How to Make a Wall Mosaic
Mosaic wall designs are highly detailed patterns, words, designs and images that you create by selecting small pieces of tile, glass and stone and mortaring the pieces onto the wall surface. Each small piece has an area around it for grout, which binds the pieces into a whole and locks them into position. Because walls are not as subject to wear as other surfaces, mosaic wall patterns can last a long time. The instructions below are for a 1-foot-square mosaic.
Things You'll Need
- Pencil
- Water-based white glue
- Mosaic tiles
- Grout spacers (optional)
- Kraft paper
- Mesh mount paper
- 2-inch foam roller
- Roller pan
- Wax paper
- Plywood
- Weights
- Polymer-modified thin-set cement
- Notched trowel
- Small basin
- Water
- Grout float
- Sponge
- Grout
Instructions
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Draw the design of your wall mosaic at 100 percent scale on white kraft paper with a pencil.
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Start at one corner of your drawing and select the color of mosaic tile you wish to use there. Apply white glue to the face of the tile.
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Press the glued face of the tile down on the design in the position you desire. The tile, glue and paper will stick together as the glue dries. Continue gluing down tiles, leaving even space around each tile for the grout. Use small spacers to assist you if necessary. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours.
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Place a piece of 2-by-2-foot kraft paper on your work surface and put a piece of 1-by 1-foot mesh mount paper over it.
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Roll white glue evenly across the mesh mount paper using a 2-inch foam roller and a roller pan.
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Lift up the glued mesh mount paper and turn it glue-side-down over your face-down tiles. Align the corners and press the mesh into the back of your tiles. Do not disturb the alignment of your tiles.
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Tear off a piece of wax paper large enough to cover the mesh. The wax paper will act as a release paper. Position it on the mesh paper. The back of the mesh paper should not have much glue on it.
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Place a 1 1/2-foot square of plywood over the wax paper and weigh it down with a few books or anything heavy. Allow the glue to dry four hours, then remove the weights, plywood and wax paper. Allow the glue to dry for 18 hours more.
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Mix polymer-modified thin-set cement and water in a small tub. The thin set should be the consistency of cake frosting.
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Scoop up some thin set using the flat side of a notched trowel and spread a thick layer of cement on the wall. After spreading the cement, drag the notched side of the trowel at a 45-degree angle to remove cement between the grooves.
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Lift your mosaic and carefully position the netted side against the cement. Press the mosaic firmly into place. The cement will squeeze along the back of the tiles, into the netting and between the tiles to hold the mosaic in place. Use the grout float to help you keep the tile-face surface flat. Allow the cement to dry for 24 hours.
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Moisten the paper on the front of the mosaic tiles with a wet sponge and wipe until the paper peels off and the underlying glue softens and releases. Clean the glue off the tiles.
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Mix grout and water in a small tub to a consistency that is a little more loose than the cement was. Allow the grout to rest five minutes so you can work it more easily.
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Apply grout to the mosaic tiles at a 45-degree angle and work it into the joints between the tiles using a grout float. Remove excess grout as you work because grout dries fairly quickly.
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Clean your grout off your mosaic tiles within 15 minutes, using a wet sponge and clean and dirty water tubs. Use water from the clean tub to wipe off the grout, and squeeze the dirty water into the dirty water tub. Wipe the sponge over the tiles at an angle so that you do not remove any grout between the tiles. Keep cleaning the tile until only a faint haze remains. Rewipe the tile every 15 to 20 minutes until it looks clean. Keep your sponge clean during this process.
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Tips & Warnings
If you got a lot of glue onto the back of the mesh, it might stick to the plywood and the wax paper, which is why you separate them after the glue has some time to set up.
