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Morjo ™ 12mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile LOOSE 1/2 LB

Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile 12mm

This color of 12mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile by MORJO ™ is now being sold loose by the 1/2 pound (approximately 185+ pieces), which covers slightly over 1/3 of a square foot with a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. These tiles have a glossy finish, and the glass has solid color throughout (and not just on the tops or bottoms.) They are opaque when mounted on an opaque surface.

Morjo 12mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile cut cleanly into tiny pieces with minimal waste, because of this they are an ideal material for micromosaic artwork. They are hard, durable and UV-resistant. Because of this they can be used for the exteriors of commercial buildings. The fusing process for making these tiles from powdered recycled glass is referred to as “warm glass” or “enamel glass” or “pate de verre.” Mounting grids are available.

Morjo 1/2-Inch Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile

  • tile size: ~1/2 inch (12mm)
  • thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm)
  • sales unit: 1/2 pound loose tile (about 185+ pieces).
  • material: glass
  • variety: recycled glass
  • pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
  • durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
  • usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use

Coverage

Each 1/2-pound bag of about 185+ tiles covers 1/3 of a square foot assuming a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your grouted project.

Grout Gap?

Note that dry indoor mosaics do not have to be grouted (and thus you can simply mount the tiles tightly together), but outdoor and wet mosaics must have grout to prevent water from penetrating behind the tiles. The best way to ensure that the gaps between the tiles is to leave a 1/16-inch gap instead of pressing them tightly together, and this point seems counterintuitive to some people. Consider this: you can never mount them so closely together that water can’t penetrate it, but you can accidentally put them so close that grout doesn’t get adequately pressed into the crack during the grouting process.

Compatibility

These tiles have a NOMINAL thickness of 1/8 inch (4mm), which is the same nominal thickness as most of the glass tile we sell. All tile varies by batch, but any variance in thickness should be irrelevant to most users. You can use these with other brands of recycled glass and even vitreous glass, although the graininess of some vitreous colors might not look good when combined with the homogeneous glassiness of recycled glass tiles.

Cutting Morjo 12mm Glass Mosaic Tile

The MORJO brand cuts like butter into tiny pieces using a pair of Mosaic Glass Cutters. You can make tiny cubes without a lot slivers or cutting waste. This makes them ideal for micromosaic or rendering small details in larger work.

How To Make Mosaics

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or cutting and grouting tile, please see our Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions page or our How To Mosaic blog or our Mosaic Information Guide.

Soft Glass Shapes

Soft Glass Shapes for Mosaic Art

Soft Glass Shapes

Soft Glass Shapes are clear glass shapes with rounded tops and flat bottoms fired with opaque colored enamel. They are sold by the 1/2 pound, which is about 160+ pieces, unless a batch is running slightly thicker than normal. The thickness is about 3/16 inch ( ~5mm ) , with slight variation. Note that the clear glass is softer than glass tile, and so it is possible to scratch these with the sand in grout. Grout with care and avoid buffing too firmly.

Product Specifications

  • Sold by the 1/2 pound.
  • piece count: around 160+
  • clear uncolored glass with opaque enamel bottoms.
  • mixed shapes as pictured.
  • thickness: approximately 3/16 inch ( ~5mm ) .
  • not certified for flooring.
  • Soft clear glass can be scratched by the sand in grout.
Mosaic coaster using our glass shapes by Celia.
Mosaic coaster using our glass shapes by Celia.

Piece Count

Tiles are approximately 3/16 inch ( ~5mm ) + pieces per 1/2 pound.

Product Coverage

Each 1/2-pound sales unit should cover an area of roughly 49 square inches (0.34 square feet) assuming a small grout gap.

Compatibility

Tile thickness is thicker than our 4mm-thick glass mosaic tile, and so these can add some interesting texture to your mosaic.

Cutting Tile

We do not recommend cutting these.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

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Mosaic Coaster Base Doily THICK 5/16 Inch

Doily Coaster Base 4-inch diameter, 5/16" thick, with lacquer finished back.

Mosaic Coaster Base Doily THICK 5/16 Inch is made from cherry hardwood right here in the USA. The doily shaped base is 4 inches wide and 5/16 inches thick, which is thicker than the coasters we originally sold. They are cut out with a laser, so the sides have a natural burnt wood color. The bottom and sides have been lacquered. The top surface is bare wood for a good adhesive bond.

