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Contact Us

Mosaic Art Supply, LLC (warehouse)
2964 Alcove Drive
Scottdale, GA 30079
help@mosaicartsupply.com

We do all of our customer service via email. We answer all emails very quickly, and email allows us to understand and answer your questions with much better clarity than you’d ever get from a call center. When you email us, you always talk to a real human who can help you right away.

We’ll never give you a run-around – you’re emails are always answered by our employees right here in the warehouse. The same ones picking, packing and shipping your order.

Email has the added benefit of allowing us to offer project advice, share photos, and links to helpful pages and specific products.

E-Mail Is Best

inspire@mosaicartsupply.com
help@mosaicartsupply.com
service@mosaicartsupply.com

If you have trouble sending to the email address above, please email Joe Moorman at the gallery joemoorman@riversonfineart.com

Phone Orders

Placing order via our website is more secure than placing an order over telephone for this reason: When you pay with a credit card on our website, that information is given directly to the payment processor via a safe, encrypted channel. We don’t retain any credit card information at all, so your information is secure in that regard. This is much, much more secure than sending us your payment information over telephone or other means. When we put in the payment info for you, we are transmitting it on the same encrypted channel that is used when you check out. Because of this, it is actually faster to place your order online.

Phone

404-371-4070

Please use email and help us keep your prices low. Our phone is for delivery drivers, and is not regularly monitored. Usually we have a very detailed answer posted online, and we can email you the link in a snap.

The following issues are best resolved by email:

tracking numbers
where is my order?
damaged or missing packages
clarification of colors
errors in your order
returns
project advice
grout disasters
how to order
shipping time

Fax

404-795-0444

If you are faxing us a PO order, then please create an order at our website and select MONEY ORDER as the payment option. An order in our website makes sure that your items are not sold to other customers and that the shipping/insurance cost for your PO are correct.

Warehouse Address

Mosaic Art Supply’s warehouse in Scottdale is NOT open to the public for walk-in retail sales.Our insurance policy and our manufacturing activities do not allow uninvited visitors.

Contractor pickup is available for ONLINE orders over $500. Please do not show up without first placing an order online. Our employees cannot allow you to enter without your invoice number.

Warehouse address (no public access): Mosaic Art Supply, LLC 2964 Alcove Drive Scottdale, Georgia 30079

Paper Mounted vs Mesh Mounted Glass Mosaic Tile

We have mesh available by the foot, or by the roll. Mounting paper can be ordered in 5 sheet or 10 sheet quantities.

Glass mosaic tile is occasionally sold loose for crafters and artists, but it usually comes mounted to allow quick installation and even spacing between tiles in architectural applications. Many manufacturers mount glass mosaic tile on a fiberglass mesh the same way that ceramic tile often comes. This fiberglass mesh is on the back sides of the tiles and meant to be glued to the surface being covered. The problem with mesh-mounted products is that the mesh is increasingly more difficult to remove if you want loose tile because the technology and adhesives have improved so much.

Mesh-Mounted Tile — Some tile comes mounted on top of mesh.

Glass mosaic tile often comes FACE-mounted on paper sheets. This method is particularly popular with manufacturers of 3/4 inch glass mosaic tile in Italy and China as it helps ensure that the tiles don’t become damaged during shipment. You can verify that the tiles are glued face down by noticing that the back sides are exposed. These sides will have ridges to allow adhesive to bond more securely to an otherwise slick glass surface. The important point is how face-mounted sheets of glass mosaic tile are installed.

Paper-Mounted Tile — Most of our tile is mounted face-down on paper like this.

Paper is much more easily removed than mesh. Generally, it only requires a few hours soaking in water, and often the tiles fall right off.

