Designing

• Consider making a mosaic tabletop for your patio or your breakfast nook. You can cover a solid wood table top easily with either a pattern or randomly placed bits and pieces. To make a pattern, draw the outline directly onto the tabletop. It's a good idea for beginners to start with a simple pattern like a large flower or coffee cup. It's also helpful if you designate each section by writing the color that you'd like to use inside the outline. You do not need to create an outline if you plan to have a free-form mosaic.
  
  

Making the Mosaic

• If you're breaking ceramics to make your mosaic art piece, place them in a plastic bag, seal the bag and wrap it in a towel. Hit the towel with a hammer to break, not crush, the ceramics.
  
  Begin creating your mosaic from the center of your table and work outward. This will allow you to place the tiles that you need on the surface of the table and be able to see them clearly. Work in small sections at a time and apply a thin layer of Weldbond if you're making an indoor mosaic or a thin layer of thin-set mortar if you're making an outdoor mosaic. You can use a trowel or your hands to apply the adhesive. Press your mosaic material into the adhesive, leaving anywhere from 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch between each one. It's not necessary to measure, just try to be consistent.
  
  Continue to cover your tabletop with mosaic tiles and other bits. You can add mosaic materials to the rim of your table the same way; work in small sections with a layer of adhesive just a bit thicker than on the tabletop so the pieces will stay in place vertically. Let the adhesive dry completely.
  
  

Finishing

• Adding grout to the mosaic art piece will give your piece a finished appearance. You can select your grout color to coordinate with the mosaic material. Mix the grout according to the manufacturer's directions, and then spread it into the grooves between each of the tiles. It's easier to use a grout float to spread a large area, but you can also use your hands. It's impossible not to get grout on your mosaic material. Just be sure to remove it with a warm, wet sponge before it dries. Using grout sealer is also a good idea to help protect the grout from stains and moisture. Follow the application instructions on the sealer container.