Mosaics & Ceramics Craft (Late Adulthood)

8/3/2019 Mosaics & Ceramics Craft (Late Adulthood)

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1.Ceramic Mosaic Tile Trivet

Materials:

Scrap pieces of ceramic tile

Plastic lid (a coffee can lid works well for a trivet, while potato crisp

can lids or peanut container lids work well for coasters)

Tile grout

Mat or towel to cover the work surfaceHeavy paper or cloth bag

Hammer

Piece of felt

Scissors

Craft glue

Steps:

If you have any leftover ceramic tiles from a recent home remodeling

project, you can use them to create an interesting set of trivets or

coasters. All you need is scrap pieces of tile, a plastic lid, a piece of felt,

and some tile grout.

Step 1: Start by breaking the tiles up into small irregularly shaped pieces.

To do this, place the tiles in a strong bag, tie securely, and hit with a

hammer. Be sure to wear plastic goggles or other eye protection, and

only hammer the tiles on a surface that cannot be damaged. You don't

want to completely crush the tiles, just break them into smaller pieces.

Step 2: Trace a circle shape onto the felt using the plastic lid as a

pattern, and cut out.

Step 3: Place the plastic lid upside down on the work table. Then, using

the broken tile pieces, fit them into the shape of the lid, using different

colors and shapes to create an interesting pattern. You can keep

rearranging the pieces until you find an arrangement that you like. If you

are trying to create a matching set of coasters, you might want to do

this step for all the coasters at the same time.


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Step 4: Once you have a pattern you like, use craft glue to affix each

tile piece to the inside of the plastic lid. Allow to dry completely.

Step 5: After the glue has dried and the tile pieces are firmly attached

to the plastic lid, you can mix up the grout according to package

directions. Again, following the directions on the package, spread the

grout on top of the tile pieces, working it down into the spaces betweenthe tiles. You can use a sturdy piece of cardboard for this step, or a

small tile float. Try to keep the grout contained inside the plastic lid,

wiping the outside edges of the lid if any grout gets on the plastic edge.

Step 6: Allow the grout to dry according to package directions. Then,

using a damp sponge or rag, wipe off as instructed to reveal the surface

of the tiles. Take care not to wipe so hard that you remove the grout

from the cracks between the tiles.

Step 7: Again, following package instructions, let the grout dry, thenwipe off any surface haze with a rag.

Step 8: When the trivet or coaster is completely dry, carefully flip it

upside down and use craft glue to attach a circle of felt to the bottom.

This will protect the furniture from any possible scratches when the

coasters or trivet is used. The felt will also help to provide additional

traction so that it doesn't slip and slide on the table or countertop

surface.


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The scoring helps to give more purchase for sticking the pieces on, and

the priming helps stop the adhesive or the grout from drying too quickly

(which can weaken it). I've measured out and pre-drilled the holes for

the screws that will fix the number to a wall, and sketched an outline of

the numbers. Ready to roll!!

Step two

Having cut a selection of pieces to the size and shapes I want, I'm using

a waterproof PVA (white craft glue) to stick them to the board.

The edge of a saucer gives an extra curve effect to the rounded sides

of the number plate.

When working with very small pieces, as here, a pair of tweezers is really

useful for dipping them into the glue and placing them precisely.

Step three

Ready for grouting. To make the design more interesting I've included

some pieces of willow pattern border, a few chips of mirror and some of

the maker's mark (a crown and some lettering) from the light green

saucer.

The glue takes several hours to dry and is best left overnight,

particularly if the shards are not all flat - which tends to be the case

with crockery.


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step four

I'm using white cement-based grout. Cement is very caustic so you need

to wear gloves. Mix the powder with water to a creamy consistency,

then spread it on, forcing it down into all the gaps with your fingers.

The cut surfaces of the shards are very absorbent, drawing water out of

the grout, so you need to work fast and thoroughly. You can read moreabout groutingin the mermaid project.

step five

As the grout dries on the surface of the shards, brush it off with an old

toothbrush. Work inwards from the edge, taking care not to dislodge

grout from between the pieces of crockery. Cleaning off grout at this

stage will save a lot of work later, although set grout can be cleaned off

with sandpaper.

Allow the grout to set overnight, but don't put it in a warm place asslow drying will give the piece more strength. Go over it again with a

brush and then a soft cloth to remove the remaining haze and dust of

grout.