Installing Face-Mounted Sheets of Glass Mosaic Tile

Tile mastic or another adhesive is first applied to the wall or floor. The sheets are then pressed into the glue WITH THE PAPER SIDE OUT. After the glue has had time to bond securely, the paper sheets are then sprayed with a small amount of water until they slide from the face of the tiles. Usually the installer will then go back and straighten or replace any tiles that have fallen off the wall. With the paper gone, the tiles can then be grouted. Artists and crafters can get loose tile from face-mounted paper sheets simply by soaking in warm water.

Cheap Mosaic Tile

3/4" Vitreous Glass — 3/4″ Vitreous Glass

3/8" Vitreous Glass Mosaic Tiles — 3/8″ Vitreous Glass

12mm Recycled Glass Tile — 12mm Recycled

8mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile — 8mm Recycled

Mosaic tile and improvised mosaic tile can be obtained cheaply from various sources: returns to building material stores, construction dumpsters and home renovations, old dinnerware from thrift stores and garage sales, lawn and garden stores (for rounded river pebbles and crushed stone), bottles from recycling centers, etc. Rock tumblers are useful for processing some of this material, but some of it can be used as obtained (or with a little cutting). However, vitreous glass and recycled glass tile can actually be more affordable, especially if you consider the time spent reclaiming and preparing material for use in a mosaic.

Baba Farid Ji mosaic portrait — This portrait by Harjeet Singh Sandhu was made with our inexpensive 3/4″ glass tiles.

Morjo 12mm Recycled Glass Tile — 12mm Morjo^TM is one of the most affordable brands of recycled glass tile available.

Mosaic Art Supply Salvage, Broken, and Reworked Assortment — Our Salvage Assortment is an affordable way to get a fantastic mix of material for use in mosaic projects.

We are excited to tell you about an affordable new line of 3/4" vitreous glass mosaic tile. With a rainbow of intense colors, these tiles will make a beautiful addition to any mosaic art project! — Morjo^TM Vitreous Tile is the most affordable vitreous tile available, and also comes in 3/8″ mini size tiles.

For molded glass mosaic tile, the best value is usually the 3/4″ vitreous glass tile, which is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy to cut and different brands can be used together in the same mosaic. This is a key point because artists often have to source from different brands to get all of the colors they need due to temporary shortages at a particular manufacturer. Morjo^TM Vitreous Tile is the most affordable vitreous tile available, and also comes in 3/8″ mini size tiles.

Another important point about vitreous glass tile is that it is NOT limited to beginners or craft projects. Much of the artwork featured on this website was created by professional artists using vitreous, including the naturalistic mosaic portraits done by Harjeet Singh Sandhu.

Lastly, glass mosaic tile is impervious to water, and therefore frost proof and suitable for outdoor use.

You can view many fantastic artworks made with vitreous glass tiles on our Mosaic Artists Gallery.

Frequently Asked Mosaic Questions — Mosaic Project FAQ

Using contact paper for mosaic — Using contact paper

Rough Minerals 1/2 Pound

Natural undyed minerals, crystals, and stones for use in mixed-media mosaics with other found objects that are attached by pressing into thinset mortar or concrete. Do not expect these to be attached or grouted in the same way as flat tiles. Use these stones as accents and not as coverage for large areas. Do not order is your project cannot tolerate variance in size and shape. Individual pieces will vary from the photo, which is only meant to be representative.

Rough Minerals In Mosaic Art

Avoid Grout Staining

Crystals are fairly resistant to staining, but other unpolished minerals are easily stained by grout, just as seashells and other porous materials are. That is why mixed-media mosaics made from porous materials are not grouted. Instead, these type of objects are pressed into a layer of thinset mortar applied with a small trowel or palette knife. Use enough thinset to ensure that some of it squeezes up into the gaps between objects but not so much that is covers the object.

Product Coverage

Rough minerals are not sold for area coverage, and there is no way to give an objective answer to how much area a bag could cover even if every bag contained identical pieces. Why? No two artists would ever position or nest the same set of irregularly-shaped pieces in the same way. Irregularly-shaped objects do not necessarily look best when mounted side by side like flat tile. Instead, most artists tend to position them in partially upright postures that stick out from the surface of the mosaic. Also, these materials are usually nested with pieces partially leaning on neighbors. The extent to which pieces partially overlap each other is a subjective decision.

