*Indoor - Plywood for wall hangings, vases, pots, backsplashes, wooden boxes, an old table, pretty much anything
except the kids or dog.
*Outdoor - Cement stepping stones or a cement bench, terracotta pots, cement board for wall hangings, or your
car if you don't mind the "eccentric" look. (Avoid anything that will absorb outdoor humidity and warp over
time.)
2. Pick a design:
*Draw your design onto the surface and be sure to keep it simple...at least a first until you find what works for
you.
*If you'll be using light colored translucent tiles, be careful not to place them directly over the lines you've
drawn, as the lines will show through the tile.
*Consider a background color that will contrast with the focal point of your design. If you're making dark red
flowers with dark green leaves and then use dark blue tiles for your background, it will all blend together. A
lighter background will help the vibrant colors of your design jump out!
3. Pick a method:
*Direct method - Glue tiles directly to your surface, one at a time. This method is the most popular &
recommended for most projects. Your end result will give you a masterpiece that looks handmade, which is
probably what you want. You don't want to work you heart out only to have something that looks like it was just
mass produced in a factory. (For the purpose of these instructions, I will be referring to the direct method.)
*Indirect method - Set tiles in place on a sheet of mosaic mount, face down, before flipping over to place on
mosaic surface all at once. This method is recommended for a table top that needs to be smooth. The end
result will give you a flush surface.
4. Glue those tiles!
*Most mosaic adhesives come in a bottle with a narrow squirt-top. You can choose to put a dot of glue on the
back of each tile one at a time, or dot your surface as you go, or draw a whole line of glue & work you way across
it. It's entirely up to you. If you see too much glue squishing out to the sides of the tiles and filling the spaces
between tiles, try using a little less.
*The most popular glue in the mosaic industry is Weldbond. Whatever glue you choose, make sure it's
waterproof, weatherproof and that it dries clear. Why is weatherproof important? Because adhesives that are
not weatherproof (and many aren't) will expand and contract with weather changes, causing your tiles to pop off!
*Use the two-wheeled Mosaic Glass Cutters for nipping glass tiles. Even if you plan to glue your tiles in the
shape they're already in, there's always that little space at the end of a row, or a corner, or wherever, that
you need a little different shape to fill in a space. Use Mosaic Nippers for ceramics or other forms of tile.
(These tend to just crush glass tile, while the two-wheeled cutters produce excellent results!) ALWAYS
ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear protective glasses when cutting tile!!! You may not have ever really put an
eye out by running through the house with scissors when you were a kid, but it's never too late!
*You usually have at least a couple of hours to move tiles around (with some effort, depending on how much time
the glue has had to dry). If the glue is really dry, and you just have to reposition a tile, try wedging a flat-head
screw driver under one side and giving the end a light tap with a hammer. Keep in mind that the beauty of
mosaics is their uniqueness. Don't shoot for perfection! The less perfect it is, the more you'll love it in the
end! Tiles that don't lay perfectly flat or in line with each other will play with the light in different ways. This
is why the direct method is recommended - your masterpiece will be so much more fun to look at!
5. Time to grout: At least 24-hours after glue has dried.
*Pick a color that will contrast with your tiles nicely. If it's too similar in color to your focal point, your design
will be lost in the grout. You're not limited to just black or white either! You can find several wonderful colors
at super low prices at www.mosaictilemania.com!
*Powder-form - If you're buying grout online, this weighs a little less than pre-mixed grout and will help lower
shipping charges. You also have more control over how thick or runny you want it to be (toothpaste consistency is
usually ideal), but be sure to wear protective goggles & a face mask while mixing.
*Pre-mixed - This comes in a small tub and is ready to go. Either form of grout is good, it's entirely personal
preference.
*Sanded grout - Avoid coarsely sanded grout. This is good for filling in larger spaces. Most artwork has
relatively small spaces between the tiles so finely sanded grout is best because it fills gaps of just about any
size, big or small, and it leaves you with a smooth and even surface when it dries.
*Non-sanded grout - This is good if you only need to fill in extra tiny spaces between tiles. It also has a smooth
look once it's dry.
*Wear gloves if your hands will come in contact with the grout (and they will). This way you won't just be
wishing you'd worn gloves while you're still picking grout from your fingernails a week later!!
*Grab a handful of grout, drop it into the middle of your project and then spread it around using a grout
spreader. Spreading with your hands, even with gloves, can give you a nasty cut if you accidentally slide your
finger along the sharp edge of a tile. Smart people only have to do this once before promising to never spread
grout with their hands again. Even smarter people just use the grout spreader in the first place. :)
*Once the grout has filled in every last space, wipe off the excess. At first there will still be quite a bit of
grout on your tiles, but that's okay. Let it dry for 10-20 minutes, then go back with a wet sponge or rag and
wipe again. Misting the tiles just a little with a squirt bottle of water will help clean the tiles while adding
strength to your grout between the tiles. *Don't overdo it though, you don't want to wash all the grout away!
Just once or twice should be enough. After 24-hours you'll probably see a haze on your tiles left behind by the
grout. This is very easy to buff off now that your grout is dry. (Although grout shouldn't be considered
completely dry - cured - for at least 2 weeks. Until then, keep all projects indoors.)
Tips:
*Work outside while grouting whenever possible and wear clothes that you wouldn't even wear to answer the
door when the pizza arrives. Mosaics are messy work!
*On wall-hangings, you may want to place wall-hanging hardware on the back of your plywood before you start
your mosaic. It's possible to do without knocking off tiles after your work is finished, but it's risky. The only
reason to wait until after you're done is so that your plywood can lay flat while you work.
*If you do decide to nail wall-hanging hardware to you work after it's completed, lay it face-down on a soft
surface like a carpeted floor while you do it. Also, use screws instead of nails if possible to avoid exposing your
hard work to the impact of a hammer.
*Be sure you have enough tile before you start. We sell our tiles in 25 square inch standard size "sets", so no
matter what size tile you're buying, you always know how much coverage you'll get from any "set". (1/2" tiles =
100 tiles per set, border tiles = 50 tiles per set, 1" tiles = 25 tiles per set) For every square foot you need to
cover, you'll want about 5 1/2 sets.
*Please feel free to eMail us with any questions. We're always glad to help!!
Mosaic Tile Mania
Copyright 2004, 2005