You will need:
brown paper
black marker
masking tape
clear plastic
300 x 350mm mosaic gauze
shells
white pebbles
one sheet mosaic tiles
half sheet off-white mosaic tiles
mirror mosaic tiles
cold glue
Tylon Super-Flex
Tylon Plaskey and Tylon Key-It
Tylon Bond-It
tile adhesive
grout in a colour of your choice
To make:
1 Cut a piece of brown paper approximately 350 x 400mm. Use a pencil to mark a frame measuring 300 x 350mm on the paper. Draw another smaller frame approximately 50mm inside the first one.
2 Use a pencil to draw abstract flower motifs in the lower left-hand corner and the upper right-hand corner – refer to our photograph. Draw the number in the centre of the inner frame. Once you’re satisfied with the composition, use a black marker to draw all the lines. Use masking tape to secure the design onto your work surface.
3 Cover the brown paper with a sheet of clear plastic, then place mosaic gauze over the plastic.
4 Now you can start doing the mosaic. Do the flower motifs first. Use a wooden spatula to smear a little Superflex over the flower motifs, and a little in each shell. Securely press the shells onto the motifs. Select shells that will fit onto the design neatly.
5 To make the numbers, use the same technique to secure the pebbles.
Once the pebbles are in place you can start the border. Cut the sheets of blue mosaic tiles into strips that are one tile wide. Use a wooden spatula to smear wood glue all along the outside edges and spread it out a little.
6 Also smear a little wood glue to the back of each strip of tiles before placing them into position. Glue the first row of tiles along the outer frame. Once you have completed the outer frame, repeat the process to do the inner frame. For this strip, the tiles need to be placed along the outside of the inner frame. When you’re done with the two frame strips, start filling the spaces inbetween the frames with off white and mirror mosaic tiles. If you find that there are areas between the inner and outer frames that don’t correspond exactly to the size of a tile, you can cut the tiles to fit, using a two-wheeled tile cutter, to ensure that the design is neatly aligned. Apply a thin strip of glue to the area, then glue the tiles into position. Once the entire space has been filled, set the project aside to dry.
7 To decorate the centre of the design, use a two-wheeled tile cutter to cut some of the remaining blue tiles into various shapes. Smear a little cold glue over a small area at a time before placing the tiles into position, arranging them as if you were assembling a jigsaw puzzle.Intersperse the blue tiles with off-white and mirror mosaic tiles.
8 Once you’re happy with the composition, set the project aside for approximately two hours to dry. Turn it over, then remove the paper and plastic from the back before setting the project aside for another six hours to dry completely.
9 You now have two options. You can mount the number on a piece of wood and use hooks to affix it to the wall, or you can attach it directly to the wall outside your house. If you would like to hang it, you need to use cold glue to mount it on a piece of Supawood. Leave the glue to dry before you cover it with grout as described for the previous projects.
10 If you are going to affix it directly to the wall, you should use the following method: Prepare the area on the wall where the number will be placed by removing as much of the paint on the wall as possible. Chip away at the wall to create an uneven surface, so the mosaic can be affixed to the wall more securely. Follow the instructions on the packet to mix a little Tylon Plaskey and Key-It to form a soft paste. Apply a 2mm layer to the entire area. Leave to dry for 24 hours.
11 Mix a little Tylon Bond-It with some tile adhesive until the mixture has the consistency of stiff icing sugar. Use a notched trowel to smear a 5mm layer of this mixture onto the wall. Hold the mosaic along the top edge to position it correctly, then press it firmly in place and tap lightly with a piece of wood. This will force the cement-like adhesive through the mosaic gauze. Leave for approximately one hour, then scrape off the excess cement. Keep the mosaic damp for the next three days by wiping it down regularly with a damp sponge or cloth. After three days you can complete the project by mixing grout in a colour of your choice.
12 Smear the grout over the entire surface ensuring that you fill in every groove.
13 Set aside to dry for about two hours. Once completely dry, wipe it down with a damp sponge to remove the excess grout. Set aside for another hour to dry completely, before polishing the entire surface with a soft cloth.