This post is all about making mosaics with kids, my 'how- to', tips & safety. I find mosaic a wonderful craft to do with kids as there's not a lot of skill needed to make a finished product that kids can be proud of, so once you have everything you need you can just jump in and get started. They're also using more specialised materials, things like tiles and grout, which adults use for proper adult jobs, so it can make them feel very clever indeed! For basic mosaic you don't need a lot of fancy equipment or supplies, and most can be found at the local hardware store. We buy a lot of our tiles online here in Australia from The Mosaic Store, but hardware stores sometimes have craft sections with tiles, then there's other craft stores, $2 shops, and actual tile shops that usually sell the lovely glass tesserae. Some beautiful millefiori stars from The Mosaic Store, glass pebbles from the garden section of our local hardware store The tesserae is probably the easiest to start with as it's easy to cut with a pair of tile nippers; and smaller decorative tiles that don't need to be cut. Supplies needed: - Various tiles - Terracotta plant base - Outdoor PVA glue - Outdoor tile adhesive - Outdoor grout in your choice of colour Tools & other items: - Tile nippers - Homemade plastic scrapers cut from empty containers - Rags - Soft scrubbing brush - Latex gloves (grown up size and kid size) - Eye protection (for when you're nipping tiles) - Paintbrush for brushing on PVA Tile nippers, glass tesserae, other smaller mosaic tiles, plastic scrapers Safety tip: Make sure kids are wearing shoes as little shards of tile can be sharp! Starting out with something like a terracotta plant base is fantastic. The surface is flat so you won't have tiles trying to glue against gravity, and the edge provides a physical border to keep their tiles within a neat shape. We coat our terracotta pieces first with outdoor PVA wood glue and leave to dry. Then, we use an outdoor tile adhesive. The one I have is cement based. As long as you get an outdoor tile adhesive you should be fine. I like to mix this away from kids as I don't want them breathing in any cement dust. I just use an old plastic container and the wrong end of a flat paint brush to mix. Once the adhesive is mixed it's not an inhalation risk anymore. Spread a layer of adhesive down for them around 2-3mm thick (1/16"). We keep our tiles organised by colour I nip tesserae into smaller pieces, and then they just use some of the smaller shaped tiles as they are. You nip by placing the nips at the edge of a tile while holding the tile with your other hand. Press down and it will break into two. Some tiles break nice and evenly, others may not. Practise with a few. Wear your eye protection and do this away from kids so that little bits of broken tile don't fly towards them. They can then glue their tiles onto their terracotta base. I have found some kid sized latex gloves in our local supermarket which have been perfect for protecting little hands from the adhesive. Try and get them not to butt tiles hard against one another so remind them to leave a little gap. I always explain to kids that making mosaics is kind of like doing a puzzle; you just find where a piece seems to fit and place it in. Another thing is we don't stack tiles on top of each other. This may seem obvious but to a kids fresh mind, it's not! I love their boundless ideas. Try also to get them to not leave big open spaces. Again, I'm not too concerned, but for the longevity of the piece, it's best not to leave big gaps between tiles. So: - leave a little gap - don't butt tiles hard against one another, - place tiles side by side, not on top of each other. Kids also sometimes get the right and wrong side of the tesserae mixed up. The bumpy side is the wrong side, the smooth side is the right side. Have a chat to them first and explain and show them this. You may have to keep reminding them! Some will still keep mixing them up, but it doesn't matter too much. Smooth side is the right side! When they are happy with their arrangement it's time to leave it to dry for as long as the adhesive's instructions. *Sometimes kids get a bit messy with the adhesive. It helps to go back when the adhesive is dry but not rock-hard and scrape a bit of the excess adhesive off the top of some tiles and between them if there's too much. Scraping some excess adhesive away with a piece of tile (a nail could also work) Then, we grout! Again, I mix it up to the consistency of thick cream away from kids so they don't breathe the dust. Then we use little homemade plastic scrapers (cut from plastic containers) to spread the grout on. This part is messy and therefore fun! Plop it on and scrape it all around to make sure you fill all the gaps between the tiles. Wear gloves for this bit. Once it's done and it looks like it's starting to dry off a bit you can take a soft scrubbing brush and start to scrape the excess grout off the front of the tiles. (We also have a stiff paintbrush here that did the job on a previous project too.) Then use a dry cloth to polish. If there's any staining on the sides of the dish that you don't want, wipe that away with a wet cloth. And then you're done! Let it dry before you put into the great outdoors. It's so satisfying creating something that will last and pretties up the garden. Proud creators In situ :) And once you've mastered the basic skills you could progress onto other items such as plant pots or picture frames. Miss S with her mosaic plant pot I hope you enjoyed the mosaic how-to & tips from me. If you have any questions please leave them in the comments and I will get back to you, and be sure to let me know if you try mosaicing with kids! Jules :)

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The art of Mosaic was believed to be first used in the Mesopotamian area around the 3rd-century BC. It made its way across ancient civilizations and over thousands of years. But what exactly is Mosaic? Is it a type of art that a beginner can do? Can any material be made into a Mosaic? We've […]