Note that the wood is not recessed to form a border for your mosaic. Instead, your mosaic should extend to the edge of the coaster so that the finished coaster looks like a fragment of an ancient mosaic. This is easiest to do when you use tile without a heavy embossed pattern on the underside, and for this reason, we recommend the 8mm Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile for use with the coasters.

Weldbond adhesive or another high quality PVA glue is recommended for attaching tiles to the coaster base, and there are several options for grouting your mosaic coaster. You can press the tiles closely together instead of leaving a gap, but that requires much more time and effort than leaving an irregular gap and then grouting the mosaic. With an irregular grout gap of 1/16 inch or less, you can use almost every piece of tile you cut because it does not have to be exact. You can also use regular sanded grout to grout it.

Mosaic Art Projects Using Coaster Bases

Product Specifications

  • 1 piece hardwood cherry doily shaped coaster base.
  • wood pattern is natural and varies by piece.
  • width: 4 inches.
  • thickness: 5/16 inches. THICKER than our original coasters.
  • laser cut edges (natural burnt wood finish).
  • lacquered sides and bottoms.
  • bare wood face.
  • made in America

Compatibility

Any type of glass mosaic tile could be used with these, but there is no border on the coaster, so your mosaic will go all the way to the edge. If you use a type of glass tile that has coarse embossing or bevels on the underside, then these might look odd at the edge of the mosaic. It is also more difficult to cut a tile into small pieces if the bottom has an embossed pattern. For these reasons, the coasters are best covered with stained glass or the 8mm and 12mm sizes of recycled glass mosaic tile by Morjo. We prefer Morjo to stained glass because stained glass tends to form sharper edges when cut. Whatever tile you decide to use, make sure you file off any sharp edges at the sides of the mosaic using a rough stone or marble file.

Instructions For Using The Coaster Bases For Detailed Mosaic Art

The coaster bases can be used any way you want, including simple projects for children with tiles glued randomly with variable grout spacing, and these make great first-time projects because they are small and do not require as much time and material. However, it is possible to create a more sophisticated mosaic design on the coaster using these instructions. Due to the limited space provided by the coaster, one of the most important steps is making sure you can cut tile small enough to render the smallest detail of your design and modifying your design if necessary:

  1. Find a design or picture. Google Images is a great source of photos, images, patterns, models to draw from.
  2. Draw a simple cartoon outline of your design.
  3. Try cutting up some tile and arranging it on the cartoon to see how it looks.
  4. Pay special attention to the smallest detail in your design.
  5. If it is not possible to cut tile that small, or the pieces seem too tedious to work with, then simplify your design.
  6. Note that when you start using glue, it will be easier to arrange small pieces because they will not move around as unexpectedly. Tweezers also help.
  7. Once you have you have verified that your design is not too detailed to be rendered in tile, then sketch the cartoon on the coaster in pencil.
  8. You can darken your pencil sketch with a Sharpie brand marker so that glue does not rub it off once you start working.
  9. Wipe Weldbond glue over the face of the coaster and allow to dry to seal the wood. Use a very thin coat to avoid warping the coaster from the moisture in the glue! Remember, the reason you are sealing the coaster in the first place is to avoid warping it later when you use lots of glue for the tiles. Use two light coasts and allow to dry thoroughly between coats.
  10. Start tiling your design from the center and working to the edges.
  11. Leaving an irregular grout gap of 1/16 inch or less is much easier than fitting the tile tightly together.
  12. At the edge of the coaster, cut the tile so that it fits flush with the edge. You can place a tile on the coaster, mark where it should be cut with a Sharpie marker before gluing and then make the cut.
  13. Use the fine side of a marble file or a piece of rough stone to rub the edge of the cut tile so that the edge is not as sharp.
  14. After the glue has completely dried (preferably for 48+ hours) grout your mosaic with sanded grout.

How Much Tile Do I Need For The Coaster Base?

The top surface of a 4-inch doily shaped coaster base has only 12.4 square inches (0.09 square feet) in area. This means you could cover it with 20 to 56 pieces of the 12mm Morjo or 88 to 126 pieces of the 8mm Morjo depending on how you cut and space the tile. In either case, you might want to order more than that to account for the cutting waste, possibly twice as much if you are fitting the tile exactly with no grout gap.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

Mosaic Coaster Base Star THICK 5/16 Inch

mosaic coaster base star

Mosaic Coaster Base star THICK 5/16 Inch is made from cherry hardwood right here in the USA. The star shaped base is 4 inches wide and 5/16 inches thick, which is thicker than the coasters we originally sold. They are cut out with a laser, so the sides have a natural burnt wood color. The bottom and sides have been lacquered. The top surface is bare wood for a good adhesive bond.

