Tile Board Pictures
Free Lesson
Brenda Oveson ©2003
Okay, you've surely seen the tile boards pictures that are all the rage...right?  I've added complete instructions for this wonderfully novel craft idea!  Enjoy!

I worked at a local craft store as the art manager for almost 8 years and have made many tile board samples.  Our customers wanted detailed instructions to take home, so I put this information together for them. I've added it to my website in response to requests from customers wanting to share it with friends and family.  So here it is...enjoy!
If you share this with groups, please include copyright info.

A word about the pictures:  In choosing your picture, if you choose to use ones that have faces on them, make sure you can get the whole face on one tile.  Choose a paint color that will compliment your picture, and not stand out too much.  Pictures may be calendars, greeting cards, drawings, stickers, or other works of art and even fabric.  Use your imagination!  When using original photographs, you might want to seal it with a spray sealer specifically for photographs to ensure that the colors don’t become muddled or bleed.  For color copies, or items printed on your home ink jet printer, make sure you definitely use a spray sealer, such as Krylon Acrylic Matte sealer, Krylon Workable Fix-it, etc.  Don’t use a spray polyurethane…it will turn yellow.  Always spray your item with a couple of light coats instead of one heavy one.

Instructions:

1.  Lightly sand the tile board if needed and use tack cloth to wipe away dust.  Our tile boards will not need to be sanded.  But do use a tack cloth.

2.  Paint inside each groove and up onto the tile sections about 1/2” with paint. (If you are planning on using a thinner piece of paper, paint the entire board since the Enviro-Tex will make the paper slightly transparent and you may see the partially painted section under the paper.)

3.   Place your picture on the tile board to get an idea of whether or not it will fit when cut apart.

4.  Turn your picture upside-down and lay the tile board on top of it.  Mark on the picture with a pencil exactly on the INSIDE edge of each groove as shown.

5.  Use a ruler to line up the marks and draw a line grid as shown.

6.  Cut your picture apart.

7.  Lay your picture pieces on the tile board and adjust the sizes.  You will lose some of your picture on each of the outside edges. The inside edges will never be perfect the first time.  The easiest way to trim is to lay each piece on its proper tile and rub your finger around each edge creating a crease.  Use scissors to trim along the crease.  Place the piece on the board again and make sure it fits properly.  It might help to number the back of the picture sections to make it easier to put back together.  Also, write the word “top” on tile board to ensure that you are putting the pieces back to the exact section you trimmed it to.

8.   Glue each piece in its proper place with a glue stick making sure that edges and corners are well glued.  I have found that the Elmer’s Craftbond Extra Strength Glue Stick seems to work best.  Some have used rubber cement and others modge podge.

9. Take the glass and staples that hold the backing out of the frame.  Set aside.  You may use the frame as is or paint it to match your picture.

10. Set your tile picture on 4 paper cups with cardboard underneath to catch drips.

11.  Mix the Enviro-Tex as per product instructions in box.  Please read the complete product instructions before mixing to familiarize yourself!  Refer to chart for approximate amounts to use. Stir for several minutes.  The most common mistake is not stirring well and not long enough.  You picture will not set up, and will never harden completely if it’s not COMPLETELY stirred and mixed.

12.  Pour mixed product onto tile board slowly.  There will be bubbles and they will begin to pop on their own.  You can exhale across the board to help the bubbles pop.  Softly blowing through a straw works great!  Just be sure to point your straw away from your project occasionally and blow the accumulated moisture out.  Otherwise you may get tiny drips of saliva here and there on your project.  If that does happen, touch the moisture droplets lightly with your finger and it will lift off.  You can also use a blow dryer on warm or hot setting, but be careful not to blow lint onto the project.  The product instructions suggest using a propane torch.  Please use this at your own risk.

13.  Let your picture drip for about 30 minutes and then while it is still wet, set the frame onto the tile board.  It will dry right to the board for hanging later. (Note: test the frame on your board BEFORE pouring the Enviro-Tex to make sure it fits.)

14. The product will continue to drip through the grooves for awhile.  This is normal.  It is a self-leveling product so make sure your tile board is on a level surface.

15.  It will take several hours to dry, so try not to move it if possible.  You might want to set a box over it to keep dust or lint from settling on it while wet.

16.  I have also found it helpful to put masking tape around outside of back edges of tile board and frame so that when the drips harden, you can later pull the tape off along with the drips.

Tile Board Size

EnviroTex To Use

All amounts are approximate!

5X7

1 ½ oz of each bottle

8X10

2 oz of each bottle

10X13

3 oz of each bottle

11X14

3 ½ of each bottle

The information on this project sheet is presented in good faith, but no warranty is given, nor results guaranteed.  Since we have no control over physical conditions surrounding the applications of information herein contained.  Ben Franklin Crafts and Brenda Ann Oveson disclaims any liability for untoward results.  Follow Manufacturer’s instructions in using paints and other materials, keeping them out of reach of children, since some may be toxic, or otherwise cause injury.