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How Do I Make a Mosaic Vase?
Making a mosaic vase is not only an interesting and fun activity that encourages creativity, it is also a good way to get rid of unused items around the home. A person can take any decorative vase that they do not like but have received as a gift, or have purchased for a small price, and an old mirror, along with a piece of stained glass and create something beautiful and eye-catching. This is a nice way to spend free time and it will also enhance the interior design of the house, flat, apartment, or business.
To begin with, take the vase, clean it thoroughly and use a dry erasable marker to draw shapes and patterns that will appear on the finished vase. The artist is free to depict anything, and they can change it while in the process of making the mosaic vase. After making the shapes and designs that are desired, start chipping the glass and the mirror, after it has been removed from the frame, with any type of cutting tool. If a particular shape is wanted then it should be cut in a design as close to it as possible. If lines were drawn on the old vase, simply follow them as closely as possible.
Afterwards, with all of the pieces ready, start gluing them onto the vase in whatever manner that is desired. Put glue only in the middle of the back of the chipped glass and mirror pieces to ensure that the glue does not drip or spill onto the surrounding pieces. It is important to keep the pieces close to each other; otherwise the mosaic vase will not look right because of the excess amount of grout that will be needed. When completed, allow the now decorated mosaic vase to completely dry before touching it.
Apply a thin layer of grout to the areas that are open in between the glass pieces, making sure to use a wet sponge to get the surfaces wet enough for it to set in place. Before the grout has had time to dry, use another wet sponge and clean all of the surfaces on the mosaic vase. Make sure to remove any excess amounts of glue and grout that may be present, as well as any particles of mirror or stained glass that may have been transferred from the cut pieces. Allow this to dry and the mosaic vase is ready to be placed anywhere that it is wanted.
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Discussion Comments
@runner101 - I actually have not seen mosaic wedding vases attempted either. I think for the sake of color overload with flowers likely on the table as centerpieces that the mosaic vases at wedding might just look great as accents on tables such as the gift receiving table or maybe holding the pens for the guest book.
I had a roommate who made many different mosaic projects from a table to framed pictures. I still hold dear one that she made for me that had a quote in it – she actually broke up the mosaics and put words via the little mosaic tile pieces. So I wanted to suggest this for anyone who would like to take their mosaic skills to the next level!
If you were having a small wedding, I think that these would make great do-it-yourself wedding vases, and it seems that in many smaller weddings tasteful unique touches make for a great wedding.
Part of the reason I think they would make great wedding vases is because you could make them make match the colors of your wedding! But I must say I have never seen this at any weddings...has anyone seen anyone attempt this?
When you start to work on making a mosaic vase you should be careful about what material the vase you chose is made out of. I have worked with metal vases, and a few gorgeous glass vases, and have found that with the metal you really need to find a special glue to get your mosaic mirror pieces to stick to it.
When I make a mosaic glass vase I really like to use tall floor vases because I find they make the most striking pieces. I create fantastic, colorful designs with glass from things like soda bottles and old pottery. If you are creative, making a mosaic vase can be very inexpensive.
Making a mosaic vase can be tricky if you are dealing with a tall vase or large vases that you normally see sitting on the floor. While you have a greater area to work with, really planning out your mosaic is a must.
For myself I always like to draw out my designs using an acrylic paint because it is easier to see. I can also use a variety of colors to mark where certain glass colors can go. Also, the great thing about acrylic paint is that you really have a lot of control over how thick you make your guidelines and it is easy to clean up when you make a mistake.
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