Easter Coasters

Description

Easter Coasters
SKILL LEVEL: 2 (1 being the easiest, 5 being most difficult)
TIME TO COMPLETE: 4 hours
→PROJECT TIP
• Never dispose of grout directly down a drain.
• If grouting without latex gloves, pour vinegar over hands to restore skin PH.
 
MATERIALS CHECKLIST
• 2 coaster round bases (Paper Patch Crafts)
• Jennifer’s Mosaics Grout
• Jennifer’s Mosaics Spring Mix
• Mosaic glue
• Newspaper or drop cloth
• Disposable cup and spoon
• Toothpick
• Rubber Gloves
 
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cover work surface with newspaper. Place the coaster bases on the surface with rough side facing up.
2. Your coaster should be clean, dry.
3. Cut around the outside edge of the egg pattern. Place the pattern and tracing paper on the coaster and trace the pattern onto the surface of the coaster. Remove pattern and tracing paper.
4. To cut and shape Venetian Style Tiles use either a tile nipper or a wheeled glass nipper. To use, hold the nipper at the end of the handles for the best possible leverage. Place the tile between the jaws of the nipper and press firmly on the handle.
5. Cutting the tile into keystone shapes will make the spaces between the tiles consistent for mosaics on a curve. This means, an angle is cut off the tile along the whole side. The degree of angle cut depends on the tightness of the curve, the tighter the curve, the sharper the angle.
6. To cut the tile in half, position the nipper in the center of the tile and make sure the head is pointing in the direction of the cut. Stabilize the tile by holding opposite tile edges between the thumb and forefinger. Press the ends of the handle together.
7. For diagonal cuts, place the blades of the nipper so they are at an angle from corner to opposite corner.
8. Start with the center image, when working with the bunny or chick pattern, use your tiles to outline the body of the character then fill in the center. Place tiles shiny side up on top of the coaster. Next, nip remaining tiles to fit inside the pattern outline. Try to fit them as close as possible.
9. When you are pleased with your mosaic, pick up tile apply adhesive to the back of each piece and place it back into position. Press firmly on each tile to insure the tile sticks.
10. Allow adhesive to set for following the manufacturer’s directions.
11. Finish coaster by nipping tile and filling in the coaster background. Follow steps 2 & 3 to complete your mosaic
12. Place grout in a disposable cup and slowly add water ½ teaspoons at a time until the consistency becomes smooth like brownie batter. Work grout into spaces between the glass tiles with a gloved hand or a rubber spatula.
13. Remove excess grout with your gloved hand or a damp sponge. Grout should be level with the glass tile and all voids and spaces should be filled.
14. Allow grout to dry. A haze will appear on the tile. Clean glass tile with a paper towel or a soft cloth and buff to a shine.
15. Allow the project to dry for an addition 24 hours. A grout sealant may be applied if desired. Apply as directed but remove all sealant from the tiles with a paper towel before sealant dries.