Project: Mosaic table for 6th grade class
Background:
My daughter's 6th grade class needed to make an art project to be auctioned off at the school's annual fundraiser. I volunteered to coordinate it and thought a mosaic table would be a really fun project for the kids. I had no previous experience with mosaics so I spent some time doing research. I found a table and gave the class a few choices for the design. I really wanted something that would be very forgiving and have flowing lines. A very loose version of Van Gogh's "Starry Night" was the winner.
Painted the table black, the top surface white and sketched a basic design on top. The color choices were limited to what tile we could get our hands on.
A huge thank you to Home Depot and the Tile Co. who were kind enough to donate some tile, tools and grout.
We also were able to purchase some discounted loose green Oceanside Glasstile from Matt Clark Stone & Tile.
Here's a close up of the tree/bush. I didn't have the kids work on this section because the pieces were very sharp. I just loved way the "sharps" looked. I glued these down right away because it was too difficult to keep them from shifting. Everything else was just set in place so the kids could help glue them down.
I have fond (insert sarcastic tone) memories of transporting the table back and forth to the school so the kids could help work on it. Let's just say the village went through several earthquakes before it was glued down.
Grouting the tree/bush was quite challenging- but I was determined...
The village was probably the most challenging part for me. Trying to get the perspective just right was tough. I finally I had to stop trying so hard and just do my best. I actually think the village turned out to be my favorite part. I often find no one is more surprised than I am when I create something and it comes out better than I thought it would. I just love that "Wow! I made that!" feeling.
The village reminds me of little irish thatched cottages.
Here is the table before I applied the grout. The kids really did a great job and were very helpful. It was difficult to get the colors to show up accurately but I think this is fairly close. The green tile from Oceanside Glasstile was a bit thicker than the other tiles. I really liked the 3-d effect it gave the mosaic and the color variations were beautiful.
Grout applied! It actually wasn't as hard as I thought it would be...except for the sharp tree/bush area...that was tough. I used a darker gray because I wanted to keep the warmth. I had decided earlier that we were going to apply a thick coat of industrial strength resin to protect and even out the mosaic. Some people recommended not grouting before applying the resin but I am so glad I did. It really makes it look finished.
Here's a close up of the houses after the grout has been applied. This bit was also a little tricky but I found Q-tips to be quite helpful.
So, here's a close up of the tree/bush after grouting. It is hard to tell but it was very 3-d. I loved how it turned out. I did NOT love smooshing (very technical term) the grout in there while trying not to sever an artery.....
Let's just say I learned a LOT from this particular section.....
But I still loved the end result...
Side view of table just before we applied the resin. This was my first time ever using resin. It is something you need to research before you do it, especially on a larger project like this. I wanted a nice even surface and to protect the tile from chips. Not to mention how important it was to cover up any sharp edges. Just so you know, I realize I could have made the tree/bush without such sharp pieces...but since I knew they would be covered by resin I didn't worry about it.
Resin applied!
(This photo looks a little yellow but it's just poor lighting. The resin was very clear.)
I love how the resin looks and it brings out the colors in the tiles.
Trying to show the smooth finish of the resin. It looks like smooth glass. Like I said before, if you are considering doing a project like this, really spend some time educating yourself before you use the resin. If you mess it up it can ruin your mosaic. It was scary but I am thrilled to say it came out great.
The green tiles really looked lovely, almost wet. I was concerned resin might dull or mute the colors but the exact opposite was true. I also like the fact that it made the overall care of the coffee table so much easier- no worry over staining the grout, chipping tiles, etc. We used an industrial "Bar top" resin so it would hold up well and not yellow with age.
Finished!
I must admit it was very difficult for me to let go of this piece. I learned so much and had such a terrific time doing it. The kids were thrilled and rightly very proud of themselves. I think it came out pretty well considering no one had any previous experience.
Thank you for reading about this fun project and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.