Mosaic Garden Art

Materials:

24" round 3/4" pressboard or plywood
ceramic tile:
- colored tiles to break up for background
- three-dimensional tiles to set as focus pieces
flat marbles
tile adhesive
tile grout
grout sealer
polyurethane
hammer
towel
grout float
protective glasses
bucket of water
rubber gloves
butter knife
sponge
foam brush
black spray paint
jigsaw - optional
eye protection

1. Either purchase or cut a 24-inch round 3/4-inch thick piece of plywood or pressboard with a jigsaw. Spray paint the bottom and sides to protect the surface and for a clean finish (figure A). Let dry.

2. Break up the mosaic tiles with a hammer for the background pieces. Place the tiles on a towel on a hard surface. Cover the tile with part of the towel and break tiles into smaller pieces with a hammer. Wear saftey glasses to protect the eyes.

3. Lay out the mosaic garden tiles on the 24-inch round. Try different designs, colors, arrangements, until a preferred design is created. Place marbles in the center of the piece.

4. Glue down the mosaic tiles by beginning with the larger three-dimensional tile pieces. Apply the adhesive on the back of the tiles with a butter knife (figure B) and then place the tile in the desired position. Lightly press down on the tile to make sure it is set (figure C). Remove any extra adhesive with a paper towel.

5. After the larger mosaic pieces are set, work from the center and set the small broken tile pieces (figure D). Let set for at least 24 hours before grouting.

6. Add a signature by placing initials/name in a special place (figure E).

7. Mix the powdered, sanded grout in a bucket with water, making sure the consistency is that of moist cake batter. Let it set for approximately 10 minutes.

10. Seal the grout with grout sealer. Spread sealer over the grouted areas with a foam brush. Make sure all the grout is covered. Let dry and reapply. To test the sealer, drop a few drops of water on the piece, if it bubbles up the sealer is working.

11. Seal the plywood with a waterproof sealer or polyurethane.

Place the mosaic art piece in a special area in your garden.

We apologize no further information is available for Elizabeth Brown.