy a few extra anyway no matter what type of tile you are installing in case you need them in the future.

Mexican tiles can be used in many ways. Because their colors are so bold, they are typically used for adding color to a room, or creating an interesting focal point. Interesting, not only because of their colors, but because of the fact that there are so many designs. These hand painted designs range from animals such as birds, and lizards, to ornate geometric patterns and shapes. These designs, and warm colors go well in any room of the house and can be used to make a kitchen or bathroom backsplash to even a fireplace surround with a Mexican feel.

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