Making Mosaics With Found Objects

Make mosaics on any surface--mirrors, tables, chairs, picture frames, bowls, switch plate covers, wooden shoes, and more.

Found materials are taking the craft world by storm because the creative potential is tremendous. Contemporary mosaic artists--who continue to expand the limits of construction and materials--can benefit greatly from this movement toward reuse. Even the mosaic neophytes among us can explore the myriad possibilities of these new materials with this fabulous guide. Learn everything you need to get started in the world of found art mosaics, from materials, glass, ceramics, natural materials, grouts, surfaces, sealants, safety gear, and more. The 27 projects here--including the Buttons & Pebbles Vase, Glittering Jewels Belt Buckle, and Recycled Bathtub Garden Planter--each reuse and repurpose objects differently, as the found object may be the surface, the tesserae, or both.

“Of greatest use to beginners. The dozen projects will introduce first-time mosaicists to the art without...frustration.”—Booklist “You’ll never look at a shard of glass in the same way again.”—Glass Craftsman Innovative techniques, in tandem with striking and original designs, will make you revel in the creative pleasure of fashioning beautiful mosaics. An overview covers four basic mosaic methods: pique assiette, which uses fragments from plates, mugs, and pictures; direct (just lay it down and glue); indirect, where the work is done on a temporary surface before being cemented; and three dimensional applications. Magically transform everyday objects into art by replacing a standard kitchen counter with one covered in fragments of stone, glass, and pottery, or turning a simple lamp into a finely crafted sculpture. For additional inspiration, 50 artists provide invaluable hints and tricks of the trade.

Imagine beautiful mosaic pieces with tiles that you easily create yourself! Mixed-Media Mosaics offers a fresh, new approach to a traditional art form. By making your own tiles from polymer clay, you control the size, shape, color and even the texture, resulting in beautiful finished pieces that include tabletops, boxes, jewelry and shrines. In addition to learning traditional tiling techniques such as working with grout and cutting glass tile, you'll also explore creative options for personalizing tiles: • Discover the magic of mica powders and the regal look they can give to mosaics • Learn quick and easy ways of adding paint to handcrafted and commercial tile • See how easy it is to create molds and cast your own relief tiles • Find ways to add personal meaning to your work with the addition of text tiles • Experiment with the addition of beads, jewelry and other embellishments by embedding them right into the tile! Whether you'd like to complete a mosaic tabletop for your patio, a jewelry box as a special gift, or simply experiment with jewelry, you'll find the inspiration you seek in Mixed-Media Mosaics. Start creating your custom mosaic pieces today.

Gives step-by-step instructions for fifteen projects as well as materials and techniques.

Provides step-by-step instructions on making mosaic crafts, using paper, felt, tiles, and found items to create such crafts as an animal mat, picture frames, a jewelry box, and a school bag.

Bits and pieces, pique assiette, memoryware -- there are many names for this unique folk art technique that has flourished for centuries around the world. Mosaic art, revered for its intricacy and beauty, can now be made by anyone with the simple methods found in Making Bits & Pieces Mosaics. Marshall's easy-to-follow techniques make it fun for readers to transform everyday items into one-of-a-kind works of art by attaching broken dishes, ceramics, jewelry, and glass to a wide range of surfaces. With clear, step-by-step directions and inspiring photographs, crafters can create fabulous projects of their own, including flower pots and vases, lamps, fireplace mantels, bird baths and bird houses, plant stands, garden tables, walkways, and more!

Use brilliantly colored, beautiful tiles to craft stunning mosaic projects--even if you've never tried this age-old technique before. Sixteen creative projects, arranged in order of increasing difficulty, enable you to learn the various techniques and methods of working. Start by making a trivet using standard size tiles in a limited palette, and when you are ready to try cutting tiles, work on an eye-catching picture frame. Experiment with the "reverse method" while making a table top, and incorporate found objects into a flying bird design. The final projects in the collection focus on techniques that seem complicated but are actually simple, such as casting a slab for a garden and making waterproof items like a birdbath. All the necessary information is fully explained, including choosing tiles, surfaces, and adhesives cutting tiles, applying glue, the direct and reverse methods of mosaic, casting, grouting, laying tiles, and cleaning and finishing.