Pique assiette mosaic is a form of mosaic that got its name (which, literally translated, means "thief of plates" in French) as a result of the beautiful mosaic art done by artist Raymond Isidore on his home in Chartres, France. He covered his entire home, inside and out (including furnishings) with bits of pottery that he found in the fields around his neighborhood. His neighbors, incensed at what he was doing, called him Pique Assiette as a derogatory term and it stuck. It is also spelled "picassiette".
Steps
- Assemble your materials in a comfortable, well-lit work area
- Break your pottery with hammer and/or nippers. Nippers will provide a much safer and cleaner cut for your tile. If using a hammer, always wear safety glasses and use a towel or other cloth to cover the plate or tile while breaking it.
- Use a new terra cotta pot. Never use an older, dirty one even if you have cleaned it, since there will continue to be both dirt residue and moisture in the terra cotta which will affect the curing of the adhesive.
- Use a good non-oil based primer to seal the terra cotta both inside and out. This will keep moisture from being drawn out of the adhesive during the curing process.
- Mix a small portion of polymer modified thinset mortar (not the speedsetting kind as this will set too quickly). Mortar is the most reliable adhesive to use for outdoor areas or areas that are in contact with moisture. Mastic is not a good adhesive for this purpose as it does not adhere well over the long term. Never use any "pre-mixed" thin set product. It has a curing retardant in it in order to keep it from curing on the shelf and this means your mosaic will not cure properly in a decent amount of time.
- Using a plastic knife or palette knife, spread the mortar over a small area of your pot. Only work in areas you can finish at one time. Alternately you can place a small amount of mortar on the back of each piece as you set it. Make sure you are using enough mortar to hold the piece down but not so much that it squishes up into the spaces between the tiles where the grout will go.
- Place your crockery shards in a pleasing pattern. You may draw the pattern onto the pot ahead of time with a pencil and follow the lines.
- Apply grout to cracks between crockery shards after the mortar has cured completely. This usually is after 72 hours.
- Use a dry rag (lint free) or very slightly damp tile sponge (not a kitchen sponge) to gently clean off the grout from the tiles without pulling it out of the cracks.
- Apply grout sealant after the grout has dried if you are concerned about staining. Otherwise, sealant is unnecessary.
- Display proudly.
Tips
- Gloves help prevent cuts from the sharp edges of your crockery shards.
- Goggles may be a good idea when you're breaking the shards.
- A dust mask should be worn when mixing or handling any powdered cement material such as grout or mortar.
Warnings
- Shards are by their very nature sharp edged. Handle with care.
Things You'll Need
- Clay flower pot
- Assortment of ceramics or china (broken or to be broken)
- Tile nippers and/or a hammer
- Polymer modified thinset mortar
- Sanded grout
- Primer
- Grout sealer - Oil and weather resistant (only if you want stain resistance)
- Plastic disposable knife or palette knife or similar for spreading grout.
- Paint brushes or sponges
- Protective Gloves
- Plastic disposable bowls or containers for mixing mortar and grout.
- Bucket of water for rinsing all materials (never use the sink)