Compatibility

Most of our glass mosaic tile is about 1/8 inch thick, and rough chunks of minerals and crystals are significantly thicker, but they can be used in the same mosaic provided the artist understands that the unpolished minerals cannot be grouted in the same manner as the tile.

Cutting Rough Minerals

Different mineral types can be cut with varying degrees of success using a Compound Tile Nipper, but be aware that some crysals and semiprecious stones may break in unpredictable ways rather than cut cleanly. Avoid designs that require precise cuts. Use designs that take advantage of natural shapes, and if there is a rough edge that needs to be hidden, press that side into the mortar. A Marble File can be used to smooth rough edges.

Product Specifications

1/2 pound of natural undyed material.
size and shape varies by batch.
piece count varies by batch.

Found-Object Mosaic Art

Mosaic artists experienced with flat tile only should carefully read the information above before using minerals and other non-flat objects. These materials are not difficult to use in mosaic art, merely different from flat tile. Each piece is best thought of as a unique object instead of stock material that can be cut up precisely as needed.

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. ; [product_table category=”rough-minerals” widths=”auto,auto,12,12,20″] ;

Small Polished Gemstones

Small Polished Gemstones are natural undyed stone sold in 1/4 pound lots. There are approximately 40 to 60 pieces per 1/4 pound. Piece size ranges from approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Gemstones have natural variation in their exact color, pattern, and shape. Do not order if that is a problem. Gemstones should be used as accents not area coverage. Coverage varies based on how the gemstones are nested and whether or not they are placed on end or flat.

Product Specifications

tumble-polished natural undyed gemstones.
material can vary by color and pattern.
price is per 1/4 pound.
approximately 40 to 60 pieces per 1/4 pound.
Piece sizes range from approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch.

Natural Material

We do not sell dyed gemstones. All of our stones are natural material that has been rounded and smoothed by tumbling in silicon carbide grit and then polished with metal oxide.

Product Variation

The gemstones we sell have been running fairly consistent over the years, but there is always the potential for pattern, color, and roundness to vary slightly from the product photographs.

Product Coverage

There is no straightforward answer to coverage for materials that are irregular in shape such as the gemstones. Certain pieces will be thin, and these do not always look right when you position them flat next to a piece that is much fatter or rounded. For this reason, the thin pieces are usually nested on end, or at least semi-overlapped, which is best accomplished by pressing them into thinset mortar (but can be done with glue as well). Nesting or overlapping the gemstones on end means that they cover less area than they would if laid flat, and that is why they are mostly used for accents in mixed-media mosaics instead of covering areas. Area coverage would probably be about 2 to 3 square inches per 1/4 pound maximum, but probably less if you nest them a little as recommended. If you are serious about using gemstones for area coverage in a large mosaic, we strongly recommend first ordering a few units and making a prototype of your mosaic, maybe a small section 2 inches x 2 inches.

Compatibility

These can be used in mosaics with regular flat glass mosaic tile. Most pieces are fatter than 1/8-inch thick tile, and their raised rounded surfaces can add a dimensional element to an otherwise flat mosaic. However, thin pieces should be oriented so that they aren’t covered by grout. You can use sand and glue to “shim up” thin pieces so that they are level with surrounding tile. If you are interested in using a lot of irregularly-shaped objects instead of flat tile, then consider using thinset mortar instead of glue. Thinset is sticky concrete, and you can press glass marbles and gemstones and other globular objects into it, which is a lot easier than trying to glue them to a flat surface.

Cutting Polished Gemstones

Cutting tumbled gemstones tends to mar their polished surfaces and is usually not done. We have cut some varieties of our gemstones in half with Tile Nippers and then glued them cut side down, which was conveniently flat. All that being said, the gemstones are different types of minerals, and some may be extremely hard or likely to shatter instead of cutting cleanly. As always, test your materials and methods before planning a large project around them.

