Category Archives: recycled art

Mosaic Tile Garden Art

terracotta pot crafts
Sealed, loved and lost. Que sera sera.

Mosaic tile garden art works best using a concrete base … not terracotta.  Even if you waterproof terracotta pot, moisture eventually seeps in causing the pieces to fall off while the pot turns to dust.  It’s not a pretty picture…. and if you live with winters, it’s a really good idea to store mosaic tile garden art during those months.

If you can’t find concrete pots … click here to learn how to make your own concrete planters

  • Mosaic Tile Garden Art – Pots
  • Patience is the key, when you’re tiling a pot, it’s on a curve … chillax. Slow and steady wins the race.
  • Thinset is the adhesive of choice and is easily found in most, if not all, home improvement and tile stores. Read and follow the directions on the bag or box or … talk to a human in the department for their expertise on Thinset and Grout or again … you could just read the directions on the package.
  • If the pieces you’re gluing to the pot won’t lay flat, and that’s what you want them to do, cut the pieces smaller until they do.
  • Let the Thinset dry for a minimum of 24+ hours, before grouting.
  • Choose a sanded grout color, read and follow the directions on the grout bag or box and mix to an oatmeal consistency.
  • Grout on. Grout off. Grout off. Grout off … until the grout lines are smooth and the pieces are clean and shiny.  Continue to buff the piece with a soft cloth, as needed.
  • Once the grout is dry (minimum 24 hours) Seal the grout with grout sealer that can be found at home improvement and tile stores.
  • To extend the life of mosaic tile garden art  … reseal with a waterproof sealer, at the beginning of each season.

Totem Pole

 

garden-mosaic

 

box of tile tools © mara lee
box of tile tools © mara lee

all rights reserved copyright © mara lee. please do not copy, distribute, duplicate or create derivative works using my original designs and photography. thank you very much!

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Gluing Things Together

It takes up less room.

“Ode to Mom” … a vintage Centerpiece 3 tier Cake Plate Assemblage in blue,white and floral using a Mayhill Federalist Ironstone plate, Windsor Browne Stoneware Plate, a vintage China Mother Cup, a blue and white Egg Cup Made in Japan, vintage clear glass juice glass, a glass flower candy dish, 8 piece Retro Cocktail Fork Set and a glass red Heart inside the Mother Mug.

Upcycled Art
Ode To Mom

Then I gathered a stunning vintage Aristochrome China Florida Travel Plate and 3 Random Glass Objects and made a 2 tier Centerpiece, or Cake Stand, dubbed “Retire to Florida.”

florida-travel-plate-2-tier-cake-plate

The antique ladies across the street might cringe that I glued a very rare Aristochrome china Florida Travel Plate to a very heavy & fancy crystal fruit cup or … maybe it’s a crystal goblet … not sure … then I added a lovely little crystal candy dish that rests on a tiny glass bud vase.

florida-travel-plate-2-tier-cake-plate

So much more to come …

putting the pieces back together

 matilda’s birdland – circa 2011

A $5 thrift store mirror, a gifted box of glass & porcelain birds, a bunch of vintage china, ceramic tile, gold glitter tile, mirror tile, glass gems, found objects and glue.  what a beast.

mosaic tile projects

mosaic tile projects

 

mosaic tile mirror
tough to photograph

 

happy
done and done. happy. happy.
love you
thank you, miss tilly xoxo