Smalti is traditional hand-cut mosaic glass that has a different look and feel from molded tile. It is the glass to use for reproducing religious icons, antique mosaic art, or making modern interpretations of classical designs. Is is sold by the 1/4 pound, which is 40+ pieces on average.
Mud Turtle Mosaic™ brand smalti is a next-generation smalti. It looks like ordinary smalti (non-molded hand-cut rectangles), but it can be cut more predictably and cleanly with less waste and fewer shards, which often an issue with smalti. Avoid having to discard a significant percentage of your expensive materials as cutting scrap. This brand cuts more efficiently because of how it is poured and cooled. With Mud Turtle Mosaic™ smalti, extra care is taken to ensure that the mixture is more homogeneous and that little or no cold seams are formed during the pouring of the molten material out on the slab. The result is that are fewer blobs and swirls and fault plains inside the glass. These artificial internal structures are what causes regular smalti to break in such odd ways and form such vicious finger-poking shards. With this brand, there are also fewer surface pits and crevices for grouts and mortars to contaminate.
Product Coverage
One sales unit (1/4-pound) covers a little over 9 square inches uncut with no grout spacing. Depending on how you cut the smalti, you could get about 12 to 14 square inches of coverage per 1/4 pound. A good rule of thumb is 2.5 to 3 pounds per square foot.
Traditionally mosaics made from smalti were not grouted. However, if your mosaic will be outdoors or in a wet location, then you need to leave a gap between the tiles so that if can be filled with grout to seal out moisture. Having a grout gap means that you will need about 10 to 15% less smalti than otherwise.
Piece Count
One sales unit (1/4-pound) USUALLY contains 40+ pieces, with 42 being the average for the material we sampled. However, the smalti is sold by weight, and if the factory cuts a batch with slightly larger pieces, then that batch will have fewer pieces per 1/4 pound.
Compatibility
Smalti is hand cut when it is made at the factory, and so it had a different look and feel from regular molded glass mosaic tile that is pressed into a uniform shape. Smalti is also significantly thicker than most of the glass tile we sell. For these reasons, mosaics look best when they are made from one type material or the other but not both.
Cutting Smalti
Mud Turtle Mosaic™ Smalti cuts extremely well with the mosaic glass cutters that we sell.
Smalti Mosaic Glass
Price is per 1/4 pound, which is USUALLY 40+ pieces.
The factory could potentially cut the pieces slightly larger, which would reduce the piece count per 1/4 pound.
hand-cut non-molded rectangular pieces.
variable dimensions: ~1/4 inch x ~5/8 inch x ~1/4 inch thick.
coverage: about 2.5 to 3 pounds per square foot with coverage being affected by how the smalti is cut by the artist.
Pigments: colorfast metal oxide.
Solid color throughout.
Opaque.
Cut surface is glossy.
Cuts relatively easily with mosaic glass cutters.
Heat, frost and chemical resistant.
Suitable for both commercial and residential installation, indoors and out.
Use in Mosaic Art
This smalti is probably the best you can find is you need to render small details in smalti because it can be cut smaller with less waste than other brands. It also has little or no surface pitting, so you can grout a mosaic made from this material without having specks of grout remaining all over the face of the mosaic in pits. The product is highly recommended.
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.
Ideas for small mosaic projects for beginners with examples
Mosaic Trivets and Mosaic Plaques
The best beginner’s project is a small trivet or plaque made on 1/2 inch plywood. I recommend cabinet-grade plywood which comes with a sanded finish. Many times you can get plenty of plywood in the scrap bin from a home remodeling job. Note that your backer doesn’t need to be perfectly square. Irregular triangles and rectangles and trapezoids work as well as squares. Remember to be “artistic” and “color outside the lines.”
