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Allergy free homeHow to create a kinder home for winter
Mosaic table
continued from page 2
The next step is to start filling in
your design. The order to work
in is as follows: stick an outline
of tiles all the way around the
edge first, then fill in the main
pattern, and finally get to work
on the background. (3) To stick
the tiles down, paint the flat
side of each tile with a little of
the PVA mixture. Don't use too
much glue - you'll need to peel
the paper off eventually to
reveal the finished mosaic. Once
the glue is dry, the paper and
mosaic sheet is very robust.
Whole tiles should suffice for
the outline, but when you get
on to your main pattern you'll
need to cut the tiles into shapes.
Practise this first, before you
get stuck in. To cut the tiles in
order to create shapes other
than squares, just place the edge
of the tile a few millimetres into
the jaw of your tile nippers and
squeeze. (4) Placing your hands
further down the nipper handles
gives more leverage. The tile will
break in line with the nipper
jaws. The more tiles you cut,
the easier this will become.
Continue cutting tiles and
sticking them right side down
until your pattern is complete. (5)
Nail a copper rim around the edge of your tabletop. The depth of the rim needs to be 1-2cm (deep enough for the adhesive and tiles). Nails should be hammered in about every 2cm.
If your table is wood, seal the surface by painting it with three coats of waterproof yacht varnish, letting it dry between coats. This stops the wood from warping when you place adhesive on it (which will leave you with a bumpy surface). Alternatively, you could make your own tabletop using marine ply, which is pre-treated and perfect for mosaic.
If your design is large, the paper
will tear under the weight of all
the tiles and grout, so snip the
design into sections before you
start grouting. Use natural
breaks in the pattern for cutting
lines. You can scribble numbers
on the back of the paper to help
you position the pieces correctly
on the tabletop.
The following needs to be done
quickly, as grout and adhesive
are only workable for about
forty minutes. Mix up the grout
and adhesive separately,
according to the manufacturer's
instructions. Then, using a plastic
grout spreader or your fingers,
spread grout over the tiles. (6,7)
Aim to grout between the tiles
only, and wipe the backs clean
with a damp cloth once you've
finished.
Continue in this way until you
have grouted all of the various
sections of your design. I used
two different colours of grouting
- light sand and charcoal - to
highlight different parts of my
design and add another
decorative dimension. (8)
Spread an even layer of adhesive
on the tabletop. Go right up to
the copper rim. (9)
The next step is to flip your tile
design over and place it on top
of the adhesive, so the brown
paper is facing up. Make sure
you lay each section of the
design in its correct position
and place it down firmly, but
don't squash it hard. (10)
When the adhesive has fully set
- leaving it overnight is fine -
wipe over the paper with a wet
sponge. (11) The water will soak
through the paper, dissolving
the glue, so the paper can be
pulled away to reveal the mosaic
underneath.
Peel the paper off
really carefully, as any stubborn
glue will pull tiles up with it. (12)
The tiles will now be embedded
in the adhesive, but there will
be a few gaps in the grouting
between the separate sections
of the design. Mix up some more
grout and fill these in on the
right side of your mosaic. Wipe
away any excess grout from the
surface with a damp cloth, then
leave to dry thoroughly.
More Danielle Proud craft ideas
The next step is to start filling in
your design. The order to work
in is as follows: stick an outline
of tiles all the way around the
edge first, then fill in the main
pattern, and finally get to work
on the background. (3) To stick
the tiles down, paint the flat
side of each tile with a little of
the PVA mixture. Don't use too
much glue - you'll need to peel
the paper off eventually to
reveal the finished mosaic. Once
the glue is dry, the paper and
mosaic sheet is very robust.
Whole tiles should suffice for
the outline, but when you get
on to your main pattern you'll
need to cut the tiles into shapes.
Practise this first, before you
get stuck in. To cut the tiles in
order to create shapes other
than squares, just place the edge
of the tile a few millimetres into
the jaw of your tile nippers and
squeeze. (4) Placing your hands
further down the nipper handles
gives more leverage. The tile will
break in line with the nipper
jaws. The more tiles you cut,
the easier this will become.
Continue cutting tiles and
sticking them right side down
until your pattern is complete. (5)Nail a copper rim around the edge of your tabletop. The depth of the rim needs to be 1-2cm (deep enough for the adhesive and tiles). Nails should be hammered in about every 2cm.
If your table is wood, seal the surface by painting it with three coats of waterproof yacht varnish, letting it dry between coats. This stops the wood from warping when you place adhesive on it (which will leave you with a bumpy surface). Alternatively, you could make your own tabletop using marine ply, which is pre-treated and perfect for mosaic.
If your design is large, the paper
will tear under the weight of all
the tiles and grout, so snip the
design into sections before you
start grouting. Use natural
breaks in the pattern for cutting
lines. You can scribble numbers
on the back of the paper to help
you position the pieces correctly
on the tabletop.
The following needs to be done
quickly, as grout and adhesive
are only workable for about
forty minutes. Mix up the grout
and adhesive separately,
according to the manufacturer's
instructions. Then, using a plastic
grout spreader or your fingers,
spread grout over the tiles. (6,7)
Aim to grout between the tiles
only, and wipe the backs clean
with a damp cloth once you've
finished.
Continue in this way until you
have grouted all of the various
sections of your design. I used
two different colours of grouting
- light sand and charcoal - to
highlight different parts of my
design and add another
decorative dimension. (8)
Spread an even layer of adhesive
on the tabletop. Go right up to
the copper rim. (9)
The next step is to flip your tile
design over and place it on top
of the adhesive, so the brown
paper is facing up. Make sure
you lay each section of the
design in its correct position
and place it down firmly, but
don't squash it hard. (10)
When the adhesive has fully set
- leaving it overnight is fine -
wipe over the paper with a wet
sponge. (11) The water will soak
through the paper, dissolving
the glue, so the paper can be
pulled away to reveal the mosaic
underneath. Peel the paper off
really carefully, as any stubborn
glue will pull tiles up with it. (12)
The tiles will now be embedded
in the adhesive, but there will
be a few gaps in the grouting
between the separate sections
of the design. Mix up some more
grout and fill these in on the
right side of your mosaic. Wipe
away any excess grout from the
surface with a damp cloth, then
leave to dry thoroughly.More Danielle Proud craft ideas
Excerpted from House Proud by Danielle Proud, priced £16.99, published by Bloomsbury.
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