A lot op people think that the art of mosaic is very hard to do and only reserved for real artists. But the opposite is actually true. It is not hard at al . All it takes is a little patience. Just follow the steps explained here.
- Choose your surface. first you need to decide what it is you want to make. This can be all sorts of things. You can decorate a flower pot or a large plate to use as a table piece. You can also re-vamp an old side table by covering the surface with a beautiful pattern made from Mosaic tiles.
2.
Choose your pattern. You can choose either a simple pattern containing only square tiles, but it
is also possible to chose a more difficult pattern to portray for example, an animal. This will
require you to cut the square tiles to fit the pattern. It is easy to search the internet for nice
templates and graphics to use. If you are good at imitating a picture just by looking at it you will
just need an example, but you can also choose to draw your pattern on your project with pencil.
This will provide you with guidelines while you work.
3.
Choose your colors. You can choose any color you like, but make sure that the combinations
do match on a certain level.
4.
Collect your supplies. You will be needing the following things to create your project:
1. your surface
2. sufficient tiles in your chosen colors
3. crafting glue you use to stick the tiles on the surface
4. a tile cutter, if you need to cut tiles to fit the pattern
4. grout to fill in the creases between the tiles
5. lacquer paint to seal off your project
All of these products can be found in our store.
Tip: There are 2 types of cutters. One is especially designed to cut glass, the other to cut tiles.
So make sure you get the right one. When trying to cut glass with a tile-cutter , it will break!
5.
Getting started. Start by drawing your patterns on your surface if necessary. Before you start
sticking the tiles on the surface, it is better to lay out the tiles on your surface first. This way you can check the spacing between tiles and you can count out the tiles you will need to make it al
fit together.
Once you've done that you can start sticking the tiles on the surface with the glue. It is easiest to
to work in steps. So first apply the glue to a small piece or line on your surface, you don't need
to put any glue on the tiles, and then start sticking the tiles on the surface in the right order. Don't
worry if you make a mistake, the glue is still wet so you can still move the tiles around.
Keep repeating this step until your whole surface is covered.
Tip: Make sure that you leave at least a few millimeters of space between each tile, this will
make the grouting process easier and the result better. The larger the gap between tiles the
more visible the grout will be, which can give a nice effect.
6.
Almost done. Once you've let the glue dry, your ready for the grouting process.
Follow the instruction on the package for preparing the grout. Make sure that it
is not too runny
but also not to thick , it should be a bit like a toothpaste.
When applying the grout use gloves and make sure
you press the grout in al the gaps and corners,
so you fill al the crevices with grout.
When your whole surface is filled with grout wipe of
the excess making sure that al the tiles are visible .
Let dry.
Tip: Most grouts are white or gray but that doesn't
mean your bound to using these colors. You can easily color your grout by adding a bit of
paint or dye to the mixture. This way for example you can get black or terra-cotta grout just
by adding the right colors.
7.
Finishing touches. Sometimes when you use white grout the result can look too sterile, to clean.
When you want a more authentic look you can always choose to stain the grout with an aging
medium. Other times white works!
Now when your completely satisfied with your project the last thing you need to do is seal it off
with some lacquer paint or spray. This makes it easier to clean and preserves your
masterpiece.