Note that the wood is not recessed to form a border for your mosaic. Instead, your mosaic should extend to the edge of the coaster so that the finished coaster looks like a fragment of an ancient mosaic. This is easiest to do when you use tile without a heavy embossed pattern on the underside, and for this reason, we recommend the 8mm Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile for use with the coasters.

Weldbond adhesive or another high quality PVA glue is recommended for attaching tiles to the coaster base, and there are several options for grouting your mosaic coaster. You can press the tiles closely together instead of leaving a gap, but that requires much more time and effort than leaving an irregular gap and then grouting the mosaic. With an irregular grout gap of 1/16 inch or less, you can use almost every piece of tile you cut because it does not have to be exact. You can also use regular sanded grout to grout it.

Mosaic Art Projects Using Coaster Bases

Product Specifications

  • 1 piece hardwood cherry star shaped coaster base.
  • wood pattern is natural and varies by piece.
  • width: 4 inches.
  • thickness: 5/16 inches. THICKER than our original coasters.
  • laser cut edges (natural burnt wood finish).
  • lacquered sides and bottoms.
  • bare wood face.
  • made in America

Compatibility

Any type of glass mosaic tile could be used with these, but there is no border on the coaster, so your mosaic will go all the way to the edge. If you use a type of glass tile that has coarse embossing or bevels on the underside, then these might look odd at the edge of the mosaic. It is also more difficult to cut a tile into small pieces if the bottom has an embossed pattern. For these reasons, the coasters are best covered with stained glass or the 8mm and 12mm sizes of recycled glass mosaic tile by Morjo. We prefer Morjo to stained glass because stained glass tends to form sharper edges when cut. Whatever tile you decide to use, make sure you file off any sharp edges at the sides of the mosaic using a rough stone or marble file.

Instructions For Using The Coaster Bases For Detailed Mosaic Art

The coaster bases can be used any way you want, including simple projects for children with tiles glued randomly with variable grout spacing, and these make great first-time projects because they are small and do not require as much time and material. However, it is possible to create a more sophisticated mosaic design on the coaster using these instructions. Due to the limited space provided by the coaster, one of the most important steps is making sure you can cut tile small enough to render the smallest detail of your design and modifying your design if necessary:

  1. Find a design or picture. Google Images is a great source of photos, images, patterns, models to draw from.
  2. Draw a simple cartoon outline of your design.
  3. Try cutting up some tile and arranging it on the cartoon to see how it looks.
  4. Pay special attention to the smallest detail in your design.
  5. If it is not possible to cut tile that small, or the pieces seem too tedious to work with, then simplify your design.
  6. Note that when you start using glue, it will be easier to arrange small pieces because they will not move around as unexpectedly. Tweezers also help.
  7. Once you have you have verified that your design is not too detailed to be rendered in tile, then sketch the cartoon on the coaster in pencil.
  8. You can darken your pencil sketch with a Sharpie brand marker so that glue does not rub it off once you start working.
  9. Wipe Weldbond glue over the face of the coaster and allow to dry to seal the wood. Use a very thin coat to avoid warping the coaster from the moisture in the glue! Remember, the reason you are sealing the coaster in the first place is to avoid warping it later when you use lots of glue for the tiles. Use two light coasts and allow to dry thoroughly between coats.
  10. Start tiling your design from the center and working to the edges.
  11. Leaving an irregular grout gap of 1/16 inch or less is much easier than fitting the tile tightly together.
  12. At the edge of the coaster, cut the tile so that it fits flush with the edge. You can place a tile on the coaster, mark where it should be cut with a Sharpie marker before gluing and then make the cut.
  13. Use the fine side of a marble file or a piece of rough stone to rub the edge of the cut tile so that the edge is not as sharp.
  14. After the glue has completely dried (preferably for 48+ hours) grout your mosaic with sanded grout.

How Much Tile Do I Need For The Coaster Base?

The top surface of a 4-inch star shaped coaster base has only 5.3 square inches (0.04 square feet) in area. This means you could cover it with 20 to 25 pieces of the 12mm Morjo or 38 to 54 pieces of the 8mm Morjo depending on how you cut and space the tile. In either case, you might want to order more than that to account for the cutting waste, possibly twice as much if you are fitting the tile exactly with no grout gap.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

Mosaic Coaster Base Heart THICK 5/16 Inch

Heart Coaster Base ~4-inch across, 5/16" thick, with lacquer finished back.

