Once upon a time, we were renters. Every place we lived in belonged to someone else. The color and interest we had were from fabrics and furniture. I could not wait until we had our own place so we could add and change color whenever we pleased!
One of the first projects for my kitchen when we moved in nine years ago was a backsplash. There was originally nothing behind the sink except wall. The paint was peeling and just kind of nasty. I had been collecting different colors of florist marbles and the two came together one night in a stroke of inspiration. It’s been about eight years now and the backsplash still looks as good as it did then!
D-I-Why? Well, because it’s my house and I can!
© Jennifer Ofenstein
http://www.sewhooked.org
● Florist marbles (flat on one side), washed and dried
● Tile Adhesive in a tube
● Pre-mixed grout
● Sponge
● Grout Sealant
● Latex Gloves (optional)
1. Scrub off loose paint with a dry brush.
2. Using tile adhesive and marbles of your color choice (the amount depends on the size of your space), apply in a pattern or design pleasing to you, leaving a small (about 1/4″) gap between marbles.
3. Allow to dry according to label instructions.
4. Using fingertips (with latex gloves if you like), apply premixed grout. It only takes a small amount. This and the adhesive can be found in the flooring department of your local home improvement store.
5. Smooth grout until it fills all the gaps.
6. Following manufacturer’s instruction, use a damp sponge to wipe grout from marbles.
7. After proper drying time, apply a grout sealer, following manufacturer’s instructions. It’ll make your grout last longer and help it stay cleaner.
Additional information: The window surround is not grouted. The windowsill was contoured using Plaster of Paris to make it look more like stone. This was painted over with the same color as the wall paint.
The beautiful stained glass was made by my mother-in-law, Carol Ofenstein.
This is part of my “Way Back Craft” series’; patterns, crafts, tutorials and general crafty memories before the days of the blog.
also published on cut out + keep
Sewhooked 
