Here is how I made a mosaic with all reclaimed and recycled materials.
I began with a serving platter purchased from the Brown Elephant Thrift Store in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood. I love to shop there because the proceeds are used to provide health care to underinsured clients of the Howard Brown Health Center.
Using a compass and pencil, I created geometric patterns on the platter. I then began to mosaic the parts of the pattern that interested me. If you look carefully, you can see pencil marks on the platter in the photo below.
I glued Kismet glass tile, made with recycled materials, to the center and perimeter of the platter.
I then filled in the empty spaces outside of the flower with pieces of glass from a broken stained glass lampshade. This is what the platter looked like before I grouted it.
I then filled in the gaps with a buttercream colored grout. Here is the finished piece – completely upcycled.