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. [product_table category=”polished-gemstones” widths=”auto,auto,12,12,20″]

American-Made Glass and Ceramic Tile

For environmental, economic and political reasons, it is increasingly important to purchase materials produced here in the United States. In the long run, it doesn’t benefit anyone to ship jobs where people and the environment are exploited for short-term gains, and it makes little sense to throw away our manufacturing base, which is the real source of any nation’s economic strength. Fortunately, some of the most colorful and beautiful art glass in the world is made in America.

Real Stained Glass

Stained Glass Banner — Our stained glass is made by four different American manufacturers.

This is NOT the cheap chips of barely-tinted glass commonly sold in assortments for craft projects. Our stained glass is proudly made by Kokomo, Spectrum, Armstrong, and Wissmach right here in the US, and it has much greater color density, opacity and consistency than art glass produced in Asia. There are several reasons to use stained glass in your mosaics. First of all, stained glass isn’t grainy like most varieties of vitreous glass mosaic tile. The colours are much richer and more luminescent than vitreous, and this is true even when comparing muted and less-intense colors like gray or olive. Unlike fully-opaque tile, most stained glass is partially translucent which allows light to penetrate into the glass and produce maximum color. Another reason to use stained glass is that it comes in larger pieces, and you can hand cut your own individual tiles with slightly irregular shapes. This gives a mosaic a more authentic handmade look, which can be difficult to achieve when using machine-molded square tile. However, stained glass has more or less the same thickness as vitreous glass mosaic tile, and that means it is possible to use both materials in the same mosaic, provided no sharp edges are left exposed. The main safety concern with stained glass is the potential for sharp edges, which are sharper than most other types of tile, but this problem can be minimized by taking care to install the tile flat and flush, and then grout thoroughly. Dual-Grit Rubbing Stones and Marble Files are useful for reducing sharp edges on hand-cut tile.

American-Made Glass Mosaic Tile

The glass gems we sell are made in the USA.

Glass gems are blobs of glass that look like large beads of water: rounded domes that are flat on the bottom. They can be used as an improvised form of glass mosaic tile and work well as accents in stepping stones and mixed-media mosaic. Most brands of glass gems can only be used in vases and other containers because their colors are too faint to show up well when the gems are laid out flat. Our glass gems were chosen for their luminous colors and pigment density. They were made by Marble King in the US in their Paden City, West Virginia plant, and they knock the socks off most glass gems made in Asia.

Ceramic Number and Letter Tile

Ceramic Letter Banner — CowTown Ceramics makes these ceramic letters and numbers.

Ceramic Letter and Number Tile sets are made in the US by CowTown Ceramics. The letters and numbers come in sheets that are easily snapped apart by hand to produce individual embossed letter and number tiles. These are great for mixed media mosaic projects like stepping stones, mosaic “samplers” with quotes, and address plaques.

Weldbond Best Mosaic Adhesive

Weldbond is a polyvinyl acetate (PVA) adhesive, and there are other brands of PVAs on the market.

Why is Weldbond preferred by many mosaic artists, and why does Mosaic Art Supply’s online information refer to Weldbond as “the best” mosaic adhesive?

Weldbond is thick, and the extra viscosity can be invaluable for taking the frustration out of doing detailed mosaic work. It’s nearly impossible to avoid bumping tiles as you work, and the thicker the glue, the less they move.

Strength and Durability

Like most any water-based adhesive, Weldbond ruins if it freezes before use, but the following explains why we recommend Weldbond based on its strength in cold weather.

weldbond adhesive 160ml — Weldbond Adhesive 160ml (5.4oz) the best mosaic glue made.

