As I was dusting, I snapped a pic of this mosaic I had made probably about 8 years ago. I don't usually keep my own crafts displayed for so long, but this one is special to me. Plus, the design and colours are timeless. It pretty much goes well with everything I place around it and I haven't gotten tired of it yet.
If you want to make your own, this is what you will need: plates (I got all mine from thrift stores - make sure you get ones that are not too thick or you will have a hard time breaking them up), tile snippers, a hammer, plastic bags, strong mosaic glue (also called mosaic cement), grout, rags, and a piece of wooden board (mine is about 18" x 18").
Step 1: Place each plate into a plastic bags and twist the end so your plate pieces don't go flying. Use the hammer to break the plates into manageable pieces. Do this outside or a concrete floor so you don't destroy anything.
Step 2: Use the tile snippers to snip the plates into smaller pieces. This step can be pretty hard. You might want to wear work gloves to protect your hands.
Step 3: Start spreading your glue on the board. Work with just one small area at a time so that you can be thoughtful in your placement of the pieces. Generally speaking, the pieces should kind of fit against each other - like a puzzle - but with small gaps that you can fill with the grout. Let dry.
Step 4: Once the pieces are dry, start spreading your grout around and on top of the pieces. This is where you will need to multi-task. Have a wet rag nearby so that you can wipe grout off the pieces while you fill in the gaps. Grout can also be scraped and wiped off once it's dry - but it's a bit more difficult.
Let everything dry and then enjoy your new mosaic. I hope you enjoy yours as long as I've been enjoying mine.
