Anyone can make gorgeous mosaics, no matter what your artistic skill level. By using some
imagination and creativity you can create stunning objects or functional pieces for your
home. Mosaics allow you to decorate furniture or create totally abstract pieces of art.

The basic method for all mosaics is the same, a collection of small pieces are set into
grout on a suitable base. Throughout this explanation we shall refer to ‘grout’ and ‘tesserae’.

‘Grout’ is the cement like substance that you use to fill the gaps between the tesserae
and make the surface level while strengthening the mosaic at the same time.

‘Tesserae’ are the individual parts that together make the mosaic. Tesserae historically
was made from small square pieces of ceramic but today they can be anything from ceramic
to rubber, wood, glass, metal, old plates, buttons and more. Mosaic supplies you may need:

Tesserae
Tile cutter for cutting large ceramic tiles
Two wheeled nippers used to shape the tesserae
Glass cutter for cutting mirrors or glass panels
Heavy duty gloves as protection while cutting glass
Protective clear safety goggles for when you are cutting/breaking tiles
Surgical gloves to keep your hands clean while applying the grout
A hammer for breaking up irregular shaped pottery
Container for mixing the grout in
Jug for water
Something to spread the grout, like a kitchen spatula
An adhesive that will stick ceramics, wood, glass, metal and rubber
Cleaning cloths and sponges, ideally the kind with a rough green side and a soft sponge side
Cement or grout
Sharp knife
Plastic cover to protect working area


You can mosaic practically anything that will stand up to the weight of the grout and
the tesserae. A good way to start is to buy 1/4 inch hard board that has been sealed
for outdoor use, this is very cost effective as a 4x4 feet sheet will only cost about
$4.00. If you want to use furniture try going to your local Goodwill shop where you
can find many pieces of furniture to transform into exquisite works of mosaic art.

Before you can begin, you need to do the following:

1. Check that the surface you are going to use does not have extreme curves, otherwise
the grout will not adhere to the surface.

2. If you are going to use a wood base make sure you score the surfaces to help the
grout fix, this is called applying a ‘tooth’ to the surface.

3. Make sure you seal wooden surfaces with a watered down solution of PVA glue, the
white general purpose glue you can find at any hardware store.

4. Make sure the adhesive you have will work with the combination of tesserae substance
and base substance.

5. Clean the surface thoroughly so the grout can catch.

You can go to your local hobby store and buy pre-made square tesserae made from glass
or ceramics. A cheaper way is to purchase bulk quantities from a wholesaler online.
Another method is to use old broken plates or floor tiles. You can also visit your local
tile shop or tile maker and ask them for any broken or unsellable tiles.  Online sources
are an excellent way to find a large variety of tesserae.  Remember to be imaginative!

Grout is basically the same as cement apart from the type of sand that is used in higher
quality and produces smoother finishes. You can get two types of grout, sanded and smooth.
The sanded grout will give you a coarser finish but will work better when the gaps between
the tesserae are wide. The smooth grout works better for finer details. Grout comes in
all kinds of colors and you can create your own by purchasing white grout and then adding
a pigment or acrylic paint. You can buy grout either premixed or dry from a hobby shop
or anywhere that sells floor tiles/kitchen tiles.

Absolutely anything could inspire you. A walk in the park or city, paintings, television,
advertising or a story. Be open to colors and designs as you go about your daily business.
There are many historical images of mosaics from the Romans to the Mexican Mayas. Try to
make your mosaics original and special to you as this will make them more meaningful and
their appeal will last longer. Remember mosaics will last for a very long time so make it
worth doing.

There are two ways to make mosaics. You can either use the direct grout method or use
adhesive and then grout over the top.  The direct method is quicker best but has the
disadvantage of you not being able to see any pre drawn design on the base. The adhesive
method means you can follow a design but you have more cleaning up to do as you lay the
grout over the tesserae into the gaps.

Before you start, have a design already in your mind or an image as inspiration. After
preparing the base you mix the grout and apply it directly to the base in a small area,
say the size of your hand. You then push the tesserae directly into the grout forming
the pattern or design as you go. Once you have completed the design let it dry and give
the tesserae a quick polish and you are finished.

Draw out the design onto your base and then apply the tesserae one at a time by putting
the adhesive on the tesserae and then attach it to the base. If you have large areas
you can lay down a line of adhesive and then stick the tesserae to this. Once the adhesive
has thoroughly set, mix the grout and push it into the gaps left between the tesserae
using your hand or a spatula. Immediately use a sponge to level of the grout and remove
the excess. Clean the tesserae as well as you can, then leave the mosaic to dry. Once
dry you can use a damp sponge to clean the tesserae. Using some household polish and
lint free cloth, polish until they shine.

When using the grout we would recommend the use of old cloths or an apron to protect
you as grout stains everything it comes in contact with while wet.  Also, old plastic
containers, such as cottage cheese tubs, are excellent for mixing small amounts of grout.
When you're finished just throw the entire tub of unused grout in the garbage.  
NEVER, NEVER put the remaining grout down your sink or garbage disposal!  Trust us on
THIS one!

This has been a very brief description of how to do mosaics but everything you need to
know is included. As a beginner we would recommend the use of pre-made tesserae and flat
board. As you become accustomed to the procedure let your imagination go wild as there
are no boundaries to this fascinating and seductive art form. Most importantly, HAVE FUN!