It’s OK to admit it: you’ve fallen out of love. Your Field of Daisies yellow kitchen has withered away to a Dingy Dandelion in the last ten years and now looks more shabby than chic. But your pocketbook is still feeling the pinch from the new flat-screen in the living room. Breaking up with your home isn’t an option, but breaking up the monotony is. Creating a unique, do-it-yourself mosaic is an inexpensive way to bring a little life back into your relationship with your home, giving a whole new meaning to home improvement.

Consider the following helpful tips when crafting your mosaic masterpiece:

1

Stake out your space. Homemade mosaics aren’t just for kitchen backsplashes anymore. While great as a kitchen countertop backdrop, a custom mosaic can be an inexpensive way to liven up any lackluster room. That side wall in the bathroom, blank white space on the stairwell or outdated ceiling border in the dining room are all great places to create a mosaic update.

2

Be creative. This isn’t your grandmother’s mosaic…or maybe it is. Don’t limit yourself to store-bought tiles or materials when the damaged china you inherited from Grandma is collecting dust in the attic. Recycle the family heirloom and make it a permanent feature in your home. Other possible materials include glass tiles, mirrored glass, flat stones, glass or stone coasters, or original material of your choice.

3

Be thrifty. If your grandma didn’t give you plates or teacups, find somebody else’s. Garage sales or thrift stores are great places to find cheap ceramics, leftover floor tiles and old full-length mirrors begging to be reused. Otherwise, expect to pay between $3 and $7 per square foot for tile at your local home improvement store.

4

Be prepared. It takes more than an imagination to create a visual masterpiece. It also takes tools. In addition to the mosaic material of your choice, you will need tile adhesive, grout, tile snips or a hammer, a large sponge, a trowel and a grout float. Other useful supplies most likely lying around the house include a bucket and water, a writing utensil, and paper or cardboard.

5

Make a plan…or don’t. Having creative control over a mosaic is a dream for some, a nightmare for others. After breaking the tiles, glass or other ceramics with a hammer or tile snips (using safety precautions when working with sharp materials, of course). Spontaneous home designers should feel free to begin gluing in any pattern, trying to keep the pieces between 1/4 and 1/2 inch apart. For more deliberate creators, experts recommend measuring the dimensions of the space and, using a large sheet of paper or cardboard, making a template of the area. Arrange the mosaic pieces on the template and, once finished, transfer them to the space. It also might be easy to follow a pattern seen in a magazine, book or online.

6

Do the work. It’s fun to cut tile and cut costs, but try not to cut corners during application. After gluing the tiles pieces to the surface, wait 24 hours before grouting. Prepare the grout according to the product’s instructions, mixing well. Use a grout float to spread the grout evenly over the materials, and adjust the amount according to your desired texture. Wait 15 minutes, and remove excess grout with a damp sponge. After the grout hardens, polish the pieces of your stunning success with a dry towel to remove any film left behind.

7

Admire your creation. Stand back and appreciate all the hard work you’ve put into your project—and stand back just far enough so you can’t see all the little imperfections. Lastly, practice saying “Thank You” in preparation for all the compliments you’re sure to receive on your do-it-yourself mosaic masterpiece.