Artist Joe Moorman decided to carry Weldbond when he started Mosaic Art Supply in 2002. It was the thickest, strongest PVA adhesive he had ever used, and he had learned from other artists that Weldbond had been certified for use in space by NASA, where adhesives need to withstand cold temperatures.

Joe paid for his engineering degree by working a sequence of internships for a major aerospace company. One of the internships was in materials testing lab, where Joe observed how effective cold temperatures were for destroying things, including sophisticated high-performance aerospace adhesives.

Joe figured that since Weldbond was made in Canada, the people making and testing it probably had more first-hand experience with glues becoming brittle and cracking in low temperatures. Also, the certification by NASA for use in space had to mean that Weldbond had been well tested by a third party, possibly several parties.

Joe recommends Weldbond now more than ever because he has been able to see how well his own mosaics have lasted, even the unfinished and abandoned pieces that have been stored in outside garages for years.

In early 2011, Joe attempted to recycle an unfinished, ungrouted mosaic made on a 2 ft x 4 ft plywood panel back in 2005. The mosaic was soaked in water and detergent for a month or two, but most of the materials (glass, ceramic and stone) had to be pryed of with a screwdriver, and even the small pieces usually broke instead of coming free from the Weldbond.

Mosaic Art Supply sells Weldbond in convenient 160 ml and 420 ml bottles for studio work and 3 litre jugs for more economical refills.

Weldbond securely bonds to wood, glass, fabric, linoleum, styrofoam, concrete and other art materials. It is water-based, non-toxic, dries clear and is very water-resistant when fully cured.

Mosaic Tool and Supply Info

Summaries of some of the most important tools and supplies we offer for working with mosaic tile.

The mosaic supplies you need depend on the type of mosaic tile you are using (glass or ceramic or stone) and how you plan to install them. Five minutes of reading can save you five hours of frustration on your mosaic project.

For a complete listing of tweezers, sponges, gloves, dental picks, spatulas, etc., visit our mosaic tools page.

Mosaic Glass Cutter

The most important tool for working with glass mosaic tile is the Mosaic Glass Cutter, which is a compression tool like a tile nipper, but the replaceable blades are shaped like wheels.

While a regular tile nipper tends to crush and splinter glass tile, the Mosaic Glass Cutter allows the artist to make cleaner, more precise cuts. (Tile Nippers were made for ceramic materials.) With proper use, the wheel-shaped blades stay sharp and effective for hundreds and hundreds of hours of use.

We also sell replacement blades.

Weldbond

An amazing product. Weldbond is a water-based adhesive that looks and handles just like plain white glue yet cures stronger than many of the smelly solvent-based glues. The manufacturer’s brochure calls Weldbond “the most versatile, non-toxic, non-flammable adhesive on the North American market.” We don’t think this is an exaggeration. Weldbond is probably the most-used adhesive among mosaic artists with no close second. It bonds to hundreds of different materials and is very water-resistant once it dries.

The new 160ml bottle (pictured) is light weight and easy to handle, but we also sell a 420ml bottle and 3 litre jug. We recommend using the jug to refill one of the smaller bottles. Easy clean-up with soap and water.

Note that Weldbond is very water resistant but not water proof. Artists use Weldbond for back-splashes and vertical surfaces where water can drain off, but you shouldn’t use it for shower floors or pools or fountains. For outdoor and wet mosaics, use thinset mortar instead of adhesives.

Grout

Our grout is a traditional portland-cement grout that includes sand. Sand is needed for strength when the gaps between tiles are 1/8″ or greater, but sanded grout can also be used when the gaps are smaller. All of the mosaics at the Riverson gallery were made with sanded grout.

Choosing A Grout Color

Grout can totally change the look of a mosaic, and it is possible to ruin a mosaic with the wrong color grout. To make the individual tiles stand out visually, you have to choose a grout color that CONTRASTS the colors of the tiles. Avoid choices like grey grout with grey tile. In my experience, a grout with some color almost always looks better than white grout.

How Much Grout Do I Need?

