Safety Precautions
You should always wear safety glasses when breaking up
materials to be used in the creation of mosaics. The sharp
edges of flying chips could damage your eyes. Also you
should wear a dust mask to avoid inhaling dust from broken
ceramic materials. Also ensure that you have access to
plasters and clean water incase you are cut by any sharp
edges.
Background
Mosaics have been a popular art form for thousands of
years and can range from small simple designs to large
elaborate works such as those of ancient Rome.
House Number
This guide will show you how to create your own mosaic
house number.
Mosaic pieces
You can obtain pieces of pottery suitable for making your
own mosaics by breaking up old bathroom tiles. You could
wrap the tile in a piece of thick cloth and then hit it
with a hammer until you had sufficient small pieces of
ceramic material for your needs. Alternatively you could
obtain better results by using tile cutters. By using
different coloured tiles for the mosaic pieces you should
be able to create an attractive pattern.
Base board
Because this mosaic will need to be able to withstand
exposure to the elements out of doors, it is necessary
to use a base board that is weatherproof. Score the board
with a craft knife to make a hatching effect of criss
crossed lines and prime it with a weak solution of white
craft glue. The scoring and priming makes the surface
hold mosaic pieces in place better. Drill holes which
will be used to hang up the finished number and draw an
outline of the number onto the base board.
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Attaching the mosaic tiles
You should now have sufficient tiles prepared and ready
to be put in place. Use a waterproof white craft glue
to attach the tiles to the board. Use a pair of tweezers
to carefully dip the reverse of each tile into the glue
and then stick it onto the board. Continue this process
until all of the tiles are in place.
Grouting
You should wear gloves when working with cement based
grout as it can be caustic and might damage your skin
if it comes into contact with it. Mix the powder with
water until it reaches a consistency like cream. Then
spread it in place, forcing the grout into any gaps. As
the grout begins to dry, gently brush off any excess,
ensuring that you do not remove any of the grout from
between the mosaic pieces.
Finishing off
Allow the grout to set slowly overnight in a cool place.
Drying should not be done in a warm area as this would
speed up the process and weaken the final bonds. Use a
small brush and a soft cloth to clear away any excess
dust. The house number is now ready to be mounted in place
by putting a couple of screws through the predrilled holes.
Other Projects
Although this guide showed you how to make a mosaic house
number, you could apply these techniques to create your
own works of mosaic art representing scenes or abstract
designs.
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