Christmas Present Mosaic

This merry mosaic from Diamond Tech features a holiday gift package in red and white. Give as a gift or use as unique Christmas decoration. This would look wonderful on a mantel.
 

Materials:

• 8” Square Stepping Stone Mold
• Glass Adhesive
• 2 lb White Sanded Grout
• Light Green Acrylic Paint
• Wheeled Glass Nippers
• Studio Pro™ Pistol Grip Glass Cutter
• Studio Pro™ 1” Running Pliers
• Mixing Spoon
• Outdoor Cement
• Soft Cloth
• Marker
• Sponge
• Bowl
• Disposable Glove
• Safety glasses
• 5 ounce pkg. Jennifer’s Mosaics™ White Stained Glass Chips
• Stained Glass Sheets. Green, Dark Green, Red, Brown
• Mosaic Shears or Scissors
• Printable Project with Mosaic Pattern [pdf]

Step 1: Get Ready!

1. Cover work area with newspaper to protect work surface.
2. Collect all supplies needed for the project. Place them on your surface.

Step 2: Pour Cement!

1. Place 8 cups of Jennifer’s Outdoor Cement into a mixing bowl and slowly add 16 ounces of water, mix thoroughly. Wear a dust mask while measuring and mixing.
2. Pour cement slowly and evenly into mold; gently tap sides of mold to release air bubbles in cement.
3. Do not move mold while the cement is drying. Cement will warm as it hardens: wait approximately one hour (time may vary due to climate) for cement to harden.
4. Once cooled and set, remove the stone from the mold by turning mold over and lifting the edges.
5. Allow stone to completely dry/cure for 24 hours on newspaper before proceeding to the next steps.

Step 3: Cut Glass!

1. Make two copies of the pattern. Cut one with mosaic shears or cut along the inside edges of the pattern lines with regular scissors.
2. Layout the cut pieces on your glass, trace around them using a permanent marker.
3. Score Glass using Pistol Grip Glass Cutters. When scoring glass, cut on the inside of the drawn line.
4. Using the running pliers gently break glass.
5. Using the second copy of your pattern for reference, arrange cut glass pieces on your stepping stone.
6. Glue in Place. Make sure to leave 1/16” – 1/8” gap between the pieces.

Step 4: Nip Glass!

1. Hold the white glass square in your fingers. Take the wheeled glass nippers in the opposite hand, open the jaws and place the white glass square between the wheels. Squeeze nippers closed to nip glass, nip into random sized triangles. Repeat.
2. When nipping the glass for this area remember, unevenness and variations are apart of the charm of mosaics, so don’t try to be exact.
3. Glue in Place, making sure to leave 1/16” – 1/8” space between the pieces and 1/8” from all outer edges of the stepping stone.

Step 5: Grout!

1. Place 1 cup of grout into a mixing bowl and slowly add water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix with craft stick or spoon until the grout reaches “fudge-like” consistency. If it is too watery, add the reserved dry grout in small amounts until the consistency is correct. Add green paint, small drops at a time until grout has a minty green hue.
2. Tape off side edges of stepping stone so that grout does not stain the stone.
3. Wearing a disposable glove spread the grout into all the nooks and crannies between the glass. Wait about 15 minutes for grout to set.
4. Begin to gently wipe away the excess grout using a damp spongel, taking care not to pull grout out of glass spaces. Use your finger to smooth the grout around the outer edge of the stone. It is important to remove grout from the glass surface before it is completely dry.
5. Using the soft cloth, buff the glass to a clean shine. Allow to dry completely for 24 hours.

If you like this project, we also suggest:

Snowflake Mosaic Serving Tray
Mosaic Rainforest Frame