The amount needed depends as much on the gaps between the tiles as it does the total area. If your gaps are the standard 1/16 inch, then you will probably use less than 1 lb. of grout per square foot. If you have thick tile with large gaps, you could use over 1.5 lb. Keep in mind that you have to budget extra for all of the wasted grout that falls off the sides of the mosaic.

Fiberglass Mesh

mosaic tile mesh 38.5 inch wide x 150 feet — Fiberglass mesh can be used for laying down tile in advance for rapid installation.

Ceramic and Marble File

ceramic marble file — Ceramic and marble file for smoothing and shaping sharp edges formed by cutting tile.

Grouting Bags

Compound Tile Nipper

Mosaic Glues

Choosing the right adhesive for your mosaic

Picking the correct adhesive or glue is a very important decision when starting a mosaic, possibly the most important. If you choose the wrong one, your mosaic will not last as long as it should.

The best way to make a decision is to understand the different choices of adhesives and which ones works better with certain surfaces and tesserae. The primary deciding factor will be where the mosaic will live once it is complete: indoors or outdoors.

Indoor mosaic glue

Mosaic Mirror by Natalija Moss — Most mosaics intended for indoor use such as this mirror can be made using Weldbond and sanded grout.

Weldbond is the best. It’s a water based PVA glue, has no fumes, dries clear and water resistant, bonds to most any surface, is non-toxic and cleans up easily. We’ve extensively tested it, which you can read about here. However, I prefer to use thinset bonding mortar for floors. It gives a more stable and durable walking surface and better resists water seepage when cleaning the floors.

Outdoor mosaic glue

Red Stained Glass Flower Flagstone — Thinset is the best adhesive for outdoor mosaics such as this garden stone.

In choosing adhesive for outdoor mosaics, it’s probably best to avoid adhesives altogether and use thinset mortar (a sticky concrete with added polymers) instead. To use thinset, you should read and follow the instructions on the package for mixing, handling and disposal. We also have a guide to using thinset. In brief, thinset is like grout and other concrete products. This means that the best place to mix them up is outside, and you should wear a dust mask if have trouble mixing it up without creating a lot of dust. (Our artists merely stand upwind and mist it with a spray bottle until they get it mixed up.)

I usually mix up about 1 or 2 pounds at a time and smear it on the wall with a small trowel or putty knife. I spread it out to about 1/8″ to 1/4″ thick and press my mixed materials directly into the concrete. I wear rubber examination gloves and keep a damp rag so I can wipe away any excess that squeezes up to the face of the tiles. If you keep the concrete in the bucket covered so that it doesn’t dry out, then it should stay workable for several hours. I made the mosaic columns at the gallery using thinset mortar in this way. I always keep a small bucket with a little water and rag to clean my hands from time to time and a dry rag in my lap.

See our illustrated grouting tutorial for more details.

At this time, we no longer recommend using a construction adhesives in an outdoor environment. Use adhesives other than thinset at your own risk.

Glue for marbles and round stones

Marbles and round stones can be a challenge. Unless they are being pressed into cement face-up on a horizontal surface like stepping stones, the right adhesive choice is important. You may be able to use a thick cosntruction adhesive for this purpose, though it isn’t recommended to do this for outdoor mosaics. It is probably best to use thinset in these cases.

Understanding Different Types of Mosaic Adhesives

PVA Glues

PVA glues like Welbond are water soluble adhesives that will clean up with water. PVA glues should not be used on any outdoor project. Even if it isn’t exposed to rain, humidity can also loosen the bond. When working in the indirect method, PVA glue can be used to adhere tiles to fiberglass mesh. It also bonds well with any type of tile and wooden or acrylic surfaces. Again, Weldbond is the best and it dries clear.

