A tile retaining device that secures a tile or other work piece for cutting is disclosed. The tile retaining device can be used in combination with a circular saw, a wet saw, a band saw, or any other type of mechanical cutting or manipulating device. The tile retaining device secures a tile and provides additional surface area for a user to grasp during the cutting process, which can aid in manually manipulating the work piece through a mechanical cutting or manipulating device. The tile retaining device can also provide cutting guides, and can be adaptable to a variety of shapes and sizes of tiles.