Mosaic Coaster Base Heart THICK 5/16 Inch is made from cherry hardwood right here in the USA. The heart shaped base is 4 inches wide and 5/16 inches thick, which is thicker than the coasters we originally sold. They are cut out with a laser, so the sides have a natural burnt wood color. The bottom and sides have been lacquered. The top surface is bare wood for a good adhesive bond.

Note that the wood is not recessed to form a border for your mosaic. Instead, your mosaic should extend to the edge of the coaster so that the finished coaster looks like a fragment of an ancient mosaic. This is easiest to do when you use tile without a heavy embossed pattern on the underside, and for this reason, we recommend the 8mm Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile for use with the coasters.

Weldbond adhesive or another high quality PVA glue is recommended for attaching tiles to the coaster base, and there are several options for grouting your mosaic coaster. You can press the tiles closely together instead of leaving a gap, but that requires much more time and effort than leaving an irregular gap and then grouting the mosaic. With an irregular grout gap of 1/16 inch or less, you can use almost every piece of tile you cut because it does not have to be exact. You can also use regular sanded grout to grout it.

Mosaic Art Projects Using Coaster Bases

Product Specifications

  • 1 piece hardwood cherry heart shaped coaster base.
  • wood pattern is natural and varies by piece.
  • width: 4 inches.
  • thickness: 5/16 inches. THICKER than our original coasters.
  • laser cut edges (natural burnt wood finish).
  • lacquered sides and bottoms.
  • bare wood face.
  • made in America

Compatibility

Any type of glass mosaic tile could be used with these, but there is no border on the coaster, so your mosaic will go all the way to the edge. If you use a type of glass tile that has coarse embossing or bevels on the underside, then these might look odd at the edge of the mosaic. It is also more difficult to cut a tile into small pieces if the bottom has an embossed pattern. For these reasons, the coasters are best covered with stained glass or the 8mm and 12mm sizes of recycled glass mosaic tile by Morjo. We prefer Morjo to stained glass because stained glass tends to form sharper edges when cut. Whatever tile you decide to use, make sure you file off any sharp edges at the sides of the mosaic using a rough stone or marble file.

Instructions For Using The Coaster Bases For Detailed Mosaic Art

The coaster bases can be used any way you want, including simple projects for children with tiles glued randomly with variable grout spacing, and these make great first-time projects because they are small and do not require as much time and material. However, it is possible to create a more sophisticated mosaic design on the coaster using these instructions. Due to the limited space provided by the coaster, one of the most important steps is making sure you can cut tile small enough to render the smallest detail of your design and modifying your design if necessary:

  1. Find a design or picture. Google Images is a great source of photos, images, patterns, models to draw from.
  2. Draw a simple cartoon outline of your design.
  3. Try cutting up some tile and arranging it on the cartoon to see how it looks.
  4. Pay special attention to the smallest detail in your design.
  5. If it is not possible to cut tile that small, or the pieces seem too tedious to work with, then simplify your design.
  6. Note that when you start using glue, it will be easier to arrange small pieces because they will not move around as unexpectedly. Tweezers also help.
  7. Once you have you have verified that your design is not too detailed to be rendered in tile, then sketch the cartoon on the coaster in pencil.
  8. You can darken your pencil sketch with a Sharpie brand marker so that glue does not rub it off once you start working.
  9. Wipe Weldbond glue over the face of the coaster and allow to dry to seal the wood. Use a very thin coat to avoid warping the coaster from the moisture in the glue! Remember, the reason you are sealing the coaster in the first place is to avoid warping it later when you use lots of glue for the tiles. Use two light coasts and allow to dry thoroughly between coats.
  10. Start tiling your design from the center and working to the edges.
  11. Leaving an irregular grout gap of 1/16 inch or less is much easier than fitting the tile tightly together.
  12. At the edge of the coaster, cut the tile so that it fits flush with the edge. You can place a tile on the coaster, mark where it should be cut with a Sharpie marker before gluing and then make the cut.
  13. Use the fine side of a marble file or a piece of rough stone to rub the edge of the cut tile so that the edge is not as sharp.
  14. After the glue has completely dried (preferably for 48+ hours) grout your mosaic with sanded grout.

How Much Tile Do I Need For The Coaster Base?

The top surface of a 4-inch heart shaped coaster base has only 10 square inches (0.07 square feet) in area. This means you could cover it with 35 to 45 pieces of the 12mm Morjo or 70 to 100 pieces of the 8mm Morjo depending on how you cut and space the tile. In either case, you might want to order more than that to account for the cutting waste, possibly twice as much if you are fitting the tile exactly with no grout gap.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

Mosaic Coaster Base Square THICK 5/16 Inch

Square Coaster Base 4-inch across, 5/16" thick, with lacquer finished back.

