I am usually at the Home Decor Forum here at GW but when I learned there was a mosaic forum I figured it best to come here to the pros to get some advice.

I had been looking for 2 years for an affordable pub-style table to fit between two bar-height stools I had found at a yard sale (I don't buy new if I can help it preferring to reuse and re-purpose).
I had recovered the seats to the stools and there they've sat for over 2 years without a table high enough to put between them.....the stools being taller than the normal bar-height stools.

Last week, in the middle of the night I jolted awake with what I thought was a pretty brilliant idea and now I'm stuck.

I took my Grandmother's Floor lamp that I had in storage, waiting for that perfect lamp shade that didn't cost me my first-born son, and cut off the socket and harp section.

What was left was the perfect, heavy, brass base for a pub table.

A $2 flange to secure some left-over thick plywood, cut round, thanks to my hubby and plenty of broken plates and I've got the beginnings of a terrific pub-style table, right?

Wrong...... I'm already stumped and I haven't even started!

I'm not a total beginner to mosaic.
I've added broken china, jewelry, flat-back marbles to terracotta pots, a hose post, clear glass plates etc.

In fact, I've been laying my own tile in our bathrooms, entryway and kitchen for years so I'm familiar with grouting, haze, adhesives, etc.

But this little plywood tabletop has me stumped!

With all the other things I've ever added mosaic to, I've always had an edge, a lip, a baseboard.....something for the stones and tiles to go up against.

What in the world do I add to the side edge of this little pub table?
I know whatever it is, it has to be a bit taller than the top edge to accommodate the tiles and thin-set but for the life of me I can't think of a thing.

I thought about putting the mosaic on the edge but cutting almost perfect rectangle pieces to go around the edge of the plywood....ugh...... and actually, I'd rather have a bit of contrast with a different medium (for lack of a better word) along the edge.

I thought of water heater strapping and hubby said it would look ugly with the holes....anyone would be able to tell it was strapping.

I do a lot of decorative painting/faux finishes so I thought if I painted the strapping to look like ORB or brass like the table, no problemo, right?
Guess not. *sigh*
Hubby finally talked me out of the strapping but now I'm stuck.

Even if it's not the 'norm' for using along the edge of a mosaic table top, Any ideas, any suggestions would be welcome and so appreciated!
Thank you so much for reading.

so here's my advice FWIW, router out the center of this and set in a piece of cement board, lower than the wood so that THAT becomes your rim.

OK, we have the backer board left from our DIY shower re-do.
I finally found the copper strip....almost fell over from sticker shock....but I'll keep looking for a less-expensive seller and I'll also look at the glass and the veneer banding.
I'll have to wait until Saturday for hubby to cut the backer board to replace the plywood but that's ok, I've got plenty to keep me busy today and tomorrow.

I finally got some "me" time late last night to check in here but instead of reading my own post, I ended up reading all your posts.....all the way back to page 11 ! LOL
The creativity on this board...OMG, I am in total jaw-dropping AWE!''

I would have been here two days ago but my darling daughter called me from work.
"Mom, the DM no longer wants to hassle with the little garden set-up and he's about ready to dump ALL the plants...do you want them? They are all almost dead as nobody here knows how to take care of them properly but maybe you can save a few of them?"

Well, judging from the posts I read here last night, some of you will understand how I could Not turn down free plants! The fact that someone was throwing away semi-live plants was to me, almost sinful. :)
Daughter brought the plants home.......6 of those black lattice-type crates, full of geraniums, ivy geraniums, impatiens (both sun and shade varieties) double impatiens, some herbs (chive, mint, basil), a couple 6-packs of tomato plants (cherry), two 6-packs of blue alyssum and even a couple jalapeno plants! LOL

The last couple days I've been knee-deep in fresh potting mix, sand, peat, pots, cutting back, transplanting......
It looks like all the geraniums (both types) will make it and it also looks like the impatiens will come back. I'll baby the rest and see what happens.
Pics of plants, before daughter's car was completely unloaded.

Back to mosaics!
After reading here for hours last night, I could feel the caring, the encouragement, the genuine concern you regulars have for each other AND for anyone that comes here for the first time with a questions. I could tell through your words that you WANT newbies to mosaic/stained glass to succeed. Simply Amazing...all of you!

I also gathered from reading past posts that there is a lot of DIY going on with many of you.
That's been the story of my life for over 30 years of marriage........
Raising 5 kids, there was just never enough funds to have things done so we'd head to the library, learn what we could, then do it ourselves.
Never are our DIY projects professional-looking, but they are passable, safe, we've saved a ton of $$$ and we usually get compliments....at least on our creativity. LOL
Our home, when we purchased it in 1981, was the drug house of the neighborhood and had been on the market for almost two years.
With the exception of the new roof and enlarging and moving the electrical box to the other side of the house, everything else has been done by us.....a real Laurel and Hardy experience each and every time. LOL

Since it looks like I'm going to be hanging around this forum for awhile (I have an old, round, iron bistro table I want to tile and I'm sure I'll be needing lots of help from all of you) I thought I give you a link to my Trash to Treasures album....give you an idea who I am, what I do and how I'd rather reuse and re-purpose than buy it new (what can I say...I got used to being cheap and old habits are hard to break lol).

I so look forward to getting to know you all better and again, Thank you all so much for your responses to my question and making me feel so welcomed!