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3.How to make a mosaic planter

The starting point here is a terracotta planter and a collection of

broken crockery. The planter will be used indoors and is varnished on

the inside. For the porous outside of the pot I've applied some dilutedPVA (white craft) glue to reduce the amount of water which the

terracotta will draw from the adhesive and grout. I've started to snip up

the crockery using tile nippers, but there's more work to be done. The

smaller the pieces, the more snug they will fit to the curved surface, but

for this design I'd like to keep the shards as large as I can.

Now the shards are at the right sort of size. I've measured the surface

area of the planter and laid out the shards to make sure I've got enough.

On a plastic sheet I've put a pile of grey cement-based grout powder,which I'm going to use as the adhesive. Always take great care when

using cement-based products.


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Wearing rubber gloves I put a blob of the grout in the cavity of each

curved shard and press it onto the planter. Usually the grout will have

enough "grab" to allow you to work steadily round an object like this

without the shards falling off. However, if they are slipping you'll have

to wait while they set. Be careful, too, that they are secure before youturn the pot to rest on areas you've already mosaicked. When the whole

planter is covered, allow the cement to set thoroughly. However, if you

can remove any grout which is on the surface of the shards at this

stage, life is easier later. It's good to let cement set slowly, so covering

the work in a plastic bag will help.

Finally, grout the pot with more of the same cement-based mix.


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4.How to mosaic a Bowling Ball

Materials List:

Bowling BallExterior Grade Thin set

Grout

Tiles pieces, plates, shells, beads

Latex gloves

Vinegar

Rags, old containers for water, sponges

Instructions

You want to begin by roughing up the surface of your bowling ball

so that the slurry of thin set will stick well. There are a number of

ways to do this.

Rub your thin set mixture over the whole ball. Let dry and repeat

one to three times.


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Score the ball with a knife or tool, and then apply thin set.

Use a spray adhesive glue and spray the entire surface of the ball,

then roll in a gritty sand mixture.

Use gloves when applying the thin set, which is extremely drying to

the skin.

Anytime your work is outdoors you want to use exterior grade

products.

After your ball is dry, draw on your design or just begin creating an

abstract design. Use the same thin set to glue on your tile pieces.

You'll have to work in sections, because the ball is round. Each

area needs to dry so that the pieces won't fall off and so that you

can turn the ball over and work on the opposite side.

After the entire ball is covered, let dry 24 hours. Then grout.

Mix your grout with water until it is the texture of pancake mix. It

shouldn't be drippy and shouldn't be too stiff either. Push the

grout into the crevasses firmly. Cover the entire ball with the

mixture. Let stand for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Get some containers, fill with water, and grab some sponges.

Dip your sponge in water and squeeze out excess water. Begin

wiping off the grout you put on. This will take a couple of times.

Wipe off, let dry 15-20 minutes. Wipe off, let dry. When all the grout

is removed, finish up by cleaning with a rag any remaining grout

residue with vinegar.

There are unlimited ways that you can display your orb. I use gazing

ball stands, make my own creations, use primitive items, such as

metal and terra cotta piping, almost anything that you feel is

attractive. You want to enhance your work, not take away from it.


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5. How to Paint Ceramics

Instructions:

1 .Choose the ceramic piece you want to paint. You can use one thatyou have made and fired yourself or you can buy an unpainted ceramic.

2. Rinse the ceramic under cold water to remove dust that can affect

your paint. Allow to air dry for three minutes. If you dry it with a cloth

you can leave lint on it. You can begin painting even it feels moist.

3. Draw the design that you wish to paint on your ceramic using a pencil.

The pencil marks will disappear after the ceramic has been fired in a

kiln. You will experience fewer mistakes if you have the design drawn onbefore you begin painting.

4.Buy a paint that has been designed for ceramics so that you will get a

long lasting quality paint job. If your ceramic piece will be placed

outdoors use paint designed for outdoor ceramics to prevent fading.

5. Paint the ceramic with an underglaze. Allow the underglaze to dry

before you paint your ceramic in your desired color, if you want an

opaque look use three coats of paint.

6.Fire your ceramic in a kiln to give it a glazed look. If you don't own your

own kiln you can take your ceramic piece to a ceramic store and they will

fire it for you.


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6. How to make a sculpture

Materials:

Bag of clay

This is how the clay arrives. It's great if the bag is intact

and the clay is still soft and malleable. It must be kept

damp or it will be unworkable and crack. As soon as I

begin work it has to stay mostly covered to prevent drying

out.

Wodges of clay

As soon as the clay comes out of the bag it needs to be

rolled and pummelled to make it fresh, elastic and

workable. I do this simply by giving each hand-sized wodge

a good squeeze, then I make a pile and wonder how to

make a sculpture with these wodges.


