Mosaic gazing ball

Hands-on time: Half a day.
Total time: Needs 48 hours to cure.
Skill: Moderate (patience is required).
Cost estimate: Less than $24.00.

Materials & Tools

• Protective eyewear and gloves
• Tiles of your choice of colours, broken into small pieces
• An old heavy towel
• Hammer
• Tile cutter or nipper (optional)
• Styrofoam ball, approximately 6 inches in diameter
• Jar lid from a peanut-butter container (to use as a stand)
• Tile adhesive (available at hardware stores)
• Coloured crystal accent pieces
• Glass beads
• Mapei (fast-curing polymer tile grout)
• Old bowl or disposable container
• Spatula or spoon
• Ziploc bag and scissors
• Flat rectangle sponge, or a sponge sanding block
• An old toothbrush
• Damp cloth, clean rags or paper towels

Mosaic gazing balls will add an ambiance of mystique to any garden.

First, you need to plan the design, colours and theme for your project. I made five flowers around the ball, using pink crystal petals, green crystal leaves, yellow glass beads for the center of the flowers, and electric-blue mosaic tile pieces placed around the floral design. I used leftover tiles from a previous bathroom renovation.

Make sure that you are wearing protective eyewear and gloves. Take two to four tiles at a time, wrap them inside a heavy towel, put them on a hard surface, and smash them two or three times with the hammer. Open the towel to see if you have enough small pieces; repeat if needed. You can also use a tile cutter or nipper to prepare smaller mosaic pieces.

Place the Styrofoam ball on the jar lid, to serve as a stand for the next few steps. With the adhesive, put the crystal pieces and glass beads into place while rotating the ball. Once all the pieces are applied, repeat the same procedure for the mosaic pieces around the design until the ball is covered, working on one section at a time. Leave a minimum of 1/16-inch spaces between pieces for the grout. Let stand over night for the mosaic pieces to be secured in place.

With a spoon or spatula, mix the grout according to manufacturer's directions in a disposable container or an old bowl. Let the mixture stand for about 15 to 20 minutes (it needs to become a little thicker in consistency than recommended on the directions since it is to be used on a round surface).

Put the mixture into a Ziploc bag, and cut a small diagonal hole in one corner. Using the bag like a cake-icer, squeeze out the mixture to fill in all of the gaps around all of the mosaic pieces while rotating the ball (an extra set of hands to help you here is a good idea). This is where the project gets messy before it gets better.

Once all of the gaps are filled, take a damp, flat sponge and wipe all around the ball to remove excess grout. Keep rinsing the sponge throughout this step. Let the ball stand for 30 to 40 minutes, and wipe again (you might have to repeat a few times). Use a toothbrush to remove excess grout in the grooves.

Let the ball dry and cure for 48 hours until it has completely hardened. Use a damp cloth for the final polishing. Place the gazing ball on a stand in your garden - preferably a sunny spot - and watch it sparkle.

Tips

• Try different decorating ideas, like displaying the balls in baskets, or on front steps, or placing one in a bird bath.
• Pebbles and even costume jewellery can be part of your mosaic design.
• Bring the outdoors in for the winter, to add dazzle your entrance hall or fireplace mantle.
• Most hardware and crafts stores now carry the latest mosaic supplies.