How to Mosaic on Mesh

Sometimes, it is easier to mosaic on mesh first, rather than directly onto the substrate.

I buy my mesh from a tile shop. Then, once I have my design idea drawn onto the mesh, I apply a watered down  glue to the back of the tile and stick it down on the mesh. Except it’s not that easy. All sorts of things can go wrong. The glue might block the holes of the mesh, and the mesh gets stuck to your work surface. If the weather is wet, the glue never seems to dry. If the completed mesh squares get wet or are kept in a humid environment, the glue stops working and the pieces fall off. All of these things have happened to me and were accompanied by lots of swearing and worrying about the commission being a big flop.

Then I would go to sleep, and in the morning I would think I had the solution and try again. 

I believe this project has brought me to tears more than any other. Collaborating with a renowned artist meant following their direction closely. I significantly underestimated my quote, yet I still found joy in the process and felt privileged to be part of it.

How to Mosaic Using Ceramic Leaf shapes

Making the Leaf Mosaic Pieces

Here’s how I created the ceramic leaf inserts for the mosaic.

I began by rolling out a smooth, even slab of clay, about 6 mm thick. It’s important to keep the thickness uniform so the pieces dry evenly and don’t warp during firing.

Next, I gently pressed fresh leaves into the clay surface to capture their natural texture and vein patterns. I experimented with a mix of foliage—wild geranium, nasturtium, bougainvillea, and cluster fig leaves—each one leaving its own distinctive print.

The variety of shapes and textures gives the finished mosaic a beautiful, organic look—almost like a patchwork of garden memories preserved in clay.

Once the clay has firmed up a little more—no longer sticky, but still slightly pliable—carefully cut around the leaf shapes using a pottery knife (or even an ordinary kitchen knife works perfectly well).

Then leave the pieces to rest overnight. Avoid moving or handling them at this stage, as the clay is still soft and fragile and can easily warp or lose its shape. You can place newsprint and then a board over the leaf tiles and weigh it down—but do not overdo it, just enough weight to prevent warping during the drying process

The next day, once the clay has firmed up past the floppy stage, gently lift the pieces and trim away the excess clay between the leaves—you can recycle those offcuts later.

Use a damp sponge to neaten the edges, keeping the actual leaf in place to protect its beautiful imprint from being wiped away.

Peel off the leaf and gently wipe the edges one more time.

Now it’s time to let the pieces dry slowly and evenly. Avoid drying them too quickly, as that can cause warping or cracking. Patience really pays off here!

Once dry, the pieces will be fired twice—first for the bisque firing, then again after glazing. You can choose to apply color pigments or underglazes either before the first firing or later during the glazing stage, depending on the look you want to achieve. Each option creates its own unique finish and depth of color.

I love the “surfboard” shape of these leaf forms—elegant, slightly curved, and so easy to handle. They nestle together beautifully on the drying board, fitting neatly side by side, ready for their transformation in the kiln.

Craig's Table

My tabletop in progress

Sally, my mosaic student, did well with her 2nd mosaic project.

One of my first leafy tabletops

mosaic seat in progress, with red leaves, a cat, and
other bits and pieces

Green glazed leaves over a brown pigment in the veins of the leaf detail on the tabletop

An easy mosaic project, using leaf mosaic pieces in dove grey, blues, and mauve

'mosaic lessons' and various mosaic things decorating the outside of the Knysna Pottery House

an owl and a hare with various odd leaf tiles that no one wanted

More chair seats using leftover leaf mosaic pieces

Sally, my mosaic student, is doing a fine job of an umbrella stand for her mother, who is the owner of one of my first leaf tabletops. So this umbrella stand will match it nicely.

Winter, mosaic artist in hibernation

I really should update this blog more often. I only like to do that when I actually have something new to show- but I have no new  mosaic projects for a good few reasons. It is winter, it is cold and my enthusiasm levels are low.

I would like to start a new range of really small ceramic things- buttons, inserts, miniature art. The Knysna Pottery House is going full steam ahead, with many projects and commissions and a new pottery teacher on the team. I am temporarily without transport, so am stuck at home for a bit.

My grown up sons have left home,  I still have my kiln and slab roller at home, all I need is some clay, Plaster of Paris for the moulds, and  some enthusiasm. And of course a market to buy the new range.

I have been decorating ceramics- doing quite a lot of houses and landscapes on buildings, painted on large platters and I have enjoyed that for a while. I discovered I can do a good portrait as well. But who on earth would want a portrait of themselves on a tile or a plate- except the Queen of England maybe?