If you desire to make a mosaic shape like a star or a cat or a sun, then 1/2 inch sanded plywood is still the best way to go. You can buy an entire sheet of plywood and a jigsaw to cut it with for not much more than what most craft websites charge for mosaic backers. Another advantage of cutting your own shape is that your project is more likely to look like YOUR art instead of some factory-made craft kit, which is all I can think of when I see the mosaic shapes or mosaic backers sold elsewhere.
The exposed edges of your plywood backer can be painted with a neutral color of acrylic paint or even latex house paint. You don’t always have to buy something special to make art, and you can often use what you happen to have on hand. In fact, using re-purposed materials usually adds an extra dimension of creativity to your project.
Displaying small mosaic plaques is simple: they can rest on a table as a coaster or trivet to hold hot plates, or they can be displayed on a small plate easel, such as people use to display fine china plates.
Mosaic Christmas Ornament
Mosaic Christmas ornament by Jim Hopton constructed on a 2.5″ Styrofoam ball using glass mosaic tile and antique china shards found along the shores of the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, PA. I recommend threading a wire loop all the way through the Styrofoam ball before mosaicing to make sure that the heavy mosaic ornament has something secure to tie the string to. Craft stores sell little hoops with spikes that stick into the Styrofoam less than an inch, but that would not hold a heavier ornament. Our mosaic ornament kit comes built ready to hold the weight of tile and grout.
Mosaic Mirror
Mosaic Mirror by Melanie Berry makes use of broken dinnerware and broken talavera tile from Mexico, which is a soft terracotta tile with a colorful glaze of primary colors in traditional patterns. Keep in mind that you can make your own mosaic mirrors from plywood and mirror stock. One sheet of 1/2-inch plywood is used as a backer, and a second of 1/4 inch has a whole cut out for the mirror and forms a frame around the mirror. If this seems like extra work compared to buying something ready made, then remember that making your own allows you to make it exactly the size and shape you want. Tip: you don’t have to own a jigsaw or cut it out yourself. You probably have a friend or a friend’s partner that can do that for you.
Butterfly Mosaic Vase
Butterfly Mosaic Vase by Sandra Schwartz was made on a thick glass vase. Sandra reports that she coated the vase with Weldbond and allowed that to dry before gluing on tile. This makes the work of gluing on tile much easier because a surface of dried glue is less likely to allow tile to slide compared to a slick glass surface. I would recommend scuffing the glass with coarse-grit sandpaper before applying the first coat of glue.
Mosaic Mirror
Mosaic Mirror by Sandra Schwartz is a mixed-media mosaic that uses glass gems, glass mosaic tile and broken dinnerware.
A guide to finding and using repurposed and recycled mosaic materials in a responsible way.
Materials That Age Gracefully
Technically, you can make a mosaic from anything just as you can make art from anything, but if you say “mosaic” to mean a piece of durable artwork made from hard weather-resistant materials, then you have to resist the temptation to include things like plastic toy parts or wooden figurines or metal bottlecaps. Or keep the artwork indoors, which is fine. The point is that all the grout in the world will not make those materials more resistant to rust or humidity or degradation by the sun’s ultraviolet rays. In fact, concrete is mildly caustic and actually causes those materials to oxidize more rapidly when exposed to moisture.
All that being said, I love to use found and improvised materials in my own mosaics, and I have used wood and plastic and thin pieces of painted metal. BUT I used them in indoor mosaics. I did not tell myself any art-school babble about how natural and beautiful it would be to watch my art decompose and decay, etc., mainly because I have seen older found-object mosaics where the plastics and tins have eroded out, and they didn’t look interesting. They looked sad. Plastic does not age gracefully, especially when seen alongside glass and stone that look the same as they day they were installed.
There is also the environmental cost of making certain forms of art. If I want to make Tibetan butter sculptures, I will use butter. Then I can watch my artwork melt in the sun and listen to the Buddhist monks talk about the impermanence of life, etc. But if I use materials like grout and glass tile (materials which take a lot of fossil fuels to manufacture), then I will make sure that the artwork hangs around long enough to attempt to justify the environmental cost.
