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Ten Easy Steps to a Mosaic Step One: The first step in the mosaic process is to find a rigid surface to mosaic. We chose one of our Basic Picture Frames. We have many surfaces to choose from - frames, plaques, trivets, etc.
Step Two: After you choose your surfaces, it is time to design your piece. Your only design limitation is your own imagination. You can draw it on paper, directly on your piece, or lay it out on your surface. We decided to use Metallic Gems and Smalti for our piece. We decided to start with the edges and work our way in. Lay down your adhesive in sections. Avoid using so much adhesive that it squishes up between your pieces. This leaves no where for the grout to go.
Step Three: Now that you have your first section of adhesive down, you will now apply your tesserae (mosaic pieces). Place each piece on top of your adhesive as desired. You need to leave a minimum of approximately 1/8" between each tile to leave room for grout. You can space your pieces out further if you like. A good rule of thumb is a 1/8" minimum and 1/2" maximum space between pieces.
Step Four: Start applying the rest of your tesserae to your piece. It can make it easier to grout if you make the pieces near the edge of your surface somewhat flush to the surface. Work section by section until you piece is completely covered.
Step Five: Here we show the piece completely covered with tesserae. You can also mosaic the sides of your Frame, Mirror, or Plaque if you like. You should let your adhesive set for 24-48 hours before grouting. After it has cured for this amount of time you are ready to grout your piece. It is up to you as to what color of grout you use. If the main them of your piece is darker tesserae then you might want to use a lighter grout so contrast the tesserae and make it stand out. The opposite is true if you used light tesserae.
The Next 5 Steps you do At Home with a "Grout It at Home" Kit or We can Finish the Piece for you. In Studio Grouting takes a week and costs $5 for pieces 6" and less - $8 for pieces 6"-12." Step Six: On most of our designs we use a pre-colored sanded Grout. Our grout comes with mixing instructions. If you buy your grout elsewhere, follow the instructions on the package. You will want to put your grout in a disposible container then add 1 tablespoon of water to your grout until it has a thick oatmeal like consistency.
Step Seven: We suggest that you use Gloves when working with Grout. It is non-toxic, but it can dry your hands out. You can easily go through 2 or 3 pairs of Gloves while grouting. Apply the grout with your fingers as pictured. It is sorta like icing a cake with your hands. Press it down in the spaces between your pieces. Sculpt it on your edges to make a nice smooth edge. Generously cover your entire piece.
Step Eight: Once you have covered your entire piece and filled all of the spaces, wipe off as much of the excess as you can with your gloves or hands. After you do this you are going to let it sit for 20-30 minutes or until the grout become hazy on the piece.
Step Nine: Now, take a very slightly dampened sponge or cloth and begin wiping the haze off. You can then use a dry cloth or your hands to remove the remaining haze and residual grout. Try to remove as much grout as possible. If you don't get it off now, it will be much harder to do so later. Clean each tile if you desire. Do not use paper towels, they flake off and stick in your grout.
Step Ten: You are done with your grout. Throw it away. Never wash it down the sink! If needed, take a cloth or sponge and polish your piece up. If you did not mosaic the edges of your piece, you can finish it with an acrylic that matches your grout. The end!
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