Hello World!

Here is a post courtesy of my mom.  She created a mosaic mirror made with keepsakes and found objects. For her mirror, she chose objects that were feminine and went with a shabby-chic style. This is a great project to help show off objects that hold sentimental value for you or to put good use to all those broken necklaces, cups, ect that we all having sitting in a drawer somewhere.

For this project, you will need: plenty of small items, a vintage mirror or mirror tray (can be found at antique shops, thrift stores or yard sales), a sturdy old wooden frame, plywood cut to the same size as your frame, silicone or tile adhesive, tile grout, and paint if you want to change the color of your frame.

Above are some of the items she gathered for her mosaic. Some items include:

• Empty vintage lipstick cases,
• Broken hair accessories,
• Earrings not in a pair,
• Jewelry made by my siblings and myself when we were children,
• Faux pearl necklaces,
• Vintage buttons,
• Nail polish bottles,
• Chipped and broken tea cups and plates,
• Refrigerator magnets,
• Sea shells, starfish and beach glass,
• Christmas ornaments,
• Kinck knacks from my grandparents.

With your sturdy wooden frame, remove any flimsy paperboard backing. Staple gun or use small finishing nails to attach your cut-to-size plywood to the back of your frame. My mom’s plywood is 1/4” thick.

To support the frame she added two screws to the back and strung heavy gauge wire in between them to carry the weight when hung up.

Glue down all of your knick-knacks with silicone or tile adhesive. Allow to dry.

Then mix your grout and apply it around your objects to lock them in place. Read your grout packaging and if appropriate use a slightly damp sponge to remove any unwanted grout. Allow to dry.

Apply newspaper to any mirrors and then use non-yellowing, grout spray-sealer. Let that dry and then use a clean, white cloth to do any final cleaning.

My mom made hers a few years ago and she hasn’t had any cracks or loose grout flakes thanks to the sealant.

Happy Crafting!