Thinset Mortar

Thinset is a sticky cement which can be messy to work with, but it is necessary for outdoor projects if you want them to hold up. It can be found at any hardware store, and is often only sold in large quantities. The best surfaces for thinset are porous, such as cement, cement backerboard, and wood and terracotta. To use with non-porous surfaces like glass, the thinset has to be mixed with admixes instead of water, which are either latex or acrylic liquids that make the thinset sticky. Premixed thinset is not as good as dry mix.

Silicone

Silicone is used most often on glass surfaces because it comes in transparent varieties. It usually comes in a caulking tube and can take some time to get used to. It is difficult to remove and if you apply too much, it will come up between the tiles and make grouting more difficult and incomplete. When used under larger sheets, the areas towards the inside may never cure completely.

Epoxy

Epoxy is used on metal surfaces, but works on wood and glass also. It can hold up outdoors in ideal conditions, but it is very difficult to use and has a noxious odor. Once it is mixed, it must be used quickly. But when it is used successfully and correctly, it is a very strong adhesive and it dries clear.

Other Glues

In speaking with other mosaic artists, you will likely find that everyone has their own preferences for adhesives and that they are used in different ways from artist to artist. Understanding the characteristics of each type of adhesive will help you in finding the best solution for you in your various projects. When working with a new glue, be sure it is what you need for your project. Is it for interior or exterior, is it toxic, and will it work with your surface? Other than Welbond, the most popular brands for mosaics are Liquid Nails, MacGlue, and Gorilla Glue. Once you’ve experimented with several types of adhesives, you will get a feel for what you prefer and what works best.

NOTE

Always clean up excess glue before you grout. After water soluble glue has dried for a day or two, I come back and mist the mosaic with water. After about 10 minutes, any traces of glue that are sticking up on the sides of the tile will start to turn white. I then take a razor knife like a box cutter or exacto knife and trim away the excess glue. This cleaning step ensures that there will be no glue sticking up and not covered by grout.

Children’s Mosaic Craft Projects

We receive school, church and camp project questions every week, so we know how to make things easy and help you save money!

Project Ideas for Kids

The 3/8-inch vitreous tile is recommended when cutting is to be avoided, but keep in mind that the 3/4-inch size is cheaper and can easily be cut into quarters that are the same size as the 3/8-inch tile. For more ideas on how to source inexpensive materials, click here.

Mario Gamer Mosaic Art second view by Jason Oakley.

Many types of tile can be easily used to create fun and simple to design ‘pixel art’ style mosaics based on your own designs or even video game characters. Students can be instructed how to make their designs on graph paper in colored pencil before laying them out in tile using a grid. We carry grids in most common sizes to make the process painless!

Outdoor Mosaic Patio Table with bench seats by Naomi Haas.

Benches, tables and other outdoor furniture are popular group projects for kids. We have a ton of information on our blog about outdoor mosaic materials an methods. Keep in mind that the materials used for a mosaic which is to survive exposure to the elements aren’t the same as indoor mosaics. Review our guide on outdoor mosaic for details.

Coaster sized mosaics can be a simple and satisfying mosaic for all ages.

For smaller projects, coaster sized mosaic bases can be used to great effect! The designs can be very simple and freely executed with much satisfaction. In fact, this type of small project can be a fantastic, low stress introduction to mosaic for kids and adults alike.

Materials used in the projects on this page:

Tools & Kits

Supervision and Safety

All children should be given adequate adult supervision. Wear safety glasses with side shields when cutting glass or mixing grout.

While many forms of mosaic involve cutting glass with cutters, nippers or pistol-grip cutters – uncut tiles can be handled safely and used to build a satisfying mosaic without cutting. However, children should be instructed in sound handling practice, as even a molded tile can occasionally have a sharp edge.

Our line of 12mm Morjo tile is easy to handle with safe rounded edges.

It also comes in a full spectrum of colors as well as iridescent varieties.

