How-To Garden Art

Sand any shiny surface of the object you are planning to create a mosaic on, including plastic. Sand any old and rusted surfaces. This will allow the materials to adhere to the main object better.

Paint wooden objects with a wood sealer. Covering the entire wooden object with acrylic paint will also seal the wood.

Break up larger glass or ceramic materials. Place each one inside an old pillow case. Fold the open side under so the items will not come out. Use your hammer to break the materials into smaller pieces. Make sure to use your safety glasses.

Mix together 2 cups of thinset mortar and 1/4 cup of acrylic admix in a disposable container. These items can be found in craft stores or anywhere household tile is sold. Add more thinset or acrylic admix, as needed, until you have a cottage cheese-like consistency.

Plan, loosely, how you will place your tiles and other objects onto the base item. The tiles should be set closely together, yet not touching. Use your tile clippers to further shape the pieces.

Spread the mortar mixture onto the back of a tile piece or other object with your butter knife. Press it into place on the base object. Repeat this process until the base object is covered. Remove any excess mortar that may have oozed to the surface. Cover the mortar container with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow the mosaic to dry overnight.

Scoop up 3 or 4 tablespoons of the mortar. Push it into the crevices between the tiles. Wear heavy rubber gloves when you handle mortar. Don't worry if you get excess mortar on top of the mosaic objects.

Wipe the surface of the mosaic objects with a wet rag, working on each piece until it is completely clean and free of mortar. Let the mosaic garden art dry for at least 48 hours.

Apply an outdoor tile sealer to the entire garden-art surface. Allow it to dry for 20 minutes. Apply a second coat. Let the garden art dry overnight before placing it into your garden.