Mosaic Coaster Base Square THICK 5/16 Inch is made from cherry hardwood right here in the USA. The square base is 4 inches wide and 5/16 inches thick, which is thicker than the coasters we originally sold. They are cut out with a laser, so the sides have a natural burnt wood color. The bottom and sides have been lacquered. The top surface is bare wood for a good adhesive bond.

Note that the wood is not recessed to form a border for your mosaic. Instead, your mosaic should extend to the edge of the coaster so that the finished coaster looks like a fragment of an ancient mosaic. This is easiest to do when you use tile without a heavy embossed pattern on the underside, and for this reason, we recommend the 8mm Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile for use with the coasters.

Weldbond adhesive or another high quality PVA glue is recommended for attaching tiles to the coaster base, and there are several options for grouting your mosaic coaster. You can press the tiles closely together instead of leaving a gap, but that requires much more time and effort than leaving an irregular gap and then grouting the mosaic. With an irregular grout gap of 1/16 inch or less, you can use almost every piece of tile you cut because it does not have to be exact. You can also use regular sanded grout to grout it.

Mosaic Art Projects Using Coaster Bases

Product Specifications

  • 1 piece hardwood cherry square coaster base.
  • wood pattern is natural and varies by piece.
  • width: 4 inches.
  • thickness: 5/16 inches. THICKER than our original coasters.
  • laser cut edges (natural burnt wood finish).
  • lacquered sides and bottoms.
  • bare wood face.
  • made in America

Compatibility

Any type of glass mosaic tile could be used with these, but there is no border on the coaster, so your mosaic will go all the way to the edge. If you use a type of glass tile that has coarse embossing or bevels on the underside, then these might look odd at the edge of the mosaic. It is also more difficult to cut a tile into small pieces if the bottom has an embossed pattern. For these reasons, the coasters are best covered with stained glass or the 8mm and 12mm sizes of recycled glass mosaic tile by Morjo. We prefer Morjo to stained glass because stained glass tends to form sharper edges when cut. Whatever tile you decide to use, make sure you file off any sharp edges at the sides of the mosaic using a rough stone or marble file.

Instructions For Using The Coaster Bases For Detailed Mosaic Art

The coaster bases can be used any way you want, including simple projects for children with tiles glued randomly with variable grout spacing, and these make great first-time projects because they are small and do not require as much time and material. However, it is possible to create a more sophisticated mosaic design on the coaster using these instructions. Due to the limited space provided by the coaster, one of the most important steps is making sure you can cut tile small enough to render the smallest detail of your design and modifying your design if necessary:

  1. Find a design or picture. Google Images is a great source of photos, images, patterns, models to draw from.
  2. Draw a simple cartoon outline of your design.
  3. Try cutting up some tile and arranging it on the cartoon to see how it looks.
  4. Pay special attention to the smallest detail in your design.
  5. If it is not possible to cut tile that small, or the pieces seem too tedious to work with, then simplify your design.
  6. Note that when you start using glue, it will be easier to arrange small pieces because they will not move around as unexpectedly. Tweezers also help.
  7. Once you have you have verified that your design is not too detailed to be rendered in tile, then sketch the cartoon on the coaster in pencil.
  8. You can darken your pencil sketch with a Sharpie brand marker so that glue does not rub it off once you start working.
  9. Wipe Weldbond glue over the face of the coaster and allow to dry to seal the wood. Use a very thin coat to avoid warping the coaster from the moisture in the glue! Remember, the reason you are sealing the coaster in the first place is to avoid warping it later when you use lots of glue for the tiles. Use two light coasts and allow to dry thoroughly between coats.
  10. Start tiling your design from the center and working to the edges.
  11. Leaving an irregular grout gap of 1/16 inch or less is much easier than fitting the tile tightly together.
  12. At the edge of the coaster, cut the tile so that it fits flush with the edge. You can place a tile on the coaster, mark where it should be cut with a Sharpie marker before gluing and then make the cut.
  13. Use the fine side of a marble file or a piece of rough stone to rub the edge of the cut tile so that the edge is not as sharp.
  14. After the glue has completely dried (preferably for 48+ hours) grout your mosaic with sanded grout.

How Much Tile Do I Need For The Coaster Base?

