Tools and materials needed for your
project are a hammer, used plastic bags, a shoebox, liquid
nails, caulking gun, masking tape, rubber gloves, tiles, sanded
grout and a plate. In the near future, you might want to buy a
good tile nipper. I don't use tile nipper very much because I like to
use a hammer to break my tiles.
The first step to create your mosaics is
to decide what is the color theme. Normally, I don't use a lot of colors for my work. After I have the color of tiles selected, I put
them into a shoebox. Then I cover the tiles with a plastic bag
so I can see the pattern while I am breaking them. Sometimes, I
like the pattern very much, so I glue the whole pattern to the
surface without mixing it with tiles of other colors.
If I don't like the pattern, I rearrange
tile pieces into a pattern that I want. After I feel happy with my design, I start
to
glue them. You can also draw your design on to the surface. However, you
need to master the art of tile nipping in order to carry out the design
you drew.
After you finish adhering tiles to
the desired surface, it is best to leave it dry for 24 hours before grouting. Grouting is a
very important part of mosaics making.
It takes practice to get the desired results. Put on gloves
and try to work with small areas at a time.
Grout dries very fast, so pour dry grout
into a small container such as yogurt container, approx 1/2
cup. Add water slowly and stir. With your finger, apply
grout and rub it into the space between tiles. After you have finished
the small areas, take a cloth rag or paper towel to wipe all excess
grout off the title surface. Repeat this grouting procedure
until the entire surface is covered.
Masking tape is used to cover up the
areas that you want to preserve from grouting, so you need to tape those areas before any grouting.
Be patient and keep practicing, you should have a stunning finished
piece. After you master the mosaics projects on flat surface, you might want to create some three dimensional works,
such as flower pots, lamps, or a miniature fountain. They are also
great decorating items for your home.
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