Recycled Materials
Recycled and repurposed materials commonly used for making mosaics:
old china plates
tea cups
seashells
beads
ceramic pieces and figurines
household tiles, used and stripped from walls or floors
scrap glass
broken mirror
teeth, bone
buttons
marbles
pebbles and beach stones
typewriter keys
jewelry
small metal tools
coins
bottle caps
nuts and bolts
dice
chandelier pieces
old watches
metal, glass and ceramic souvenirs
Keep in mind that many found objects such as bones and seashells are porous. This means that they can be stained by grout and that they can be damaged by freezing temperatures if water is allowed to soak into them. The solution to both issues is to seal the objects thoroughly with a tile and grout sealer. However you don’t want to get the sealer any place glue or grout needs to stick. We glue the objects down, then we take a small artists paint brush and coat the tops of the found objects with sealer, taking care to not let excess sealer run down the sides of the object where the grout needs to bond. After the mosaic has been grouted, we come back a few days later and seal the entire mosaic, grout and all.
Sourcing Materials
Here are a few places to check for recycled mosaic materials:
Tile stores, flooring outlets and home improvement centers: ask the managers for broken and discontinued tiles.
Look around the dumpsters at home improvement centers or tile shops for damaged discards.
Neighborhood construction dumpsters and home renovations.
Search your garage and those of your friends and family.
Thrift stores.
Garage sales.
Craigslist-check the free listings.
Freecycle.
Discarded stained glass pieces from glass artists.
An example of how to design, tile and grout an outdoor mosaic on a cement backer.
The following is a case study of an outdoor mosaic by David Cater, using work-in-progress photos taken by the artist. We have a separate page which summarizes our general instructions for outdoor mosaics, but the example below gives lots of insight.
I was deeply touched by David’s project, especially how he hand set each tile. My first mosaic was made almost in a trance state where I had no concern for efficiency or how much work it took. I hand chipped broken china with an ordinary claw hammer and didn’t even take the time to get a tile nipper, even though that tool would have save me hours and hours. It really was a labor of love, and I see that in David’s project too.
In the text below, I explain how David executed his project, but I also make comments on how the mosaic could have been made with less labor.
David’s initial sketch
Laying out the tiles beforehand
Complete layout
Concept Sketch
Like most mosaic projects, David’s sidewalk mosaic started as a concept sketch where the street number of his house is incorporated with a cardinal and dogwood design. Note how the red cardinal matches the red of the border, which helps to integrate the picture with the design as a whole. Note how the blue sky and the white dogwood make good contrasts with the red.
Choosing Colors
Color choices are as important as the composition.
To save frustration, get your color choices worked out before you attach the first tile. Sometimes it helps just to play with tile laid out on the surface to be mosaiced. I like to draw my cartoon (outline) on the surface and lay the tile in the different areas of the cartoon.
Design tools like color wheels are great for picking out initial choices, but colors usually have to be laid side by side before you can be absolutely certain they work together. This is particularly true when using different shades of each color
Initial Layout
David laid out his design on a sheet of plywood as a temporary surface. Note that David screwed a frame around his work area to define the size of the mosaic and provide a stop for straight edges.
To speed the placement of tile, an outline of the design could have been sketched onto the plywood. Most people have difficulty doing this because they aren’t experienced with drawing. The good news is that you don’t have to be.
Easy Method to Transfer and Enlarge Drawings
Simply use a ruler to draw a grid on your sketch. Then draw another grid on your larger surface. Notice that each square of the grid on the drawing contains just a little part of the drawing, usually just a few curved lines. Draw these same curved lines in same square of the large grid. You don’t even have to think about what you are drawing. Just copy what’s in each square, one square at a time. This makes it easy to enlarge and transfer outlines.
Complete Layout
In the above photo, we see that David has his design completely laid out and all tiles positioned, which represents many hours of labor.
