Mosaic flower pot

Clay flower pot covered with broken pieces of ceramic coffee cups and then grouted.

Decorating does not have to be expensive. Broken bits from ceramic coffee cups can dress up an old clay flower pot. Making something old look new is fun and saves money. Refashioning is something everyone can do with a little time.
We decided to try this project after seeing a similar one at this website: http://cathiefilian.blogspot.com/2008/07/newspaper-column-re-crafting-with.html. It is by Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza. They glued buttons to a clay pot and then grouted around them.
Other items that could be used to decorate a pot could be coins, keys or store bought mosaic tiles. Even sea shells or small pebbles would be good choices. Old picture frames could also be decorated with similar items to give them a new look. The possible variations to this project are endless.
Ceramic cups get chipped or broken from time to time at our house. We just hate to throw anything out. So when we came across the idea to use them to decorate flower pots we decided to give it a try.
First we used a hammer to break the cups into small pieces. The pieces need to be smaller than one might think to fit flat onto the surface of the pot.
To attach the pieces to the clay pot we used E6000 glue. This glue is applied to the pot as well as the broken pieces. Then the pieces are fit onto the pot, it is kind of like putting a puzzle together. We tried to mix the colors as much as possible and not make any particular pattern.
If a particular design is desired one would need to draw an outline first, then fill it in with one color and so on. Another choice could be to use items of all one color and a contrasting grout color.
The glue takes about 24 hours to dry completely. After waiting a day we grouted between the broken pieces. We just followed the directions on the package of grout.
All the materials for this project we had on hand except for the glue. So our project was low in cost.
This was our first time using the E6000 glue. It works a little like rubber cement except when it dries it is stuck on for good. That made it the perfect choice for this project.
This project does take three or four hours to complete, not including drying time. But doing it with your spouse, friend or children will make it fun.
Before buying something new always look for ways to reuse things you already have. It will not only save money but make a fun project as well.
Projects like this are always nice to use for gifts as well. Handmade gifts are always special.