melissa

1. Make sure your base is clean and dry. If you are not going to mosaic the whole pot, you might want to paint the rest with Patio Paints, then seal with an acrylic spray sealer.
2. Select and prepare tesserae. Go ahead and break up your tile or plates. Strive for some uniformity of size. (I usually re-break any piece that is larger than a quarter.) To protect the surface of the piece you are breaking, and to prevent shards from flying around, place the tile/plate between old rags before hitting with a hammer. Wear goggles!
3. Glue tesserae to base. Place a good sized dollop of adhesive in the middle of the tesserae, then press it firmly to the base. You should be using enough adhesive so that a small amount squeezes out around the edges. Use a toothpick to remove excess adhesive between tesserae, if it rises above the level of the tesserae (you need to have room for the grout). Do not place your tesserae all the way to the edge of the base. You need to leave enough space to bevel the grout to the edge. After all the tesserae are in place, allow the piece to dry overnight.
4. Grouting. Use masking tape to tape off pot edges. Mix up the grout, using water or acrylic grout additive. Add the liquid slowly, stirring well, until the mixture is about the consistency of thick oatmeal. Allow the mixture to “slake” (let it sit about 5-10). While the grout sits, make sure your tesserae are clean of adhesive. A one-sided razor is handy for scraping off bits of adhesive. You may want to spray the pot with water before beginning to grout, or the grout will tend to dry out too quickly. Scoop the grout onto the piece, and work the grout between all the pieces of tesserae. You may want to wear gloves. Bevel the grout to the edges. Scrape off any excess grout and then let it sit for about 10” to allow the grout to begin to harden. Using a well-wrung out rag or sponge, carefully clean the grout off the surface of the tesserae. You don’t want to use too much water or pressure, or you will remove the grout from between the pieces as well. Cleaning the tesserae is a two-step process. First you “release” the tesserae, simply uncovering all the excess grout, but not being too concerned about the haziness. Q-tips are handy for cleaning around awkward shaped pieces, such as glass nuggets or stones. After all the tesserae are uncovered, and your grout edges are smoothed, allow the piece to rest for 10”-15”. Then, go back and carefully polish each tesserae with a dry or almost dry, soft cloth. If you notice any dips or pinholes in your grout, patch before it completely hardens. If a haze remains on your tile surfaces, you may use vinegar or sulfamic acid to remove it.
5. Finishing: Carefully remove the masking tape. Tap down any bits of grout that were raised by lifting the tape.
Scrape excess grout into trash can. Wipe out bowl and spoon or other utensils with paper towels. Then rinse outside. Never, ever, rinse grout down your household drain. It can block pipes! Allow your piece to dry at least 24 hours undisturbed, out of direct sunlight. It’s a good idea to seal your project with grout sealer to prevent stained grout.

If you're going to actually PLANT the pot, you MUST seal it first. Use a terracotta waterproofing spray... otherwise, when you get water under the tiles they can pop off.

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