At this point, clear contact paper could have been pressed onto the face of the tile to pick the entire mosaic up at once, which would allow the mosaic to be installed rapidly by pressing into thinset mortar. However, one problem with using clear contact paper to pick a mosaic up like this is that individual tile can get out of position while the contact paper is being pressed down. This problem can be minimized by laying out the tile on a nonslip surface, such as a sheet of rubber. That way the tiles can’t easily slip out of place when the contact paper is applied.
Another labor-saving method would have been to lay the mosaic out upside down on brown mosaic paper such as the kind we sell. In that method, the tiles are temporarily glued face-down on paper using a water-soluable glue like Elmer’s Glue. The sheet of mosaic is then pressed into cement, which allowed to harden over night. Then the paper is misted with water and peeled off.
The area to be mosaiced
Surface Preparation
David poured some new concrete approximately 4 inches thick for his mosaic. Note that the concrete is slightly lower than the surrounding brick so that the surface of the mosaic will be flush with the brick. You can put mosaics on existing cement, but you should use a wire brush to scour the surface to remove any loose sediments and invisible sealers, which could interfere with bonding.
David transferred the tiles one by one onto the new surface
Mounting Mosaic Tile
David manually transferred each tile from his temporary tray and mounted the individual tile using
thinset mortar.
Note that this means David had to manually position each tile twice: once in the tray when he laid up his design
and then once again when he sets each individual tile in mortar.
That is why using contact paper or mosaic mounting paper to pick the entire mosaic up at once for rapid
installation saves an enormous amount of work.
Another technique for speeding the work is to lay the mosaic up on 1/2″ concrete backer board and then cement the entire concrete board in place using thinset mortar. The only caveat would be to make sure the edges of the board aren’t damaged and crumbly. The edges of concrete backer board can be repaired and reinforced using thinset mortar.
Grouting after all tiles are down
Grouting the Mosaic
Grouting is done by smearing grout across the face of the mosaic and pressing the grout into the gaps between the tile. Indoor mosaics do not require grouting and the tile can be pressed tightly together. Outdoor mosaics must be grouted because the grout keeps water from penetrating between the tile, which is disastrous especially when the water freezes.
Make sure that you press the grout between the tile very thoroughly so that there are no voids or bubbles beneath a thin veneer of grout. This takes some repeated rubbing and pressing on the tile, and this is why you should never grout before the cement or adhesive has been allowed to harden for several days.
Note that a thin haze of grout can be buffed off after the grout has hardened, but most of this excess grout should be removed while still wet. The mosaic in the photo still needs some wiping. Make sure your sponge is damp but not so wet that drops of water could squeeze out and damage the wet grout. Keep your mosaic covered with plastic as it cures or otherwise keep it from drying out. Otherwise the grout will be soft and crumbly. Remember grout and concrete harden by binding water, not by dehydration.
David’s completed mosaic
Seal Thoroughly
I should also note that outdoor mosaics on horizontal surfaces are particularly vulnerable to moisture and freeze damage because horizontal surfaces allow water to pool. (Keep in mind that the mosaics of the ancient Greeks and Romans lasted for millennia because the Mediterranean is a warm dry climate.) One thing that can be done to minimize this risk is to slightly tilt the otherwise flat surface or to make it slightly round. For example, the seat of a concrete bench can be rounded slightly using a small amount of concrete mortar to build up the center of the seat by approximately 1/2″ and gently sloping down to the edges. Of course, this would need to be done at least a few days before attaching tile.
Regardless of the orientation, all outdoor mosaics should be sealed thoroughly with a tile and grout sealer, taking special care to seal the edges. Multiple applications should be made to ensure that all of the tiny pores in the grout and concrete are sealed. For added strength and stain resistance, you can use a concrete sealer instead of an ordinary tile and grout sealer. Again, the most important points are to take special care to seal the edges and use multiple coats to ensure complete coverage.
Peaceful meditative patio of mosaic stepping stones by Victor Kobayashi, Honolulu, Hawaii.