 Recently a SA artist became famous overnight because he did an "artwork" depicting our president with his rude parts exposed. Oh- the hoo ha that created. Maybe I should do an artwork of  Prez. Zuma and his multiple wives and children, grandchildren- - also shocking in some way- and get free publicity?  Ha ha! No way- you have to be absolutely crazy to attract that kind of hate and negative media attention from all the verkrampte (conservatives) in this country. I am certain the artist got a few death threats. Please note- I have not named the artist or the artwork- as it deserves no more attention.

So here are a few of my ceramic plates.

Noetzie beach, Knysna

Palm trees

Thesen House, Knysna

2 large carved vases and a white mosaic mirror by Ruth

Some old houses in Knysna.

Coffee table with purpose made handmade tiles and glass mosaic tiles

Step One- the galvanised metal base

Step 2: Cut the fibre cement board to size 

Step 3: Attach fibre cement to metal base using a pop rivet gun

Glass has been glued over cut outs in sides and top.
Then the handmade tiles were made especially.
This corner had to be re-done as the original got accidentally broken

Went to the Tile House to buy glass mosaics tiles on special-
R45 per sheet

Start arranging the glass tiles- play around with designs

I used clear silicone to attach the glass tiles to the glass sheet

Making progress, and thinking about grout colour

Drying. Tomorrow I will grout the table and add a photo of  the final result on this blog post

How to make your own mosaic inserts

Butterflies, leaves and birds, flowers, a snake, broken ceramic tile, and glass drops.

I often get inquiries on the actual making of the mosaic inserts. Here is an excerpt from a lovely email I received a few days ago, and my reply:

Hello, Marylou! 
You don't know me, but I've been browsing your Earthmaid blog website and dreaming about your wonderful work! I especially love your mosaic inserts! I've seen many mosaic projects, and liked them, but your mosaic insert designs are what most captured my attention. After browsing your website, I went on a hunt to find inserts like yours -- I thought I would begin collecting tiles for a future project. However, I soon discovered that your tiles are one-of-a-kind! I couldn't find anything like them anywhere—either locally or even online. As a teacher, I recently relocated to a middle school. I'm excited because now I can explore many more art techniques and media with my older students. 
Your work has inspired me to learn more about working with clay. I have done many different art forms, including some basic mosaic designs with stained glass, but haven't done ceramic work—yet! On your blog, you describe how to do mosaics, which is wonderful! However, I am most interested in learning more about how you create the tiles themselves—the techniques you use to create the designs on the tiles. I'd love to try making some inserts for my personal use for mosaics—and I'm also imagining that they'd make wonderful pendants, too. I suppose that using polymer clay for pendants would work, but I would like to explore working with clay -- I wonder if my students could try the technique you use to make small projects, or if it would be too difficult. Would you be willing to tell me more about how you make your inserts, and the techniques you use, or point me in the right direction to find information via the internet or an excellent book resource? I am interested in purchasing some of your inserts, but I can well imagine that if I wanted to get enough for a mosaic project like the mosaic table you feature on your blog site, it would cost me a small fortune to get them to Canada! If you do sell them, I'd like information on how I could order them and the cost to purchase and ship them to Canada. Thank you so much for sharing your work through your blog, and I hope to hear from you soon!

I replied:

Thanks for the email and kind words.

If your school has its own kiln and pottery equipment, then making your own inserts will be a fun thing to do.

I would suggest you start by getting a slab of clay rolled out—about 6 mm thick, either on a slab roller or by using a rolling pin and 2 dowels. Get a book from the library on handmade tiles to see how to make a slab.

Then when it has firmed a bit, press cookie cutters into the clay. Or press leaves, veins down, into the clay. Cut with a sharp-tipped knife around the leaves. Or use a paper template and a knife to cut out animal shapes, hearts, or whatever. Remove the in-between bits, leaving the shapes on a wooden board (or bat, as they are called in pottery studios) to dry overnight.

The next day they should be firm enough for you to pick up and clean off the edges.

Then when they are dry, decorate and fire in a kiln.

I paint on the underglaze and then scratch through it to make designs—sgraffito.

I use plaster of Paris to make molds of the inserts I make, and that is another long process—but if I were teaching a class to kids, I would use the slab method.

Regards and hope you have fun.

There are many good "how to make tiles" books at the local library. Tutorials with step by step pictures will be helpful.

