Christmas Bauble Mosaic Kit - Design No. 1
Thu, Nov 08, 2018
Mosaic Stones - A Fun Mosaic Project!
Mosaic stones make wonderful Christmas presents as they are quick to make, in-expensive and very unique. They make beautiful paperweights or decorative pieces which will be well received by anyone that receives them.
They are a fantastic project for beginners and experienced mosaicists, as the only aspect that can be challenging is laying the tiles on a curved surface.
Choosing Your Stones
When choosing your stones, they can be of any size. but there are a few things to bear in mind.
- Smaller stones can be difficult to mosaic because the surface area is smaller
- Flatter stones are good to select when starting out or choosing them for kids' projects.
Before you begin ensure your stones are washed and dried thoroughly.
Choosing Your Materials
The Choice of materials is only limited by your imagination. If you plan to have them placed outside than you do need to consider whether the materials will stand up to the elements.
Choosing a theme or colour scheme will help give you some direction with your design before you proceed.
Materials That You Will Need
- Stones to mosaic
- Adhesive
- Outdoors - Cement based adhesive or clear drying liquid nails
- Indoors - Weldbond adhesive (not recommended if your stone is curvy as the tiles may fall off while drying)
- A good selection of Tiles and Materials
- Tile cutters - if you are planning on cutting your tiles
- Grout
Adhering Your Tiles & Materials
It is always a great idea to have some sort of concept in mind before you start. This may be a design based on a colour theme, geometric shapes or swirls (my personal favourite). Make a number of stones so you can go wild and have fun experimenting.
If you use a tacky adhesive (e.g. Cement Based Adhesive or liquid nails) it will hold your tiles and materials while the adhesive dries. If you use a liquid adhesive like Weldbond, it will be harder for your pieces to stay in place while the adhesive dries (particularly on curved areas).
Grouting
Wearing gloves when grouting as grout will dry your hands out.
Mix a small amount of powdered grout with water unit it becomes a porridge like consistency. Once mixed, place a small amount of grout onto your tiles and rub it into the gaps between the tiles. Once you have covered the entire mosaic, scrap off the excess and allow it to dry.
Wait until the grout has started to dry (the grout will become dull) and carefully clear off the excess grout with a sponge. Leave it for 24 hours then give it a final buff up to remove and excess grout.
Finding Inspiration
There are some many beautiful ways you can decorate your stones or rocks that we thought we'd share a few more designs with you for inspiration.
Frances Green - Mosaic Stones
Chris Emmert (www.chrisemmert.com)