Mosaic Birdbath {Tutorial}

Woohoo! My dad has no computer access this week, so I can finally share the project that the boys made him for Father's Day this year - a {beautiful} kid-created mosaic birdbath! We saw the idea in Family Fun magazine a couple of months ago and knew that it would make a perfect gift for him. I am so pleased with the way it came out!

This birdbath project is simple and inexpensive, though there are some messy parts that will require adult assistance. You will need: a terracotta pot and matching-sized saucer, paint (if desired), tiles/glass gems (we found ours in bags at Dollar Tree), strong glue such as Goop! or E6000, grout and sponges.

After painting our pot and saucer with a couple of coats of spray paint, we used our strong adhesive to glue the glass mosaic pieces to the inside of the saucer. I put a puddle of Goop and a chopstick on a paper plate and supervised while my boys took turns creating their mosaic design (make sure you open the windows and get adequate ventillation).

(See how I didn't peel off the sticker there? Don't follow my awesome example here...in the end we could still see parts of the sticker through the clear glass gems - duh!) The boys started with a random assortment of glass shapes in the center, and then we rimmed the saucer with small square tiles to clean up the edges of their design.

See that curved "petal" looking ring of glass (right inside of the square tiles)? Sawyer said that those are "sunflower petals...to remind Granddad that he should plant some sunflowers in his garden." It was fun seeing his little mind create unique patterns and designs without any parental intervention!

After all of our mosaic pieces were glued down, we let the glue dry for several days before proceeding on to the next step.

Yay, time for grout! Despite the "Are you crazy!? Grouting with preschoolers? In the kitchen?" setup, we actually didn't encounter any difficulties or messes in this step - AMAZING! I mixed dry grout with water in a recycled container, and the boys spread it on with plastic spoons. (Note: The pre-mixed grout at our local Home Depot is not recommended for standing water applications, so be sure to read the labels unless you want to go back to the hardware store again. Ask me how I know.)

The boys applied the grout and made sure that it filled in all of the cracks between the tiles and gems. When the entire saucer was sufficiently covered they took turns wiping off the excess, and when it was almost done I finished it up for them.

Let sit to dry for an hour and then use a damp sponge to finish cleaning off the remaining residue from the tiles. At this point we let it sit for several days to cure.

The final step is using your strong adhesive to attach the mosaic saucer to the flower pot base. All done and ready for gift giving!

Sit back and admire your work!

The tiles look so pretty glistening in the sun!

Posted in: Father's Day, Gift, Kids, Mosaic, Outdoor Decor