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Instructions :

The sculpture begins

From the wodges I tend to make very simple sausages and

form them into a doll shape - very simply. Here, the torso

and legs have begun and I need to decide where to put the

arms. This is fun! They could go anywhere... anything could

go anywhere!

The arms are in place

Now the clay must be left to dry a little so that it has a bit

more strength. Any part can still easily be moved because

there is no armature (a metal frame used inside the clay,

which is how to make a sculpture stronger) to get in the

way. As soon as it has firmed up, I'll be able to decide

what to do next and whether any big changes are needed.

Back - the arms and legs are on

Now the limbs are roughly attached in an approximate

position. The clay is very soft and needs to settle and

toughen up before more work can be done.

Filling and rounding the larger forms

I am feeling ok about where the various parts are. Drawing

a line along the centre of the figure is how to make a

sculpture feel balanced. I can wait till later to decide what

the small forms like hands, face and breasts should be

doing.

Back - filling out

I reposition the sausages a bit and fill out the forms with

more clay. The head needs repositioning and I do this by

adding and taking away rather than pushing. The centre

line helps me position the arms correctly.

Back - the forms are coming on

The shapes read quite well and the limbs have the right

amount of weight. The head is resting on the arm, which in

turn is resting on the foot. The whole thing needs pulling

together though, and only when I've done this will I know

if the sculpture is ok or not.

Back - final details


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I add the hair and experiment with it. Eventually I settle

on a line which nearly follows the arm movement. The

serrations on the hair need to be crisp to make a contrast.

Now the other forms need to be honed to make them as

round as I want them to be and I need to work carefully

on the small forms until they are finished.

It's finished

The larger forms are set off now by the smaller, detailed

ones. I added the breasts last - like a punctuation mark.

The face is hard to get right. I don't want it to look either

pretty or ugly, I just want it to be there. I check that the

surface doesn't clash with the form and then allow the

sculpture to dry out - slowly - before it is fired. And that's

how to make a sculpture in ceramic!


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7. How to Paint on Glazed Ceramic

Materials:

glazed ceramics

soapy waterscrub brush

towel

ceramic crafts

oven

oven gloves

Instructions:

Clean the glazed ceramic in the soapy water, use the scrub brush to rid

some dirt.Dry the ceramic by the towel.

Paint the glazed ceramic with a paintbrush, using the craft paints. Craft

paints will bond to the ceramic, unlike all other paints. Let the painted

ceramic dry thoroughly

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees F. Place the dry ceramic in the center

of the oven for 40 minutes. Remove the ceramic with oven gloves


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8. How to Make Jewellery With Ceramic Tiles

Materials:

ceramic tilesmall hardwood shape

tile nipper

white glue ang grout

coarse sand paper

protective face mask, goggles and gloves

drill

pencil

wood paint

jewerly hardware

Instructions:

Use the pencil to draw the shapes and pieces of your jewerly on the

back of your tile.

Use the tile nippers to cut out the shape of your choice. Make sure to

wear the protective materials for your safety while doing this. You can

also use the hammer in breaking the tiles and just choose the shape you

want for your jewerly.

Drill a tiny hole at the top of the small hardwood shape that you will use

as the backing of your tile. This hole will be used in attaching jewerlyhardware. Sand the surface thoroughly.

Place the ceramic piece on the wood backing and decide the angle and

position that you like.


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9. Mosaic Flower Pot Planter

Materials:

Terra cotta flower pot

Old broken dishes (dishes from yard sales are great and cheap)

Paint to match dish patternTile grout

Old dish towel

Plant in a plastic pot to fit inside your new planter

Hammer

Strong household glue

Mosaic Flower Pot

Instructions:

First, the fun part - take your dish, wrap it in the dish towel, and take

the hammer to it! Break the dish with the side of the hammer, then

check to see if the shapes are what you want and the flowers or

patterns are showing; you want pieces that are not too small or two


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large. Being careful not to cut yourself, take one piece at a time and

place your pieces in a bowl. Now glue the back of each piece and place

onto the top, in separated areas - you must make sure the pieces do not

touch so you can apply the grout. Let dry fully so that when you put on

the grout the pieces wont fall off.

When dry, place your grout all over. Try to keep it off the glass - but youare sure to get some of it on. If so, let dry about 5 minutes and whip off

with a damp towel. Make sure you get all the grout off the glass.

Let your flower pot dry.

I painted the top of the flower pot as shown and I painted the design of

the plate on the top.