How Mosaic Artwork Is Displayed
The mosaics featured on this page are inspiring examples of mosaic artwork that was integrated into architectural spaces and interior design. We also offer some ideas and guidance about displaying your own mosaic artwork.
In the mosaic patio above by Victor Kobayashi, individual mosaic stepping stones were arranged in a “quiltwork” of different designs. This modular use of stepping stones to create a rearrangeble floor is a great concept, and not just in the finished product.
The stepping stones are made one at a time, allowing the artist to spread the work over time where it can be enjoyed. By avoiding a large construction project with workers, equipment, dust and disruption, the artist is able to sit in their own patio and literally build the space around them in their own time.
The crazy-quilt design also allows the artist to pursue different design ideas instead of being exhausted by a one large design where creativity and enthusiasm are potentially gone before the work is done.
Note that the mosaic stepping stones above were made by using thinset bonding mortar to attach tiles to pre-made concrete stepping stones. Stepping stones are also made by pressing tiles into wet cement in stepping stone molds.
In addition to stepping stones, contemporary mosaic art is typically encountered in a funtional form such as flooring or a mosaic backsplash or mosaic tabletop or as a frame for picture or mirror. However, it is possible to make a small mosaic picture or abstract design and display it simply as an object of art
Small Mosaic Pictures
Small mosaic pictures can be easily displayed in several ways.
A popular method is to make a small framed base by glueing 1/4″ or 3/8″ plywood into a small wooden picture frame.
Still more popular is the small desktop easel, such as typically used to display china plates.
Pieces of flat flagstones are often used as the base for these desktop mosaics displayed in easels. The flagstone works particularly well for creating authentic-looking reproductions of fragments of Roman Mosaic, and the unfinished edges and irregular shapes seem to look good with contemporary designs too.
This stained glass mosaic of a turtle is on one of our 8″ x 6″ backer boards.
Sanded pieces of plywood (birch or maple or oak) are good bases for desktop mosaics because they minimize weight and the risk of scratching of surfaces. However, it is best to glue a piece of felt to the bottom of any mosaic, even the plywood-based mosaics, if you intend to display them horizontally on a desk or table as a paperweight or trivet. We sell maple and birch mosaic backer boards in different sizes which can be used in this fashion.
Displaying mosaics upright in an easel gives better visibility. The price and quality of the easels available varies significantly, ranging from cheap transparent plastic ones designed to be as small and unobtrusive as possible to to very fine wood and metal easels that lift the artwork a few inches off the surface.
Larger wrought-iron display easels are available for floor-level use on patios. Note: it is important to anchor larger mosaic plaques in the back to prevent a toddler from pulling it over, and select a location where it isn’t a hazard for foot traffic.
All varieties of display easels can be easily found and purchased online. Email us if you have suppliers you wish to recommended suppliers or tales about certain products.
Some Advice Concerning Wooden Mosaic Tables
Wooden tables should only be used indoors. Humidity warps wood over time making tiles pop off. Plywood is sometimes used as a mosaic backer inserted into a metal base. In this case, the life of the mosaic can be extended by sealing the mosaic with tile and grout sealer and painting the edges and bottom surface with outdoor paint.
Wooden tables like this should be displayed inside, away from humidity.
Most used coffee tables are made from thin laminates and aren’t real wood. They can be difficult to sand down (for the mosaic adhesive to stick),and they are usually loose in their joints due to use. However, some old used coffee tables are solid wood and can be used. Also, some tables have a rim where it is possible to insert a thin piece of plywood to serve as the actual base of the mosaic.
The best sources of solid wooden tables for mosaic are unfinished furniture stores and websites.
The MAS studio has used hardwood molding from the building material store to make borders around mosaics installed on wooden tables.
Some Safety Advice Concerning Metal Mosaic Tables
Never make tables unstable by overloading the tabletop.
Small bistro tables can fall over with dangerous force.
Place small/tall tables in corners to minimize the risk of overturning them.
