Stained Glass Mosaic Tutorial
Mosaics are best done on wood, ceramic or cement. This tutorial is for making a glass mosaic with wooden frames and a mirror with a wooden frame. I purchased these items at IKEA.
Materials and equipment needed: – glass cutter – plastic glass snapper – colored glass (from a stained glass store. Usually they sell broken pieces for really cheap) – wooden board (to work on). I usually put a wad of newspapers underneath instead. – wood frame – clear glue (choose one that’s good for wood, like Weldbond) – grout (choose sanded grout.) It comes in a variety of colors. – putty knife (or fingers) – small bucket, like an old yogurt container (to mix grout) – another small container for water – sponge
You can get most items you need from Home Depot, an art store, or a stained glass store.
1. Paint the frame white. This is optional, but it allows the color of the glass to shine through without getting muted by the wood.
2. Choose a piece of colored glass. Place the glass on a wooden board or newspaper. Press down firmly with glass cutter at a slight angle and run along length of glass. It should make a sound like ripping paper.
3. Glass snapper should be placed so scored line matches up with the centre of the snapper. By applying pressure on the handle, the glass with snap along the line.
4. When the pieces are cut and ready to be glued down, coat the entire back of glass piece with glue and firmly press onto the frame.
5. Let dry for 24 hours.
6. Time to grout. Put dry grout powder in container and slowly add water a little at a time until it reaches the consistency of thick mud. Using a putty knife (or fingers), spread the grout over the entire project, being careful not to scratch the glass.
7. Let set for 10-20 minutes before cleaning the grout off of the glass with a damp sponge. A light coating of grout will remain and can be cleaned off with a damp cloth after 24 hours. You can use the cloth or your fingers to make the glass really shiny.
