Thank you for purchasing a kit and participating in this segment of our “Explore the World Through Art” program.

Your kit will have everything you need to complete your mosaic project.

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Mosaic History

Mosaics are a type of art that date back at least 4,000 years.  The original mosaics, created from black and white pebbles were made in Tiryns in Mycenean Greece;  Later, mosaics with patterns and pictures became widespread both in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. 

Roman mosaics were made up of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of tiny coloured stones and gems called tesserae. Each mosaic piece was stuck to the floor with mortar, a type of cement. Mortar is what we use today when building brick houses to hold them together. 

 Mosaics are not only valuable as beautiful artworks, but served to teach us history through pictures of Roman history and everyday Roman life.

Mosaics have been a beautiful and popular form of art throughout history, expanding around the world. 

Modern Mosaic Art

Modern mosaics are often done using beautiful stained glass and other items.  Look at this oriental rug a little closer. You’ll see it is an exquisitely done work of art using mosaics.

Our Project

For our project, we are going to create a design inside a framed piece. You will be able to hang it if you wish, or use it as a tabletop decoration.

• Your first step is to paint your frame. I’m including a couple of wipes and some dark brown paint. If you use the wipes to rub paint into the wood (going with the grain) it will give you a rustic stained look. Otherwise you can paint your frame with whatever color of acrylic paint you have at home.
• Next, you’ll want to sort your “stones and pebbles” which are actually a variety of beans and lentils.
• After your frame has dried and your mosaic pieces are sorted, you’ll want to plan your design. You can use a pencil to lightly sketch out your idea. Your initials, a symbol or a simple drawing will be easiest. Think about not only your design, but the negative space (your background). You’ll want a background that isn’t too busy – perhaps a single color, so that your design is clearly visible.
• Once you have your design sketched onto your piece, start from the center of the sqaure and work out. Fit pieces to each section of your design by going around the edge and then towards the center. For example if you have a leaf design in the center of your project, place pieces around the perimeter (edge) and then fill in the center of the leaf.
• Apply your glue in a thin even layer to a very small section at a time then place your pieces down and press gently for a few seconds. Fill in your entire piece.

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Bonus

If your piece turns out really cool and you’d like to seal it so it lasts forever, you may want to purchase an epoxy resin kit to cast over it. Epoxy forms a clear seal that goes between your pebbles and creates a smooth, sleek finish to your entire piece.

The picture below is a table that was done with pennies and then sealed with epoxy.

Here is a link to purchase epoxy resin should you want to do this bonus step. This will permanently seal your project and make it a forever piece. Epoxy is a grownup project however.

Purchase a Kit

If you’d like to do a mosaic kit at home, order one below. Thanks so much! We can’t wait to see what you create.