How to Remodel Storage Containers
Storage containers of all shapes and sizes are truly a perfect fit for a weekend up-cycling project. Trendy, eco-friendly for being kept out of the local land fill and delightfully easy to work with, remodeling a simple storage container into a mosaic work of art gives you almost instant gratification in a job well done while extending the life and beauty of the object.
Items Needed:
- One or more storage containers
- Bucket of hot soapy water and scrubbing sponge
- Bucket of clean cold water
- Drill and drill bits
- Rough 100-gauge sandpaper
- Outdoor grout mix
- Mosaic tiles
- Tile cutter
- Tile file
- Clean soft sponge
- Small trowel
- Medium tipped Sharpie marker
- Inexpensive craft projector
- Children’s garden coloring book (optional)
Instructions:
- Thoroughly wash your container inside and out with warm soapy water and allow it to dry. Drill drainage holes into the bottom of the container with a drill bit and sand down any sharp edges.
- Sketch out a master design of a cheerful bunch of flowers or a chosen vegetable on to a piece of paper. You can also use simple designs from a child’s coloring book. Make sure you have an appropriate design for each side of the container. Transfer the designs directly onto the container using a simple craft projector and a medium tipped sharpie permanent marker.
- Trace the larger designs back on to several pieces of kitchen wax paper and use them as your tile guides. Trim and place your chosen tiles on the wax paper designs to get a feel for how they will look. Play with different color arrangements until you come up with one you enjoy.
- Mix a small batch of outdoor grout according to the manufactures specifications outlined on the back of the packaging. If your grout seems too watery, add more grout in a ½ cup at a time using the measuring device provided with the grout inside the packaging. If your grout is too thick, add a scant ½ cup of water, a little at a time to thin the grout enough to be workable.
- Transfer your tiles onto the storage container by laying down a thin layer of grout on the surface of the storage container with your small art trowel, working in one small section at a time, and pressing your tiles into the grout following your master tile layouts on the wax paper.
- Allow the tiles to set firmly in the grout before completely covering the surface of the tiles with an even layer of grout, wiping it gently with a sponge to get the grout into the spaces created by the tiles while getting the grout off the tiles themselves.
- Allow to dry and follow up with several washings with a damp sponge and cold water to clear all grout from your tiles.