An '80s DIY Project: Marble Tile Art

An ’80s-style DIY project

Remember our ‘80s-style gift wrap tutorial? Today we take one of our favorite ingredients—marble-pattern contact paper–and use it to embellish a series of tiles for a geometric statement with retro style! Our inspiration: bank and hotel lobbies of the 1980s , as well as solid marble platters from Stone Theatre, which are a part of Darkroom‘s amazing So Sottsass collection. Read on for more details…

Let’s start with the marble platters that we couldn’t help but emulate (pictured below). I have to make one thing clear: this DIY project does not create and end product that is food-safe. If you want gorgeous, high quality trays created by talented artisans, buy them from Darkroom!!! You can read more about the So Sottsass collection this blog post.

Marble platters with ’80s style

But if you’re looking for a super-affordable way to create a series of tiles that you can display in your home, this project is a step in the right direction. Start with the tiles–I purchased mine from Lowe’s. While it may be difficult to find individual marble tiles for sale, you can always purchase small ceramic tiles (which work just as well for this project)…

Ceramic and marble tiles

Here’s what you’ll need for the project…

the tile of your choice
marble-pattern contact paper
scissors
a ruler

DIY project supplies

Step 1: Use a ruler to measure the dimensions of your tile.

Step 2: Cut out a piece of contact paper that is exactly the same size as the tile you wish to embellish.

Measure and cut…

Step 3: Cut the piece of contact paper into two pieces. You might choose to cut along a diagonal or take a linear approach. Both strategies work equally well!

Cutting the contact paper into sections

Step 4: Pull sticky contact paper from its backing and position it onto the tile. It might take a few tries to get the placement just right. Don’t worry–the paper is easy to remove, so do-overs are perfectly OK!

Small marbleized tiles

Embellish a variety of tiles! They are particularly impressive when displayed in a group, as shown below…

Display your tiles in a group

Can you tell which “marble” section is paper and which is actual stone? Up close you kind of can… but don’t let that stop you. It’s actually quite fun to have variety when it comes to the shine factor. I like the the contrast between the matte paper and the glossy tile!

Geometric marble tiles

The large tiles are great for leaning against the back of a shelf, while the smaller ones nicely fit into plate holders for display purposes. Not to mention, the petite tiles make great gifts!