The top surface of a 4-inch square coaster base has only 16 square inches (0.11 square feet) in area. This means you could cover it with 56 to 72 pieces of the 12mm Morjo or 112 to 161 pieces of the 8mm Morjo depending on how you cut and space the tile. In either case, you might want to order more than that to account for the cutting waste, possibly twice as much if you are fitting the tile exactly with no grout gap.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

Mosaic Coaster Base Circular Round THICK 5/16 Inch

Circular Coaster Base 4-inch diameter, 5/16" thick, with lacquer finished back.

Mosaic Coaster Base Circular Round THICK 5/16 Inch is made from cherry hardwood right here in the USA. The circular base is 4 inches in diameter and 5/16 inches thick, which is thicker than the coasters we originally sold. They are cut out with a laser, so the sides have a natural burnt wood color. The bottom and sides have been lacquered. The top surface is bare wood for a good adhesive bond.

Note that the wood is not recessed to form a border for your mosaic. Instead, your mosaic should extend to the edge of the coaster so that the finished coaster looks like a fragment of an ancient mosaic. This is easiest to do when you use tile without a heavy embossed pattern on the underside, and for this reason, we recommend the 8mm Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile for use with the coasters.

Weldbond adhesive or another high quality PVA glue is recommended for attaching tiles to the coaster base, and there are several options for grouting your mosaic coaster. You can press the tiles closely together instead of leaving a gap, but that requires much more time and effort than leaving an irregular gap and then grouting the mosaic. With an irregular grout gap of 1/16 inch or less, you can use almost every piece of tile you cut because it does not have to be exact. You can also use regular sanded grout to grout it.

Mosaic Art Projects Using Coaster Bases

Product Specifications

  • 1 piece hardwood cherry circular coaster base.
  • wood pattern is natural and varies by piece.
  • diameter: 4 inches.
  • thickness: 5/16 inches. THICKER than our original coasters.
  • laser cut edges (natural burnt wood finish).
  • lacquered sides and bottoms.
  • bare wood face.
  • made in America

Compatibility

Any type of glass mosaic tile could be used with these, but there is no border on the coaster, so your mosaic will go all the way to the edge. If you use a type of glass tile that has coarse embossing or bevels on the underside, then these might look odd at the edge of the mosaic. It is also more difficult to cut a tile into small pieces if the bottom has an embossed pattern. For these reasons, the coasters are best covered with stained glass or the 8mm and 12mm sizes of recycled glass mosaic tile by Morjo. We prefer Morjo to stained glass because stained glass tends to form sharper edges when cut. Whatever tile you decide to use, make sure you file off any sharp edges at the sides of the mosaic using a rough stone or marble file.

Instructions For Using The Coaster Bases For Detailed Mosaic Art

The coaster bases can be used any way you want, including simple projects for children with tiles glued randomly with variable grout spacing, and these make great first-time projects because they are small and do not require as much time and material. However, it is possible to create a more sophisticated mosaic design on the coaster using these instructions. Due to the limited space provided by the coaster, one of the most important steps is making sure you can cut tile small enough to render the smallest detail of your design and modifying your design if necessary:

  1. Find a design or picture. Google Images is a great source of photos, images, patterns, models to draw from.
  2. Draw a simple cartoon outline of your design.
  3. Try cutting up some tile and arranging it on the cartoon to see how it looks.
  4. Pay special attention to the smallest detail in your design.
  5. If it is not possible to cut tile that small, or the pieces seem too tedious to work with, then simplify your design.
  6. Note that when you start using glue, it will be easier to arrange small pieces because they will not move around as unexpectedly. Tweezers also help.
  7. Once you have you have verified that your design is not too detailed to be rendered in tile, then sketch the cartoon on the coaster in pencil.
  8. You can darken your pencil sketch with a Sharpie brand marker so that glue does not rub it off once you start working.
  9. Wipe Weldbond glue over the face of the coaster and allow to dry to seal the wood. Use a very thin coat to avoid warping the coaster from the moisture in the glue! Remember, the reason you are sealing the coaster in the first place is to avoid warping it later when you use lots of glue for the tiles. Use two light coasts and allow to dry thoroughly between coats.
  10. Start tiling your design from the center and working to the edges.
  11. Leaving an irregular grout gap of 1/16 inch or less is much easier than fitting the tile tightly together.
  12. At the edge of the coaster, cut the tile so that it fits flush with the edge. You can place a tile on the coaster, mark where it should be cut with a Sharpie marker before gluing and then make the cut.
  13. Use the fine side of a marble file or a piece of rough stone to rub the edge of the cut tile so that the edge is not as sharp.
  14. After the glue has completely dried (preferably for 48+ hours) grout your mosaic with sanded grout.