Tips for Working with Clay Leaf Shapes

1. Eliminate Air Bubbles
   When rolling out your clay slab, take care to remove any air bubbles. These can cause cracks or even small explosions during firing. Wedge or knead the clay thoroughly before rolling it out to ensure a smooth, even texture.

2. Handle with Care
   Avoid touching or moving the shapes while the clay is still soft and floppy. At this stage, it’s very fragile and can easily stretch or distort. Wait until it has firmed up slightly — to the “leather-hard” stage — before doing any trimming or refining.

3. Keep the Shapes Flat
   To help your clay pieces dry evenly and stay flat, place a sheet of newspaper over them, then gently set a flat board on top. Add a light weight if needed. This prevents warping and keeps your shapes perfectly smooth as they dry.

4. Refine the Edges
   Once the clay has reached the leather-hard or dry stage, use a damp sponge to smooth and soften the edges. This small step gives your finished pieces a more professional, polished look.

5. Control the Drying Speed
   Clay that dries too quickly can crack — especially in warmer weather. To slow the process, cover unfinished projects with clear plastic. A clever tip: an old fridge (unplugged, of course!) makes an excellent storage space for clay work in progress, helping maintain consistent moisture levels.

Let Your Creativity Shine: Making Ceramic Mosaic Pieces

One of the best things about working with clay is how much fun you can have experimenting! Beginners and kids will enjoy simple decoration techniques like wax resist, sgraffito, or one-color designs. Sometimes, keeping it simple creates the most striking results — a little goes a long way!

Don’t forget about rubber stamps! Press them into your clay slabs when the clay is just the right firmness — not too soft, not too dry — and watch the textures come alive. Let imaginations run wild, but remember: supervise carefully, as some cutting tools are sharp. And save those little leftover clay bits for recycling — nothing goes to waste!

Once your leaf impressions and shapes are dry, decorating with underglazes is easy and magical. Apply the color, let it dry, and gently wipe off the surface — the pigment stays nestled in the impressions, highlighting every detail. Then comes the fun part: bisque firing at 1000°C, followed by a glaze firing. Choose translucent glaze for a glossy finish, or leave it unglazed for a lovely, natural matte look.

Pottery is full of surprises — even if you’ve been working with clay for years, there’s always something new to discover about textures, glazes, firing, and decoration. This blog focuses on mosaics, but I hope it inspires you to create your own beautiful, one-of-a-kind mosaic inserts.

P.S. If this post sparks your creativity, please share my EarthMaid blog with friends and family. Every view and comment helps — one day I hope to bring even more exciting projects to you with sponsorship support. Most of all, have fun, get messy, and let your creativity shine!

Outdoor shower mosaic on a curved wall.

This post is about a project I completed a few years ago — a commission to mosaic a curved plastered wall for an outdoor shower and sauna. The client was wonderfully adventurous — by far the most daring yet! She told me, “I want something quirky and fanciful, and I want to notice something new every time I take a shower.” She even entrusted me with her personal collection of mosaic pieces, a small shoebox of interesting fragments, to incorporate into the design.

We began by creating a few tile samples in colors and patterns we thought she would love. Once everything was approved, the real work began: hundreds of handmade square and circular tiles were produced. Some of these tiles I decorated using a wax-resist technique, similar to batik textiles. The wax burns off during an extra pre-glaze firing, leaving the intricate patterns intact. After cleaning, the tiles were glazed in delicate light blues, greens, or clear glazes, giving the finished mosaic a subtle, shimmering charm.

5x5 cm tiles

small hearts and circles

Large plate sized circles, thrown on a wheel. Some were made to dry in a curved shape to fit the curved wall of the shower.

We also made many additional tiles in the same colors and patterns to fill the spaces between the circles and to be cut into smaller pieces where needed. Once all the tiles were ready, I prepared the wall with a key coat and bonding liquid and set to work on what would become a month-long mosaicing project.

The wall was set in a beautiful garden, and with the summer sun blazing, I rigged up a shade cloth to keep us cooler while we worked. My son joined me on the project, and I even paid him for his efforts—though honestly, we both enjoyed working together as a team.

I worked from the floor upwards.

the outside nook for sauna and shower

details

details

signed MN

As you can see, it was quite a task and kept me very busy for days and days.

The curved wall and circles create quite an illusion of flatness.

My son Julian has the honor of sticking down the last piece.

exhausted and dirty, but happy, finished grouting

I can hardly notice the curved circles on the curved section of the shower wall. Was it worth it?