There's a little table that we use for sorting mail by the entrance to my apartment. The landlord made it from metal table legs (black) and a piece of plywood (frugal, but not pretty).
Tired of it, bored, inspired, whatever...it needed to go.
First, I sponge painted the wood to look like antique grout.
I cut out little paper "chips" or tiles out of different colored and patterned papers. I used scrapbooking paper, but I guess you could use wrapping paper, or the like.
Then, I laid out my chips on a tracing of the piece to be covered so that I could figure out exactly how I wanted them (DON'T sneeze!).
Finally, I individually transferred each chip over to the piece and used varnish to set it into place. I found it easier to transfer them by poking them gently with an exacto (can I say exacto?) knife.
A few more coats of varnish to seal it and you're done.
It absolutely looks like a real tile mosaic. It even feels like tile when you run your finger across it. Not until I pick up the tabletop and show people the underside do they believe that it's not real. You might even sponge another layer of antiquing over the top to further the effect. The possibilities are endless.
It's even cooler because:
1. It's made entirely from things around the house.
2. My ceaseless paper-hoarding has finally paid off!
Sorry if this doesn't make much sense (First post ever)
mock mosaic 
That worked for me!