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10. Stained Glass Mosaic Tray

Materials:

Wood Tray

Stained Glass or any glass pieces of your choiceGesso or Wood Sealer

Gloss Varnish

Household Goop or E6000 Glue

Tile Grout

Acrylic Paint (White and Yellow)

Sandpaper 220 Grit and 600 Grit

Crumble Resistant Sponge

Foam Paintbrush

Stained Glass Mosaic Tray

Craft Project Instructions:

Begin by sanding your tray with 220 sandpaper to a clean smooth finish

and apply one coat of gesso to entire tray with the exception of the

bottom inside where you will be placing your glass pieces.

Lay your stained glass along the inside bottom of tray to cover entire

surface (you can begin without first placing your pieces, but if you're

new at this, lay them out first).

Now that you're happy with your pattern, begin to glue your pieces of

glass in place. You don't need a lot of glue on each piece, just enough to

hold the piece in place. Once you have finished gluing all your pieces in

place, prepare your grout mixture as instructed on the package. If you

are using ready mixed grout, add a little water (a few drops at a time) to

make spreading the grout easier.


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Once your pieces are secure and no longer move (this takes less than an

hour), spread your grout over the entire top of the glass and gently press

the grout into all the seams, making sure there are no air pockets below

the grout.

Allow tray to sit for about 10 minutes, do not wait longer or you willhave a much more difficult time removing the excess grout.

With a damp sponge, gently wipe away any excess grout from the

surface, rinsing your sponge constantly. Be sure to wipe away any grout

that has made its way onto the wood surface. Wipe all grout from glass

now, as you will have a terrible time trying to remove it if you wait until

later.

Allow your grout to dry overnight without disturbing it. Now, just paint

your tray with a couple of coats of paint. I used white on the inside asthis colour improves the appearance of the mosaics and yellow on the

outside.

Allow each coat of paint to dry completely before applying the next and

finish your tray off with a final coat of gloss varnish. Using gloss varnish

rather than semi-gloss or matte is much prettier as the glass has the high

gloss finish and will reflect off of the gloss paint finish.

Finally, to help protect your grout from staining use a grout sealer

(available at home improvement centers), following manufacturer'sinstructions.


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11. Mosaic Clay Saucer Coasters

Materials:

Clay Saucer (I used 5 inch saucers)

Stained Glass or any glass pieces of choiceCork

Household Goop or E6000 Glue

Tile Grout

Patio Paint, colours of choice

Crumble Resistant Sponge

Paint brush

Grout Sealer (optional)

Craft Project Instructions:

Paint your saucer (do not paint the bottom inside of the saucer, where

you will lay your mosaics). Allow the paint to dry completely before

proceeding to the next step.

Lay the stained glass pieces along the inside bottom of the saucer, to

cover the entire surface (you can begin without first placing your

pieces, but if this is a new technique for you, it helps to practice the

placement a bit first.).


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When you are happy with the pattern, begin gluing the pieces of glass

into place. You don't need much glue on each piece, just enough to hold

the piece in place. Once you have finished gluing all pieces, prepare the

grout mixture as instructed on package. If you are using ready mixed

grout, add a little water (drops at a time) to make spreading the grout

easier.

Once your glass pieces are secure and no longer move (this should take

less than hour), spread grout over the entire top of the glass and gently

press the grout into all the seams, making sure there are no air pockets

below the grout. Allow this to sit for about 10 minutes, but don't wait

any longer or it will be more difficult to remove the excess grout.

With a damp sponge, gently wipe away any excess grout from the

surface, rinsing your sponge constantly. Be sure to wipe away any grout

that has made it onto the painted surface (you may need to touch upthe painted edge a little once the grout has dried). Wipe all grout from

glass now, as you will have a terrible time trying to remove it later.

Allow grout to dry overnight without disturbing it. To help protect your

grout from staining use a grout sealer (available at home improvement

centers), following manufacturer's instructions. If you would like a little

extra protection for your paint surface, coat with an exterior non-

yellowing varnish. Finally glue a cork coaster to the bottom of each

saucer to help protect any surface you may place these on.


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12. How to Make Mosaic Paintings

Materials:

Tiles

Plastic zipper bag

Hammer

Cardboard

Utility knifePencil

Paint

Paintbrush

Ceramic tile grout

Wet sponge

1. Place one tile at a time inside a plastic zipper bag and seal shut.

2. Smack the tile gently with the hammer until it breaks in to smaller

pieces.

Note: If you pound the tile hard, the tile will shatter and you won't beable to use most of it.

3. Cut out a rectangle from a thick piece of cardboard. Parents and

teachers can use a utility knife to do this. Make the rectangle the size

you want your painting to be.