Note that it is often easiest to grout the children’s mosaics for them outside the class or session for several reasons. First, the glue needs to dry a day or two before you grout. Also grouting is the messy and mildly hazardous part, and the focus of the children’s work should be the creation of their own unique design and gluing the tiles. Many instructors report having some of the older children help with some of the labor of grouting with great success, but all agree that having an entire class play with wet concrete is a bad idea, especially with young children. Always read manufacturer’s safety instructions on grout and glue. Keep in mind that even whole glass tile can be sharp due to occasional chips and breaks that occur with shipping and handling.

How to Save Money on Mosaic Projects

Grout

Grout can be purchased cheaply in large bags at building material stores. Our packages are small convenience packs for individual projects, and they require a shipping charge to get to you.

Mosaic Backers

A popular project for church and camp mosaics is a 6-inch x 6-inch mosaic trivet. The best backer for 6×6 trivets is 1/2-inch cabinet-grade plywood which comes pre-sanded. We sell plywood mosaic backers for small projects, but you can buy a sheet of plywood and skill saw to cut it much more cheaply than you could buy the expensive backers from one of the craft websites! Ask one of the parents or a friend if they could cut up the plywood. Someone probably already has a saw and a truck to pick up the plywood.

Glue

Instead of buying a separate convenience bottle of glue for each child, you should buy a jug of Weldbond glue and pour a little bit for each child in a styrofoam plate. They can use popsicle sticks to apply the glue.

Tile

Morjo^TM Vitreous 3/4″ Tile and Morjo^TM Vitreous 3/8″ Tile are our most affordable glass tiles. Read our guide on inexpensive sources of mosaic tile by clicking here.

Mosaic Kits

Mosaic project kits may at first seem like an easy solution, but most popular kits we’ve reviewed have poor quality materials (sometimes even plastic tiles!) in quantities that make them much more expensive than ordering individual materials would be. It’s much better to plan the project out and order all the materials at once, avoiding extra shipping charges. Furthermore, kits are usually marketed with eye catching ‘results’ that can leave a young mind disappointed and stifle their self expression. Joe has stated about craft kits in general, “The kits were about producing over-the-top results instead of experiencing a traditional art form in the way it had been experienced for generations. But even that statement does not adequately explain what was wrong. The kits were about PROMISING over-the-top results, but they were pretty weak in the delivery.”

How to Order Supplies as a School, Church, Camp or other Organization

We accept purchase orders! Read our Purchase Order instructions by clicking here.

Questions, Concerns & Project Advice

Still have unanswered questions about your project or how to order? We’re happy to help with any step of the project. Contact us via email by clicking here. We respond to e-mails faster than any other type of inquiry!

help@mosaicartsupply.com is the fastest way to get help with your order or mosaic project.

E-Mail Is Best

Phone Orders

Phone

Fax

Warehouse Address

Installing Face-Mounted Sheets of Glass Mosaic Tile

Rough Minerals In Mosaic Art

Avoid Grout Staining

Product Coverage

Compatibility

Cutting Rough Minerals

Product Specifications

Found-Object Mosaic Art

How To Make Mosaic Art

Product Specifications

Natural Material

Product Variation

Product Coverage

Compatibility

Cutting Polished Gemstones

How To Make Mosaic Art

Real Stained Glass

American-Made Glass Mosaic Tile

Ceramic Number and Letter Tile

Strength and Durability

Summaries of some of the most important tools and supplies we offer for working with mosaic tile.

Mosaic Glass Cutter

Weldbond

Grout

Fiberglass Mesh

Ceramic and Marble File

Grouting Bags

Compound Tile Nipper

Choosing the right adhesive for your mosaic

Indoor mosaic glue

Outdoor mosaic glue

Glue for marbles and round stones

Understanding Different Types of Mosaic Adhesives

Project Ideas for Kids

Supervision and Safety

How to Save Money on Mosaic Projects

Grout

Mosaic Backers

Glue

Tile

Mosaic Kits

How to Order Supplies as a School, Church, Camp or other Organization

Questions, Concerns & Project Advice