How Much Tile Do I Need For The Coaster Base?

The top surface of a 4-inch circular coaster base has only 12.6 square inches (0.09 square feet) in area. This means you could cover it with 45 to 60 of the 12mm Morjo or 90 to 130 of the 8mm Morjo depending on how you cut and space the tile. In either case, you might want to order more than that to account for the cutting waste, possibly twice as much if you are fitting the tile exactly with no grout gap.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

Irregular Glazed Ceramic Tile

irregular-glazed-ceramic-tile

Irregular Glazed Ceramic Tile are molded pieces in the irregular shapes shown. They are sold by the 1/4 pound, which is over 80 pieces, unless a batch is running slightly thicker than normal. The thickness is about 3-4mm with slight variation.

The product is scooped at random, and we cannot control the quantity of each shape in a 1/4-pound scoop or pick certain shapes for you. The shapes come mixed as assortments from the factory.

Irregular Glazed Ceramic Tile

  • Sold by the 1/4 pound.
  • piece count: around 80+
  • glazed ceramic tile in molded angular shapes.
  • sizes: around an inch and less.
  • thickness: roughly 3-4mm. varies slightly.
  • not certified for flooring. The glazes of the metallic colors would be extremely vulnerable to scratching.
  • metallic and iridized colors should not be used outdoors or in wet environments.
  • Susceptible to freeze damage. Use a tile and grout sealer.

Preventing Freeze Damage

Glazed ceramic materials are particularly susceptible to freeze damage, as are all porous materials. There are micro cracks in the glaze, which allows moisture to penetrate into the pores of the ceramic and then freeze, expand and crack the material. This can be minimized by sealing your FINISHED mosaic with multiple applications of a tile and grout sealer from the local building material store. You can also prevent this damage by bringing you stepping stones and mosaic lawn sculptures inside for the winter months.

Piece Count

Piece count varies because thickness varies by batch, but assume 80+ pieces per 1/4 pound.

Product Coverage

Each 1/4-pound sales unit should cover an area of roughly 5 x 5 inches or 25 square inches (0.17 square feet) assuming a small grout gap.

Compatibility

The thickness varies between batches and even within a batch, but not by much. Most artists could mix these with glass mosaic tile and not be bothered by any slight difference in thickness, but if a batch ran particularly thick, the unglazed sides of the ceramic tile might be slightly visible above the thinner glass tile if you don’t grout.

Cutting Tile

These can be cut with a Mosaic Tile Nipper such as we sell, but there may be some scrap.

Use in Mosaic Art

As discussed above, sealing with a tile and grout sealer is important for preventing freeze damage. These can be used with glass mosaic tile. We do not recommend these for use in flooring because the glazes might scratch, particularly the metallic colors. The metallic and iridized colors should not be used outdoors or in wet environments.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

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Glazed Ceramic Tile Charms

Glazed Ceramic Tile Charms

Glazed Ceramic Tile Charms are assortments of 16 different shapes. These tiles are tiny. They are sold by the 1/4 pound, which is over 190 pieces, possibly over 220 pieces if a batch of tile is running slightly thinner.

The product is scooped at random, and we cannot control the quantity of each shape in a 1/4-pound scoop or pick certain shapes for you. The shapes come mixed as assortments from the factory.

The 16 different shapes in the assortments are stars, crescent moons, arrows, flowers, hearts, ovals, eggs, triangles, pentagons, circles, semicircles, wedges, drops, trapezoids, diamonds, and blundersnurks.

Glazed Ceramic Charms

  • Sold by the 1/4 pound.
  • glazed ceramic tile in 16 symbolic shapes.
  • width: less than 1/4 inch.
  • thickness: roughly 4mm-5mm. varies slightly.
  • not certified for flooring. The glazes of the metallic colors would be extremely vulnerable to scratching.
  • metallic and iridized colors should not be used outdoors or in wet environments.
  • Susceptible to freeze damage. Use a tile and grout sealer.

Preventing Freeze Damage

Glazed ceramic materials are particularly susceptible to freeze damage, as are all porous materials. There are micro cracks in the glaze, which allows moisture to penetrate into the pores of the ceramic and then freeze, expand and crack the material. This can be minimized by sealing your FINISHED mosaic with multiple applications of a tile and grout sealer from the local building material store. You can also prevent this damage by bringing you stepping stones and mosaic lawn sculptures inside for the winter months.

