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Mosaics are very easy to do, creative and fun. Few tools are necessary and for the most part the craft itself is pretty inexpensive. I warn you now.........it's addictive.
You can use:
- broken plates
- glass
- broken tiles
- beads
- pieces of metal, copper, silver or brass
You can make a completely random design or plan it out by drawing it out first. You basically need a surface to work on, usually something rigid and free of dirt or grime. Examples: clay pots, wood (seal it first), a cement slab, glass or even ceramic.
Tools and supplies:
- Welbond is a great adhesive that most professionals use. The craft stores also carry tile adhesive especially made for mosaics. I've also used Elmers white glue and that worked fine for me.
- Tile nippers. You can find these at Home Depot, Lowe's or craft stores like JoAnn's & Michael's.
- Your broken tile or glass. I'm lucky in that I have tons of glass at home that I cut myself into any shape. I checked on Ebay and many people sell little glass squares of glass by the pound. They seem to run about $10.00 and up for a pound or two. You can also get an old thrift store plate, a towel and a hammer. Place your towel over the plate and smash away. This technique can also be used with tiles.
- Grout- I buy in the home improvement store. It comes in many colors so take your pick.
This piece I recently finished for my good friend for her birthday. I thought she would like this to put out on her porch. The design is totally random. I placed the flower pieces in the middle and just randomly placed the rest of the glass tile around until I came to the end where I placed a border.
I decided to make a table in this case so before applying any tile I sprayed the pine with a sealer first. I learned this lesson years ago after making a larger table mosaic. A few days after it was completed it warped like a potato chip. Apparently the water that was in the grout absorbed into the wood. You live and learn..............................
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Sealer is a good tip. I like your table. I'm inspired to try it myself.
ReplyDeletedebmc:
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. I figured out that the table needed sealer the hard way. I definately learn from my mistakes! I hope you give it a try. It's a lot of fun to do.
Very nice, I'm burning to make a table with mosaics as well.
ReplyDeleteLooks great and hard
ReplyDeleteI love your table! I"m getting ready to do my first mosaic top for a table in my art studio I'm glad you talked about sealer, cause I hadn't thought about that yet! So, what kind of sealer did you use?
ReplyDeleteDawn,
ReplyDeleteI just used a spray, clear polyurethane. A couple of coats.
That should do it!
Christy
Your post has inspired my first DIY project! Thank you! Question - did you have an issue applying grout at the very edge of the table?
ReplyDeleteThat is great to hear, Staci! I did not have an issue on the edges. I used a wet finger to smooth out the grout. Just be careful because the pieces are sharp.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting the site!
Fantastic (and thanks for the tip)! I'll send you a picture once it's finished!
ReplyDeleteStaci,
ReplyDeleteI would love that!!! and I'll post it!
Christy
Beautiful job! I have been doing this stuff for about twenty years. I recommend using a two part epoxy mix to keep 'em glued down forever.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the advice. I'll try that out. Love doing mosaics!!
ReplyDeleteI want to make a mosaic inside a birdbath. Is this possible? Will the tiles adhere if they are in water?
ReplyDeleteYes, you can!! Just make sure that your birdbath is "sealed" first. You can use a commercial sealer of 1/2 water and 1/2 Elmer's Glue. Also, use a water resistant glue for adhering the tile.
DeleteMy advice is to google your project first. You will get many great ideas on sealing the project first.
Good luck!!
Hi Christy thought this would be a great vacation project for the kids, I am confused about the edges though, I have a large table for outside and I am thinking the edges would go higher than the table.
ReplyDeleteGretchen,
ReplyDeleteOn this particular table, the tile comes up to the edge. If children are doing this project make sure you have some sort of trim around the table so it isn't sharp. If you had them do a square table, you could add trim to the perimeter and have the kids do the mosaic inside the trim. That would be safer. You only need the trim if your table is made with glass. If you use seashells it won't be a problem. With no trim, the ends can be sharp. Hope this helps.