Mosaics are beautiful and they are fun to create too. Here is a great project for beginners: How To Mosaic A Picture Frame. This mosaic picture frame uses tiles just as they come from the craft or hobby store. No need to do any cutting! We’ll show you how to arrange the tiles to create an ombre mosaic design, how to glue down the tiles, how to mix the grout, and how to grout your mosaic. It’s fun!
Want to watch us do this mosiac project step by step? We have a whole course in mosaics on Curious.com. It’s a really fun place to take video classes. Here’s a link to this project if you want to check it out.
How To Make A Mosaic Picture Frame
Materials
Wooden picture frame
Acrylic craft paint, white
Foam paintbrush
Vitreous glass tiles, 3/4″, Sorbet (Light Green)
Vitreous glass tiles, 3/4″, Snowcap (Light Turquoise)
Vitreous glass tiles, 3/4″, Pacific (Blue)
Vitreous glass tiles, 3/8″, Pacific (Blue)
1 lb. Sanded grout, white (mosaic mercantile)
Beacon quick grip glue
Other Tools & Materials
Latex or nitrile gloves
Dropcloth
Disposable mixing container (like oatmeal canister)
Wooden stir stick
Spray bottle
Sponge
Putty knife
Paper towels
Face mask (optional)
Cup for water
Pail for rinsing sponge
Masking tape
Steps
1. Paint the frame white and let it dry. Mask off any areas that you don’t want to grout. Lay out your mosaic design. This is the puzzle part!
Arrange the tiles so you have 1/8″ to 1/4″ grout lines. We had room for three rows of large tiles and one row of small tiles around our frame. And we created an ombre effect or color merge by arranging the tiles from dark blue to medium blue to light green.
Once you like your design, glue down each tile, putting the glue on the rough side of each tile. Let dry.
2. To mix the grout, wear a mask if desired and don your latex-type gloves. Mix the grout according to the directions on the package. (Ours is one part water to seven parts grout.) Blend the grout and water in the oatmeal canister using the stirring stick until it is the consistency of runny peanut butter. The grout stays workable for about 15 minutes, so get ready to grout the mosaic!
3. Spread the grout onto the surface of the mosaic right over the tiles. (Don’t fret! This looks like it is ruining your mosaic, but it will be fine!) Use a sponge or putty knife to spread the grout around all the tiles. Make sure you apply the grout around the outside edges and in between each and every tile.
4. Let the grout dry for 30 minutes. Check on the grout as it is drying and spray it with a mist of water if there are any areas that look like they are drying faster than the rest. This will prevent cracks.
5. After 30 minutes, use a paper towel or damp sponge to wipe the grout haze off the mosaic tiles. Be careful not to remove the grout from between the tiles.
6. Wait another 30 minutes and buff the haze again. Repeat if necessary.
This is really a wonderful project to get started in mosaics. Let us know if you have any questions at all and we’ll reply. We are always here and happy to help!
Jennifer & Kitty
Love it? Pin it! Thanks!
Can you add tiny glass accents before you grout or should it be done after? Thanks so much
If the glass pieces aren’t sharp, there should be no problem adding them before you grout. Hope that helps!
J&K
Why sanded vs nonsanded grout. Can you add food coloring to change from white?
Sanded grout is better for larger gaps (joints over 1/8-inch-wide) because it shrinks and cracks less than unsanded. You can add acrylic paint to change the color of the grout. Here’s a how-to we did for tinting grout. https://runningwithsisters.com/how-to-make-mosaic-garden-rocks/
Hope that helps!
J&K
Can you explain the purpose for grouting?
Great question Christine! Grouting helps secure the mosaic tiles in place and visually brings the mosaic together. It also protects the substrate (think floors and walls in a bathroom) from moisture and the elements by sealing the tiles to each other. But you don’t have to grout. You can space your tiles tightly and skip the grout step for a different kind of look. Here’s a beautiful example: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bc/b9/68/bcb968a297bed3c85f267cc0d259164d.jpg
We have a mosaic without grout project here on the blog too: https://runningwithsisters.com/how-make-mosaic-house-numbers-with-no-grout/
Or you can use clear resin in place of grout. Here’s an example: https://runningwithsisters.com/mosaic-cocktail-coasters-2/
Hope that helps!
Jennifer & Kitty
Nice and informative.
How thick is the frame.? Also, how did you keep the sides clean when you
applied the grout?
Should the grout just taper away as it reaches the tile on the edge?
Great questions Jenny! We wiped the edge of the frame with a damp sponge to keep it clean as worked. And yes we just tapered the grout to the edge.
Hope that helps!
Jennifer & Kitty