Colour is the focus with these 100mm, hand-painted tiles.

They're backed with fibre cement board to make hanging easy. Don't make your panel too big, remember tiles are heavy.

You'll need:
Fibre cement board
1 length of 50x19mm batten
4 lengths of 65x12mm maple (for frame)
Screws
Basic carpentry tools: hammer, nails, spirit level, tape measure, screwdriver, circular saw
Construction adhesive
Premixed cement tile adhesive (if your panel will get wet)
Buckets (several) for mixing adhesive and water
Notched trowel (4.5 or 6mm for flat back tiles, 10mm for tiles with ribs or lugs)
Nylon spacing crosses
Black paint
Grout
Sponge and rubber squeegee (for applying grout)

Here's how:
1. Choose a tile and make the panel a multiple of the tile size: this panel is 700mmx700mm.

2. If you're hanging the panel on a wall, use a circular saw to undercut a 50x19mm batten at an angle of about 15 degrees. Glue and screw it to the top of the backing board with the angled cut at the bottom. Keep the offcut. Write "top" on the front of the board.

3. Set out the tiles in the pattern you want. Write the colour on the back of each one, then record it on a grid drawn up on the board, so you know where everything goes.

4. If the panel will not get wet, glue the tiles with a construction adhesive for both timber (particle board or MDF) and ceramic. This adhesive stays slightly flexible and is a non-messy option for small projects.

If the panel will get wet, use fibre cement board and a premixed ceramic tile adhesive. Apply four dobs of adhesive and position each tile centrally in its square. Gently press into place. Let set for 24 hours.

5. Cut the maple for the frame. Mitre the corners and glue and nail the frame to the board. Paint it black with an oil-based paint. Let it dry.

6. Try out your grout colour on a spare tile first - some tiles absorb the grout into the fine crazing. (We used grey.)

7. For a wall panel, screw the batten offcut to the wall studs or brickwork and hang the panel in its place.

Source: Tiling (Murdoch Books)