Not all old metal patio tables make a good base.
Have a local welder inspect and reinforce tables if you have any doubts.
Old wrought iron patio tables of a certain age are usually heavy enough to function as a base.
More recent iron and aluminum patio tables often don’t appear to be heavy enough or sturdy enough.
Never overload tabletops with mosaic.
The center should be supported as well as the edges.
Plywood tabletops left outdoors will eventually warp and disintegrate due to humidity.
Plywood tabletops can be made to last much longer by sealing the mosaic painting the edges and bottom surface with outdoor paint.
Concrete backer board needs to be fully supported by the base.
The MAS studio has used 1/4 inch concrete backer board glued to 3/8 inch plywood as a tabletop base.
Ideally, the rim of the metal table should extend above the height of your mosaic.
Consider having a local welder friend fabricate what you need. Or fabricate a new table.
Remember, most old tables aren’t worthy of the work you will put into the mosaic.
Some Safety Advice Concerning Hanging Mosaics on Walls
Mosaics can be quite heavy and you should never create a safety problem by suspending a large mosaic by a small nail or picture hanger as you might do for a painting of the same size.
Larger mosaics including larger mirror/picture frames that have been covered in mosaic should be securely anchored to the wall.
Make sure that your nails or screws go through the structural frame or backer of the mosaic and into the studs inside the wall and not just drywall. Use multiple screws or nails.
Do not overload walls. Consult a local carpenter if you have any doubts.
Keep in mind that mosaic was used historically as an architectural element, meaning it was built into floors and walls. If you want something portable, you need to keep the size relatively small.
Improvised objects that are popular bases for mosaic sculpture:
lamps
bicycle frames
surfboards
skateboards
mannequins
garden water fountains
vases
dressers
bowling balls
garden gazing spheres
flower pots
concrete garden ornaments
chairs
columns
Selecting a Mosaic Base
Mosaic work takes an investment of time and effort on the part of the artist, and there is also the environmental costs of producing the tile using fossil fuels and mined minerals. It only makes sense to select a base that is durable, especially if the mosaic is to be displayed outdoors, and to use an adhesive or cement that is appropriate. Any sense of being “green” by using repurposed materials goes right out the window if you don’t make the mosaic in a way that ensures it will last.
In addition to durability, safety is an important issue when making mosaic sculptures. Specifically, you need to make sure that the considerable added weight of tile and grout do not make your sculpture unstable. A bistro table may be safely covered mosaic tile if done in the right way using thin glass tile, but if you use thick stone on a table that is more tall than wide, then you are making a top-heavy hazard that could fall over and break someone’s foot, injure a child, etc. No amount of written instruction can ever replace your own good judgment when you make your project. Make sure the base you choose is stong enough and stable enough to support the weight of a mosaic. Anchor your sculpture on a metal or concrete platform if needed. Think about how the base will be mounted before you start the mosaic work, especially if welding will be needed.
Outdoor mosaics should be made on metal, cement, terracotta and other materials that are resistant to moisture. Wood should only be used for indoor mosaics because wood expands and contracts with daily changes in humidity, and your mosaic tile will fall off over time, usually more rapidly than you would think.
Increasingly people are using fiberglass, plastic and composite materials for mosaic bases. After all, it’s hard to avoid these materials because that is what surfboards, mannequins and bowling balls are made of. However, if you use these materials, you need to use an adhesive which bonds to them, and that means something like and epoxy or a solvent-based adhesive like Liquid Nails Outdoor Formulation. These adhesives have fumes, but they are necessary to bond adequately to plastic bases. It is also essential to prepare the surface before mounting tile to it.
Preparing the Surface
Surfaces must be free of paint, wallpaper, dirt and grease. If there is grease or oil, remove these first with detergent and water first before scraping or sanding because these mechanical processes will only spread the contamination. Use a paint scraper or coarse-grit sandpaper to remove paint and “dead” plastic or wood and get down to fresh material. Coarse-grit sandpaper is very important for scoring fiberglass and plastic bases so that the adhesive grips them securely.
