glue together a shell mosaic box

I chose to make this box to hold a gift of pens and brushes for one of my adult children this year.

Brief Description: Although this craft is simple in its application, the design work used in such a project may be very complex. The key here is to work slow if you should choose to use a cardboard box to decorate instead of a wooden one. Otherwise, the walls of the box could warp while your work is drying. 

Supply List:

• wood glue
• a bag of tiny stones
• shells
• a sturdy box with a lid 

Directions:

1. Lay out your mosaic supplies and determine the pattern that you would like to use in the creation of your decorative gift box.
2. I chose to arrange these tiny shells in a simple floral design. I used wood glue to adhere the shells first to the surface of my box lid. Then I let this dry overnight.
3. Then I carefully applied the wood glue to small areas of the lid and covered these with my tiny stones. These areas were approximately two inches in diameter. Let each area dry completely before proceeding to the next application of stones. Again, this will help prevent the surface of your lid from warping.

A few close shots of the surface of my gift box: left, is a side view, right, a top view of the floral shell pattern.

Watch a CraftKlatch sea shell coaster craft.

See also the stone resin coaster by the same crafter.

decoupage a seed and bean abstract mosaic

A teachers sample of an abstract bean mosaic.

Brief Description: Seed and bean mosaics seem to go in and out of fashion. This simple craft can be used to teach young students about the qualities of texture and design at very little expense to the teacher, camp director, or an art department.

Supply List:

• A heavy duty piece of cardboard or inexpensive Masonite, or recycled sheet of pressed wood
• either wood glue or white school glue
• pencil
• Mod Podge
• A wide assortment of seeds, beans, rice, nuts, and or dried items may be collected; I've listed specific varieties below.

Suggested dried beans, seeds and rice available at your local grocery store: Red beans, Kidney beans, Black beans, Anasazi beans, Sunflower seeds, White rice, Brown rice, Pumpkin seeds, Melon seeds, Black eyed peas, Green split peas, Yellow split peas,  Navy beans, Pinto beans, Wild rice, Indian corn, Lentils, Grass seed,

Suggested dried materials available at your local florist, hobby outlet, or even outside in your own backyard: Devils claw, Wheat stalks, Money plant, Sponge Mushroom, Pomegrante, Lotus Pods, Okra Pods, King Cobra Bark, Pod Oars, Pinecones, Acorns, Hazelnuts, Walnuts

Directions:

1. Draw a design on your cardboard or wood board
2. Glue the dried materials down with either wood glue or white glue
3. After the glue has dried, completely cover the entire surface with Mod Podge in order to seal it properly.

These dried beans were purchased at a local grocery store.

Photograph of my abstract, bean mosaic up close.

craft a mosaic tea tray

Handmade mosaic tea tray with lovely scones.

Brief Description: These tea trays are perfect for serving up your favorite tea and scones. I recycled these 1950's ceramic tiles that I found inside of an old cabinet. It seemed a shame to throw them out. I am sure that these would be quite expensive if I were to purchase them today.

Supply List:

• Selection of mosaic tiles, glass marbles, tiny mirrors, seashells
• Cement grout
• Elmer’s wood glue
• Plastic-like gloves
• Old damp rags or paper towels
• Prefabricated wooden tea tray
• white acrylic paint
• bucket of clean water
• soft paint brush
• acrylic varnish sealer

Directions:

1. Glue the tiles directly to the surface of the prefabricated wooden tea tray.
2. Let the applied tiles dry over night to ensure that the glue has hardened. Do not check to see if the glued tiles have stuck to the surface permanently. Some of them will, some of them may only seem temporarily attached. The application of this step is necessary to help the tiles to stay in place before grouting them only.
3. Mix the grout solution according to the directions on the label.
4. Wear gloves if the label says that it is necessary.
5. Gingerly apply the grout directly onto the surface of the tile work. Make sure that the grout does get pushed into as many of the cracks as possible. This is a bit messy.
6. Wash your gloves thoroughly and you may put them back on or choose to remove them all together at this point. Be cautious about this removal however, some people do have mild skin allergies to grout and will develop a rash when coming in direct contact with it when its wet.
7. Now your going to delicately wipe down the surface of your tiles with a damp rag or paper towel. You will be throwing these towels away. If you wish to rinse and squeeze out a sponge or towels as you work, keep an old bucket full of water for this procedure. Do not wash this contaminated water down a sink! Grout will collect in pipes and harden. You will need to pour this old water down a sewer pipe outside or simply find an area of your yard where you may dispose of it. Grout won't hurt an old leaf pile or the ground where plants are not growing.
8. You want your project to look clean on the surface of the tiles when you are finished. The cracks between the tiles should also be completely filled with grout.
9. Leave your mosaic project out over night to harden properly.
10. If you see remaining grout on the surface of your tiles after it has hardened, you may go over the surface of these tiles with a light weight sand paper and damp sponge again.
11.  With a soft brush wipe on gently a wash of white paint on the exposed wood and then seal it with a varnish.

I used old 1950 bathroom tiles to mosaic a 
prefabricated wooden tea tray.

