by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: October 21, 2008

Mosaics have been around since before Roman times, though the possibilities of using this traditional style in your home are opening up and becoming very popular. When you stop and think of the possibilities of creating something truly unique from very little, it isn't surprising that people are enthused. After walking around the Guell Park in Barcelona and seeing Mosaic used in Gaudi's designs of seating and ornament, the concept becomes easier to understand, and to adapt to your home.

Most people associate mosaic with the use of broken tiles, though what Gaudi did was demonstrate how ceramics of any nature could be used to create color, design and originality. In your home surroundings, this is very simple to do and can be applied to small projects such as table tops, lamp bases, mirror surrounds, etc., or be as ambitious as the wall of a bathroom or shower stall.

In order to start making a design, the project needs to be decided on, since this allows you to take all the necessary measurements and to gather the materials needed. Knowing where traditional tiling stops and the mosaic begins is an ideal situation in the bathroom environment. Similarly with small projects, knowing your measurements allows you to make your design to fit that space afforded. In this article, we demonstrate the principle. This can be applied to any project that you please, though starting small helps you get accustomed to the process and to improve, ready for those gigantic projects. Tools needed are:

*Old dishes in various colors to match in with the scheme you choose.
*Towel.
*Plastic sheeting to protect your work surface.
*Gloves.
*Safety glasses.
*Small mallet.
*Pincers for work with ceramics.
*Tile adhesive,
*Grout.
*Paper, measuring tools, pencil.

It always helps to work to a design. If you can take the size of mosaic you wish to create and put the design onto paper, this makes the process easier. For example, for a plant pot, take the paper around the outside of the pot, and cut this so it is the same size as that pot. This allows you to break up the different areas to be worked, so that you design has perspective. Similarly, on a small picture or mirror frame, always have a paper patter, and transfer this onto the working surface of the object with carbon paper.

When the design is drawn out, remember that to a certain degree you will lose some of the lines while working as these become obscured by adhesive, though these are the lines which will help you to shape and cut your pieces of

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