Direct Method
The direct method is simply attaching tesserae directly to the surface one at a time. The direct method is typically the best method for irregular mosaic bases and curved surfaces for obvious reasons. Create a workspace in your garage or basement so that you can move the base inside and work on it over time instead of trying to work in intense sessions outdoors.
For larger sculptures, it is usually worth the investment of time to create some sort of cradle out of 2x4s or sawhorses or even crushed cardboard boxes. That way you can lay your sculpture over in the cradle and work on a horizontal surface, rotating the sculpture in the cradle as needed to turn up unexposed surfaces still needing to be covered. Tip: let one surface harden overnight before rotating, and pad your cradle with old towels to prevent it from damaging tile.
Attaching Tesserae
A general rule of thumb for working with curved surfaces is: the smaller the pieces, the more snug they will fit to the curved surface. Gentle curves are easier, while extreme curves can require very small pieces. It may help to hold tile on the uncovered surface and play with different configurations before you begin gluing them down.
If you are having trouble with tile sliding down a surface, let the glue set a minute and become tacky before pressing the tile into it. Again, it really helps to have some sort of adjustable “cradle” where the base can be rotated so that you are always gluing to a horizontal surface. A cradle can be as simple as a pile of old towels or cardboard.
5/16 inch (8mm) Iridescent Glass Mosaic Tiles by Elementile are iridized versions of the standard gloss-finish product, which we also sell. The iridescence is a surface finish created by firing metal oxides onto the surface of the glass, so it could be abraded over time by foot traffic. Note that the iridescence is deliberately mild instead of heavily applied so that the underlying colors are still visible. Like the regular 8mm, these are sold loose by the 1/4 pound (approximately 175+ pieces), which covers 0.14 square feet with a standard grout gap of 1/32 inch. Mounting grids are available. Made from recycled glass.
Elementile 8mm Iridescent Glass Mosaic Tiles
tile size: 5/16 inch (8mm)
thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm)
sales unit: 1/4 pound (approximately 175+ pieces)
material: glass
variety: recycled
finish: iridescent
pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use
Coverage
A 1/4 bag of 175 loose tiles will cover 0.14 sq ft. with a grout spacing of about 1/32 inch. To cover 1 square foot with a standard grout spacing of about 1/32 inch, you would need 1225 tiles or seven bags, but for large area coverage, order a little extra in case the tile is running incrementally thicker/heavier than normal, which could cause the piece count to run under 175. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your project.
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 1/32-inch gap instead of pressing them tightly together, and this point seems counter intuitive to some people. Consider this: you can never mount tile so closely together that water couldn’t penetrate between, but you can put them so close that grout can’t get pressed into the gap sufficiently during the grouting process.
Compatibility
For rendering images, it is best to stick to standard gloss-finish or iridescent finish instead of mixing the two. For mixed media mosaics, a variety of finishes could be considered, but your mosaic might look better if you stuck to one or the other.
Cutting Elementile 8mm
This product cuts extremely well with the mosaic glass cutter that we sell. In fact, the homogeneous nature of pate de verre glass means that it cuts better than most types of glass tile and produces more useful pieces with fewer splinters and dust and waste.
Elementile’s rich color palette make it a professional rendering tool that can be used for photo-realist portraiture and fine art mosaic. The colors available are more like the canonical hues of artist oil paint and less like the arbitrary mixed hues of most lines of architectural tile. The material cuts very cleanly into small pieces that can be used for micro-mosaic artwork.
Glass Penny Rounds 3/4 inch (20mm) are circular glass tiles that are opaque with solid color throughout. They are superior to glass gems because they are more consistent in size, easier to grout, and richer in color. Each 1/2-pound bag contains about 50 whole pieces plus 2 or 3 broken pieces. The thickness is 6mm, compared to 4mm for most glass mosaic.