Piece Count

Piece count varies because thickness varies by batch. If a batch is running slightly thinner, then 1/4 pound might contain 230 pieces. If a batch is running slightly thicker, then 1/4 pound might only contain 190 pieces.

Product Coverage

Each 1/4-pound sales unit should cover an area of roughly 5 x 5 inches or 25 square inches (0.17 square feet) assuming a small grout gap.

Compatibility

Tile thickness is slightly thicker than our 4mm-thick glass mosaic tile, and the thickness varies between batches and even within a batch, but not by much. Most artists could mix these with glass mosaic tile and not be bothered by any slight difference in thickness, but if a batch ran particularly thick, the unglazed sides of the ceramic tile might be slightly visible above the thinner glass tile if you don’t grout.

Cutting Tile

Cutting should not be required due to the small size, but these could be cut with a Mosaic Tile Nipper such as we sell.

Use in Mosaic Art

As discussed above, sealing with a tile and grout sealer is important for preventing freeze damage. These can be used with glass mosaic tile. The metallic and iridized colors should not be used outdoors or in wet environments.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

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Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm

Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm

Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm are over 5/16 inch thick and sold loose in bags of 1/2 kg, which is approximately 130 to 150 pieces. These are fine porcelain with solid color throughout. Raw, unpolished. The corners and edges are sharp. They will more naturally match the edges of any cuts you need to make, but you should smooth sharp exposed corners with the fine side of a marble file for safety reasons. These tiles and very hard and durable, but they can be cut with our Compound Tile Nipper.

Never Install Tile in Batches

Tile varies by manufacturer batch, and sometimes a color will go out of stock for an extended period if the manufacturer isn’t making it. You should never install tile before you are sure that you have all the tile you need. You could attempt to order more and find that the manufacturer has changed the color or discontinued it.

Product Coverage

Some colors are sold loose in 1/2-kg bags of approximately 130 to 150 tiles. Assuming a standard grout gap of approximately 1/16 inch, a bag of 1/2 kg will cover 60 square inches or 0.4 square inches. To cover 1 square foot, you will need about 3 bags. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your project.

Compatibility

For best results, these should only be used with thick ceramic and stone tiles instead of most glass. These tiles are 8mm thick, which is twice the thickness of most of the glass mosaic tile we sell. If you mount these on a flat surface alongside 4mm thick glass mosaic tile, then the glass would be recessed significantly, which might not look right because the corner edges of the porcelain tiles are pretty crisp (not rounded).

Use With Glass Tile

There is a way to use these with thinner materials, and that is to temporarily face mount the pieces on mounting tape or mounting paper and then press the sheet of tile into a bed of thinset mortar. The extra mortar beneath the thin glass tile will contract (or “thin”) as it hardens (“sets”), and that means the glass tile would still be recessed some compared to the thicker porcelain tile.

The unglazed porcelain is not glossy like glass, so there would be differences in sheen or finish between the two materials, but that is not necessarily a negative thing.

Cutting Porcelain Tile

This product is not soft like most glazed ceramic tile. Porcelain is extremely hard, but it can be cut. Our Compound Tile Nipper is the recommended tool for hard materials like stone and porcelain. A Marble File is also required for smoothing the edges of cuts and shaping the pieces. Corners can be sharp because this material is very hard. Exposed corners should be rounded with the file for safety reasons.

Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm

  • sold by 1/2 kg, which is approximately 130 to 150 pieces.
  • fine porcelain with solid color throughout.
  • crisp edges, which more naturally matches cut edges.
  • Each tile is 15 mm x 15 mm x 8 mm thick (approximately 9/16 inch x 9/16 inch x 5/16 inch)
  • Coverage: 1/2 kg will cover 0.4 square feet when using a standard grout gap of approximately 1/16 inch.
  • Frost-proof, impervious to liquid.
  • Suitable for indoor or outdoor use.

IMPORTANT INSTALLATION TIPS

For architectural installations, the manufacturer recommends that the porcelain tile be installed with a latex-modified thin set mortar instead of glue. For dry indoor mosaics, we use Weldbond glue.

Porcelain is essentially non-porous and impervious to moisture, and so it is supposedly not stained by grouting, but we have noticed discrete pits and divots in the surface of the tile that can be filled with grout. For this reason, we recommend using GROUT RELEASE (from a building materials store) on the mosaic before grouting:

  1. Mount the tiles to the surface to be covered.
  2. Use a rag or small artists paint brush to apply GROUT RELEASE to the face of the tiles.
  3. Take care not to drip excess GROUT RELEASE in between the tiles or down the sides of the tiles or any place grout will need to bond.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

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