A close-up of the period tiles.

More tea tray craft projects:

• Reverse Collage Tea Tray
• Second Coffee Crafting
• Tea trays from frames
• Tea Time from Confessions of a Craft Addict
• How to make a serving tray from a drawer

craft project: mosaic bird house

I purchased this prefabricated, 

wooden birdhouse from a craft store

 called Michael's. It is an actual

 birdhouse that may be used 

outdoors.

Brief Description: This mosaic birdhouse can be hung outside if you would prefer. My mother keeps it inside in her sunroom.

Supply List:

   1. Selection of mosaic tiles, glass marbles, tiny mirrors, seashells

   2. Cement grout

   3. Elmer’s wood glue

   4. Plastic-like gloves

   5. Old damp rags or paper towels

   6. Prefabricated wooden bird house

   7. white acrylic paint

   8. burnt umber acrylic paint  

   9. bucket of clean water

Directions:

1.  Glue the tiles directly to the surface of the prefabricated wooden bird house.
2.  Let the applied tiles dry over night to ensure that the glue has hardened. Do not check to see if the glued tiles have stuck to the surface permanently. Some of them will, some of them may only seem temporarily attached. The application of this step is necessary to help the tiles to stay in place before grouting them only.
3. Mix the grout solution according to the directions on the label.
4. Wear gloves if the label says that it is necessary.
5. Gingerly apply the grout directly onto the surface of the tile work. Make sure that the grout does get pushed into as many of the cracks as possible. This is a bit messy.
6. Wash your gloves thoroughly and you may put them back on or choose to remove them all together at this point. Be cautious about this removal however, some people do have mild skin allergies to grout and will develop a rash when coming in direct contact with it when its wet.
7. Now your going to delicately wipe down the surface of your tiles with a damp rag or paper towel. You will be throwing these towels away. If you wish to rinse and squeeze out a sponge or towels as you work, keep an old bucket full of water for this procedure. Do not wash this contaminated water down a sink! Grout will collect in pipes and harden. You will need to pour this old water down a sewer pipe outside or simply find an area of your yard where you may dispose of it. Grout won't hurt an old leaf pile or the ground where plants are not growing.
8. You want your project to look clean on the surface of the tiles when you are finished. The cracks between the tiles should also be completely filled with grout.
9. Leave your mosaic project out over night to harden properly.
10. If you see remaining grout on the surface of your tiles after it has hardened, you may go over the surface of these tiles with a light weight sand paper and damp sponge again.

Additional Suggestions: You may wish to seal the exposed wooden areas with a tough varnish if you choose to hang your bird house outdoors.

• Need to learn how to build a birdhouse? Visit the Carpenter's Craft tutorial . . . 

All instructions and photographs, templates are copyrighted by Grimm 2011

craft project: mosaic angel

The mosaic angel my children gave
their grandmother for Christmas.

Brief Description: My children made this mosaic angel for their grandmother one Christmas long ago. It still hangs in her garden room watching over her African violet collection.

Supply List:

• Selection of mosaic tiles, glass marbles, tiny mirrors, seashells
• Cement grout
• Elmer’s wood glue
• Plastic-like gloves
• Old damp rags, paper towels, sponge
• Sturdy prefabricated paper mache angel form
• Bucket of clean water

Directions:

1. First you will glue your tiles directly to the surface of the prefabricated angel with Elmer's wood glue.
2. Let the applied tiles dry over night to ensure that the glue has hardened. Do not check to see if the glued tiles have stuck to the surface permanently. Some of them will, some of them may only seem temporarily attached. The application of this step is necessary to help the tiles to stay in place before grouting them only.
3. Mix the grout solution according to the directions on the label.
4. Wear gloves if the label says that it is necessary.
5. Gingerly apply the grout directly onto the surface of the tile work. Make sure that the grout does get pushed into as many of the cracks as possible. This is a bit messy.
6. Wash your gloves thoroughly and you may put them back on or choose to remove them all together at this point. Be cautious about this removal however, some people do have mild skin allergies to grout and will develop a rash when coming in direct contact with it when its wet.
7. Now your going to delicately wipe down the surface of your tiles with a damp rag or paper towel. You will be throwing these towels away. If you wish to rinse and squeeze out a sponge or towels as you work, keep an old bucket full of water for this procedure. Do not wash this contaminated water down a sink! Grout will collect in pipes and harden. You will need to pour this old water down a sewer pipe outside or simply find an area of your yard where you may dispose of it. Grout won't hurt an old leaf pile or the ground where plants are not growing.
8. You want your project to look clean on the surface of the tiles when you are finished. The cracks between the tiles should also be completely filled with grout.
9. Leave your mosaic project out over night to harden properly.
10. If you see remaining grout on the surface of your tiles after it has hardened, you may go over the surface of these tiles with a light weight sand paper and damp sponge again.

Additional Suggestions: The color of grout you choose to use with this project will also make a big difference in it's appearance so think about it awhile before beginning.

All instructions and photographs, templates are copyrighted by Grimm 2017