4. Draw an outline of the painting you want to create on the cardboard

rectangle. Don't worry about the pencil marks because no one will see

them when you finish with your painting

5. Paint each individual tile with the colors needed to make up your

painting. For example, if your painting includes sunshine during the

bright of day, you would paint some tiles yellow and others blue.6. Spread ceramic tile grout inside the outline on your cardboard one

section at a time, and then place the tiles on the grout. Make sure the

tiles are close together, but not touching. Do this only after the paint

has dried.

7. Spread more grout in between the tiles once the entire outline has

been completed.

8. Wipe excess grout off of the tiles with a wet sponge. Wait for the

grout to dry before hanging your painting.


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13. Ceramic Bead Necklaces and Bracelets

Materials:

Tape measure

Nylon beading wire

Crimp beadsCrimping tool

Jewelry clasps

Ceramic beads

Headpins

Needle nose pliers

Wire cutter

1. Measure an existing necklace or bracelet to determine the length ofthe finished ceramic bead necklace or bracelet with the tape

measure. Cut the nylon beading wire to 4 inches longer than the

measurement.2.Thread one crimp bead on one end of the beading wire.3. Insert one end of the beading wire into the hole in one half of the

jewelry clasp. Fold the wire 1 inch over the clasp hole.

4.Push the tip of the folded wire into the crimp bead. Press the crimpbead with the crimping tool firmly to secure the clasp

5.Thread the ceramic beads on the wire to the desired length, leavingroom for the opposite end of the clasp.

6. Thread a crimp bead on the beading wire.7.Thread the wire through the hole on the other half of the clasp.

Push the end of the wire through the crimp bead and press with thecrimping tool.


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14. Ceramic Bead Earrings

Materials:

Tape measure

Nylon beading wire

Crimp beadsCrimping tool

Jewelry clasps

Ceramic beads

Headpins

Needle nose pliers

Wire cutter

Earing wire

Instructions:

Push a headpin through a ceramic bead hole.

2

Cut the excess headpin off with the wire cutters, leaving 1/2 inch of

wire exposed at the top of the bead.

3

Twist the exposed headpin with the tip of the needle nose pliers to form

a circle.


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15. Ceramic cell phone holder

Materials:

clay

clay board

cutter

ruller

plastic

Instructions:

Begin:

Place a piece of canvas on the 1/4" depth side of the clay board.. Place a

1 inch slice of clay and center it on the board.

Roll the clay until you have obtained the thickness of the side boards.

Cover this piece with a sheet of plastic wrap,

and set aside. It is your bottom.

The side walls are created from a 2" thick slab

of clay.

With the heel of you hand, flatten the slab

slightly to widen it, before rolling.

Once your clay has been rolled to the 1/4 inch side board thickness.

Choose a Texture Mat.. There are over 50 designs.. I like the pebble

texture for this project, but you choose !

After placing the mat over the clay, turn your board. The roller

should not be resting on the side bars.


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Begin with the side closest to you and press and roll just once, to

impress your texture

Peel the mat

from the clay

surface

Using a Potters Needle tool mark a width of about 2 1/2 to 3 inches

from the right side of your textured slab.

Slice the slab using the needle tool.

Peel away the trim, and place it in a

plastic bag, to be re-worked.

Move the base slab back into your work area and remove the plastic.

Remove the 3" wide textured slice, and wrap it into an oval in the

upright position on the base slab over lapping in the front.

Pressure in added to make sure the clay edge is well seated onto the

base slab.

Note: If you have allowed time for your cut edge to begin to heal, you

will need to do the score and slip attachment at this point. But if you

have moved quickly there is ample moisture in the cut to marry the side

walls to the base

Using the potters needle tool, trim the base to

the edge of you side walls.

Using a palette knife and working upward from the bottom,

marry the clay base into the side walls.

To re-detail the bottom edge, use the flexible mat in an uprightposition, and two or three fingers on the inside for support and

pressure.

Begin working around the bottom pressing the mat into the clay, while

keeping your fingers inside for support.

Don't be concerned with matching the texture.. the pebbles blend

nicely together.


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At this point.. the basics are accomplished... and your ideas and desires

begin.

You can alter the top edge by trimming.. note the photo at the

beginning of this article. Lower on one side to give the piece some

motion.. But you choose !

I finished off the top edge with a fluting, but you might leave yours as

is.. or do a pinched edge finish.

Don't forget to place the opening in the back to insert the end of the

cell phone charger.. Your cell phone sitter makes a nice charging station

too !

Using you needle tool makes this job easy.. Be sure to start your opening

1/4 inch from the bottom to retain the base.

Documents

Mosaics & Ceramics Craft (Late Adulthood)