** This method is great for those new to mosaic arts, working with children, and for those who like the benefit of being able to re-arrange tiles before you ever introduce cement to the design.
1. Draw out your design on white paper. Tape that design paper to a board. Place a piece of contact paper over the design with the STICKY SIDE UP! - Secure the Contact Paper (TM) down at the corners with tape.
2. Begin laying out your tile on top of the Contact Paper. Be sure to lay your tile down so that the side facing up is the side you will see when the project is complete. DO NOT PLACE THE TILE FACE DOWN.
3. Continue laying out your design. You can remove tile, re-arrange them, and change your design any time during this step.
4. Once the design is complete, use clear packing tape and cover the entire surface of the project. I overlap the strips of packing tap to ensure that all pieces are covered.
5. Use your hand to make sure every piece of tile has made contact with the packing tape. You want it secure.
6. Remove the project from your work board. You will be removing the packing tape, tile and contact paper as one unit.
7. Turn the project over so the contact paper is face up. Remove the Contact Paper at this time. The tile will stick to the packing tape and will be wrong side up.
8. Treat your host surface with water sealer (if wood) and allow it to dry a full 24-28 hours depending on the manufacturer's directions. If you do not treat your wooden surface it will buckle as the wood will absorb the moisture in the cement in the next step rendering your project ruined.
(NO photo of this as this is where the normal routine of mosaicing picks back up!)
9. Prepare the wooden surface with the cement. THEN, place your design on top of the cement with the PACKING TAPE side up! - Press the tiles into the cement. It is ok if some of the cement touches the packing tape. - ALlow this to cure for at least 24 hours and just to be safe I let it cure for 48 hours BEFORE removing the packing tape. After you remove the packing tape, be sure to give the cememnt any additonal time it may need to cure/dry. Sometimes the packing tape will hold in some moisture and a day of air drying can makesure the cement is dry.
10. Grout as normal~!
This picture is not of the mirror above in the steps, but it is a similar pattern and I did use this method to make this mirror. I am sold on this method and won't be doing the traditional method anymore. This method is much more forgiving!
