Mixed Media Mosaic Mirror

After making a mosaic frame recently, my fingers were itching to make something more creative in mosaics. I found a square piece of wood panel that I've had for a while. As I still have not settled on an idea for it, I decided I would mosaic something on this. Going through my stash of tiles, I came across a handful of mirror tiles leftover from previous projects. There and then I decided to make a decorative mirror, bringing together a number of differently sized and shaped items and tiles. I walk you through the reasoning and planning in today's blog, showing step by step how to do this yourself.

This is the wood panel I had been waiting to use for while and now finally decided to put to use.

My small collection of mirror tiles would only cover a small area of the board. I tried it in different positions on the board. I found this layout too predictable and archaic.

I then moved it right into the bottom right corner. I liked this better, but it still did not satisfy me completely. It was important to get the mirror in the right place, as this would inevitably be the focal point of the mosaic.

Keeping it in the bottom right corner, but moving it slightly away from the edges, finally carried my approval.

I now went in search of a storyboard to use on my mosaic. I found this in a collection of glass tiles I had made a long time ago. In fact, I blogged about this and attach the links below. The storyboard I settled on was one of seaside holidays, and all things maritime. I lay this collection of glass tiles out all around the mirror tiles and the rest of the board.

Decoupage Glass Tiles Part 1 - Cutting the glass to size

Decoupage Glass Tiles Part 2 - Decoupage the cut glass tiles

My niece had left this odd collection of glass pebbles in a flower pot and I had been meaning to return them to their proper place. Now I realized that they would add a great dimension to my mosaic. I arranged them in an unpredictable pattern on the board.

I wanted to move away from glass and found some metal-clad tiles to add to the layout. Some of these were polished, others were burnished and still more were engraved. Thus, in one set of tiles, I had managed to incorporate three more finishes to my board. This was working out better than expected!

I then found some round tiles, cut from polished marble stone. These came in three different sizes and two shades, adding even more interesting aspects to the board.

Lastly, I found some tiny square stone tiles to use as space fillers where there were still gaps left open. I have finally reached a point where I was satisfied with the layout. It was now time to start gluing the elements down.

You can use mosaic glue, or craft glue, or wood glue to glue your elements down.

I started on the four corners, setting them in place first of all.

Note, that in the top right corner, I have a group of four tiles. All of them together constitute that corner and they all have to be glued down to fix the corner in place.

I then glued the top edge of the board, using a metal ruler to make sure all of the tiles lined up properly with the edge of the board.

The left hand edge followed. Again, I used the ruler as guide.

The right hand edge was predictably next ...

... followed by the bottom edge.

I then glued the square tiles down that were directly below the mirror tiles. This gave me a proper foundation to start gluing my focal tiles, the mirror tiles, in place.

I started on the right hand mirror tiles, getting this first row of tiles in a straight line. Once again, the metal ruler proved an invaluable tool.

I then lined up and glued down the bottom row of mirror tiles, still using the ruler as guide.

I moved to the next line of tiles on the right hand.

And then I moved down to the bottom tiles again.

I kept alternating these two sides and getting the tiles lined up, until all of the mirror tiles were fixed in place.

I then moved over to the left bottom corner and glued down all of the tiles in this area that had not been glued down yet.

I moved up to the top right hand corner, gluing down the remaining tiles in this area.

The only corner left to do, was the top left hand corner.

With all of the tiles glued down, I put the project aside, giving the glue time to dry completely before continuing.

Mix some tiling grout with water when the glue is dry and the tiles are firmly set.

You are looking for a rather runny paste that will easily flow into all the openings, but at the same time, not run off the boards altogether.

Use your fingers to smooth the grout into the open spaces. Make sure the edges are even and that where there are differences in height, the spaces are sensibly filled.

Leave the grout to dry. Wipe it with a damp cloth shortly before it hardens.

Just one more wipe with a clean cloth, and this mirror will be finished.

Maritime Mosaic Mirror is available from Marietjie Uys at uys.marietjie@gmail.com. Mixed mosaic on board, 30 x 30 cm. R540. Artist: Miekie.

Marietjie Uys (Miekie) is a published author. You can buy the books here:
You can purchase Designs By Miekie 1 here.

Jy kan Kom Ons Teken en Verf Tuinstories hier koop.
Jy kan Kom Ons Kleur Tuinstories In hier koop.
Jy kan Tuinstories hier koop.
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