How to Make Mosaic Tile From Broken China
Mosaic tile is a beautiful form of art with endless possibilities. Mosaic tiles can be made from small bits of broken china, called tesserae in the mosaic community. You just need a plain tile as your base upon which to build your mosaic masterpiece. The tiles can be laid into the ground, a bathroom wall or anywhere you want a decorative effect.
Things You'll Need
- Ceramic tile
- Old china, various colors
- Cloth
- Hammer
- Pencil
- Glue
- Grout
- Dry towel
- Wet towel
Instructions
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1
Cover your old china with a towel. Take a hammer and smash the china through the towel until you feel you have small enough pieces to use to make a mosaic on a tile. Lift the cloth occasionally to check to see the size of the pieces.
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2
Use a pencil or other marking instrument to draw a design you like onto your tile.
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3
Sort out the pieces of china, making small piles grouped according to size and color.
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4
Fit the pieces of tile onto your design. Move them around until you have it decorated exactly as you like.
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5
Add glue to the bottom of each piece one at a time and affix back onto the tile exactly where it was.
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6
Choose a color of ready-made grout that will complement your mosaic pattern. Apply with your fingers into the spaces surrounding the pieces of china.
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7
Smooth away excess grout on top of the mosaic pattern with a dry towel.
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8
Wait 1/2 hour and take a wet towel to remove more grout on top of the tiles, taking care not to dig away any of the grout that should remain between the tiles. Take the time to polish each little piece with the wet towel. Allow to dry.
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Tips & Warnings
Only use pieces of china that are flat, not rounded, such as teacup handles.
Don't choose light- or white-colored grout for tiles that will receive some traffic. White will quickly become dirty looking.
