Make Your Own Hand Painted Tile Murals

The heat set method is for painting ceramic tiles that are not yet installed. Here is what you will need to get started:

• Liquitex Glossies (in your choice of colors)
  
• Paint brushes
  
• Rubbing alcohol
  
• Paper Towels
  
• Cookie Sheet
  
• Oven

See, that list isn't too long - I told you this was going to be easy...

First off, you will need to clean the tiles. Use mild dish detergent and warm water, then follow up with rubbing alcohol. If you do not have rubbing alcohol on hand, you can use a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar. Blot the tiles dry with a paper towel. After cleaning, avoid touching the tiles.

Next, it's time to paint! Liquitex Glossies are very easy to work with. They can be mixed together to create custom colors. And oops, if you make a mistake or something just doesn't look right, you can correct it by wiping with a damp rag if the paint is still wet. Already dry? Just paint over it. It doesn't get any easier than that!

Important! Allow the tiles to completely dry. If you try to hurry the process and put them in the oven before they are dry, the paint may not set right and you will have to start from scratch.

Once the paint has completely dried, place the tiles on a cookie sheet and put in a cold oven. Do not preheat the oven - we're not making cookies here! Set the temperature of the oven to 325 degrees, and "bake" the tiles for 45 minutes. When the tiles are finished baking, turn off the oven, open the door, and let the tiles slowly cool.

After the tiles have cooled, test the finish by lightly scratching with your fingernail. If the paint can be scratched, increase either the drying time or the baking time. If you are happy with the result, install the tiles using a non-abrasive acrylic tile grout. The tiles can be clenaed with a mild dish detergent and warm water - no abrasive cleaners.

The air dry method requires a little more work, but it is well worth it if you want to paint on tiles that are already installed. Here is what you will need:

• Delta Air Dry PermEnamel paint (in your choice of colors)
  
• Delta PermEnamel Surface Conditioner
  
• Delta PermEnamel Glaze
  
• Paint brushes

That's it - really!

First, clean the tiles with mild dish detergent and warm water. DO NOT use glass cleaner, vinegar, or any other additives on the tiles - just soap and water here.

Allow to air dry, and then apply Delta PermEnamel Surface Conditioner with a clean, dry paintbrush. The conditioner has a life of four hours, so apply only to areas that can be painted within that time frame. The conditioner will leave a film on the tiles. Do not wipe off this film. It contains the bonding agents needed to make the paint permanent.

After the conditioner has had time to evaporate, paint the tiles using Delta Air Dry PermEnamel paint. One word of caution - this paint does not mix well with water. Do not use water to dilute the paint, and make sure the brush is completely dry if water is used to rinse it.

If you make a mistake, no problem! Wait until the paint dries, reapply the surface conditioner, allow to evaporate, and then repaint.

Allow the paint to completely dry, then apply PermEnamel Glaze to protect the tile finish. Apply at least two coats of glaze and allow one hour of dry time between applications.

The bad news - the tile needs to air dry for ten full days before the paint is considered permanent. No water or other liquid should come in contact with the tiles during this time. Once cured, tiles can be washed with warm water and a mild dish detergent - no abrasive cleaners.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is a great (and inexpensive!) way to create custom tile murals. Although both methods are considered permanent, you may want to seek out other alternatives if the tiles will be repeatedly exposed to hot water, or if they will be used in areas of heavy traffic.