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One of the most common side effects of Mosaic obsession is the desire to create new pieces like DIY mosaic coasters. Do you keep looking at our mosaic art supplies? Are you getting inspired to try out new designs? Don’t worry. Hopefully, you were able to try out some DIY mosaic art projects after reading our recent blog on holiday activities, and you’re ready for a new one. Let’s get you started on some new DIY mosaic coasters! Mosaic Art is Entertaining! Image Source: Pinterest Mosaic coasters are like small pieces of art that light up your gatherings. What’s more appealing: A plain slab of cork, or a mosaic design that brings a little more joy to your festivities? Mosaic tile, and glass mosaic tile, are made for entertaining. They’re tough, they resist water, and they’re attractive. Combine that with a little creativity, and you’re all set for a fun DIY project. How to Make Mosaic Coasters? The process is simple. First, you need to select the design. Sometimes, you need to outline the design on the coaster base before adding the tiles. Then, cut the tiles into their respective shapes and glue them to the base of the coaster. Finally, once the glue is dry, all you need to do is grout the coaster then adding a marble sealer. Let’s discover the process in more details. 1. How to Select a Design Before you begin, let’s look at some ideas for your coasters. We’ve included examples that use different types of tiles and that are suitable for beginners. How about serving drinks on these mosaic medallion shapes? If you’ve ever appreciated glass mosaic wall art, you know how it’s beautiful in the light. These would be great in sunshine or illuminated by candles. Image Source: Pinterest 1.1. Relaxed Designs This style of coaster uses black grout and fairly large tile pieces to create their bright heart in a blue field. This is a great project for small hands – the tiles are easy to pick up and place. Image Source: Pinterest Here’s another set of coasters that combines terrific colors, simple shapes to work with, and a relaxed approach to tile placement. No stress – just a set of pretty coasters. Wouldn’t these go well with some multicolored patterned dishes? Image Source: Pinterest This is a style that’s great for leftovers from a previous mosaic art project. The individual pieces are all roughly rectangular and have been set up in horizontal lines. Image Source: Pinterest 1.2. Geometry 101 Adding a bit of structure to the design is another way to add little bits of art to your entertainment. These coasters can look like modern art, quilting blocks, or even remind you of Frank Lloyd Wright houses. Mid-Century Modern for your mugs? This pattern has all the colors of the time period, and would love to be paired with your Fiestaware collection at your next dinner party! Image Source: Pinterest We can’t decide if the greens in this set of mosaic tile coasters remind us more of the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz – or a Frank Lloyd Wright kitchen backsplash. Either way, they’re deeply satisfying. Image Source: Pinterest Need a little glitz at your next soiree? The use of gold glass mosaic tiles in this well-organized pattern gives them quite a sophisticated air. Image Source: Pinterest Charming as a handmade quilt, and cheerful as summery blue sky, this is a fun introduction to the art of tile placement. The space between the pieces provides a little more room to work with. Image Source: Pinterest 1.3. Just a Bit of Planning Required Some DIY mosaic coasters will need a small amount of preliminary planning, and probably a rough design worked out on paper. Even so, the following ideas shouldn’t require much trimming of tile pieces – just a desire to have fun. Radiating color bands and a small budding branch is a totally attainable goal for coaster art. Image Source: Pinterest Working with leftover wood scraps can make your design evolve organically. Broken tiles and square border pieces end up being a great set of coasters! Image Source: Pinterest These designs work with 4 coasters that are lovely on their own – and a surprise piece of larger mosaic art when placed together! Image Source: Pinterest Image Source: Pinterest Last, these round celestial-inspired coasters use glass and regular mosaic tile scraps for a heavenly result. These will be glorious additions to your home, even when not in use. Image Source: Pinterest Getting to Work on Your Mosaic Coasters Image Source: Pinterest Other than your mosaic tile pieces, you’ll want to have a selection of coaster bases on hand for your project. You can find blank ones online. Wood and cork-backed MDF boards are easy to work with. You’ll find both round and square shapes available for your use. Image Source: Pinterest Image Source: Pinterest Before using any wood, make sure it is sealed and dry. Mosaic tile is great around water spills and condensation – wood, not so much. Another option is to paint the wood in a complementary color, as done on this coaster. Image Source: Pinterest Do a test run without any adhesive to begin simple designs. For more elaborate art, you might want to trace the pattern out first on paper. Using an appropriate adhesive, apply the tiles to your coaster. Make sure that the glue is totally dry before the next (optional) step. If you don’t want to use grout, you may begin enjoying your new coasters as soon as the adhesive has set! If you do use grout, consider using a color other than white. Colored grouts can help make your coasters look very finished, and highlight the tiles better. After applying grout as directed on the packaging, be sure that it is as smooth and level as possible in relation to the surrounding tiles. You’ll want a stable surface for any beverages! Are you tempted by our latest DIY project? Which design would look the best in your home?

A mosaic is a pattern of irregularly shaped pieces all fitted together to cover a surface. Mosaics can make distinct pictures or shapes out of thousands of smaller pieces, but they don't have any discernible pattern. This fantastic form of artwork can be added to dull spaces, but on what surface can you add a […]