Glass Penny Rounds 3/4 Inch (20mm)
Price is per 1/2 pound.
There are approximately 50+ loose pieces per 1/2 pound plus an occasional broken piece.
Tile diameter: 3/4 inch (20mm).
Tile thickness: 6mm.
Material: glass with UV resistant mineral pigments.
Coverage: 1/2 pound covers 29+ square inches
Coverage: 1 square foot can be covered with 2.5 pounds.
Frost-proof, impervious to liquid.
Suitable for indoor/outdoor use.
Product Coverage
Each 1/2-pound bag (approximately 50+ pieces) covers 29+ square inches with all pieces touching. With a standard grout spacing of 1/16 inch, you could get 30 to 31 square inches or more of coverage. To cover 1 square foot, you would need 2.5 pounds.
Compatibility
The Glass Penny Rounds are 6mm thick, which is 50% thicker than the 1/8 inch nominal thickness of most glass tile and stained glass. This means the Penny Rounds will stick out slightly from surrounding tile giving your mosaic some texture and dimension. Note that the tops of the Penny Rounds are flat, so they are easier to grout than glass gems which have a dome-shaped surface that tends to get covered by grout at the edges. In other words, Penny Rounds give the surface of your mosaic dimension yet aren’t a pain to grout.
Cutting Tile
The Glass Penny Rounds are easily cut just like other types of glass mosaic tile. You use a pair of mosaic glass cutters, which is a pliers hand tool with wheel shaped blades, and the piece being cut is compressed between the blades and snapped apart with minimal force.
Use in Mosaic Art
The circular pieces can be nested for area coverage, but Penny Rounds are best used as accents in mosaic art made from various materials and shapes. Note that these are slightly thicker than most varieties of glass tile, but this is a positive feature because it adds texture to the surface of the mosaic.
How To Make Mosaics
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.
Glass Penny Rounds 1/2 Inch (12mm) are circular glass tiles that are opaque with solid color throughout. They are a great alternative to glass gems because they are more consistent in size, easier to grout, and richer in color. Each 1/2-pound bag contains about 150+ loose pieces. The thickness is 6mm, compared to 4mm for most glass mosaic.
Glass Penny Rounds 1/2 Inch (12mm)
Price is per 1/2 pound.
There are approximately 150 loose pieces per 1/2 pound.
Tile diameter: 1/2 inch (12mm).
Tile thickness: 6mm.
Material: glass with UV resistant mineral pigments.
Coverage: 1/2 pound covers 29+ square inches
Coverage: 1 square foot can be covered with 2.5 pounds.
Frost-proof, impervious to liquid.
Suitable for indoor/outdoor use.
Product Coverage
Each 1/2-pound bag (approximately 150+ pieces) covers 29+ square inches with all pieces touching. With a standard grout spacing of 1/16 inch, you could get 30 to 31 square inches or more of coverage. To cover 1 square foot, you would need 2.5 pounds.
Compatibility
The Glass Penny Rounds are 6mm thick, which is 50% thicker than the 1/8 inch nominal thickness of most glass tile and stained glass. This means the Penny Rounds will stick out slightly from surrounding tile giving your mosaic some texture and dimension. Note that the tops of the Penny Rounds are flat, so they are easier to grout than glass gems which have a dome-shaped surface that tends to get covered by grout at the edges. In other words, Penny Rounds give the surface of your mosaic dimension yet aren’t a pain to grout.
Cutting Tile
The Glass Penny Rounds are easily cut just like other types of glass mosaic tile. You use a pair of mosaic glass cutters, which is a pliers hand tool with wheel shaped blades, and the piece being cut is compressed between the blades and snapped apart with minimal force.
Use in Mosaic Art
The circular pieces can be nested for area coverage, but Penny Rounds are best used as accents in mosaic art made from various materials and shapes. Note that these are slightly thicker than most varieties of glass tile, but this is a positive feature because it adds texture to the surface of the mosaic.
How To Make Mosaics
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.
