Ideas on What to Use for Creating Mosaics

Here are a few items you can use to make mosaics with. Like I've mentioned before, the sky is the limit, even If I haven't listed it here, you can probably stick it in cement!

Of course the obvious, ceramic tiles! Unless I'm working on a specific project for a client and need a particular colour, most of my ceramic comes from sample tiles that ceramic stores use. Check out your area and approach the owners of flooring stores, telling them you are a mosaic artist and to call you if they want to get rid of their sample tiles or excess tiles used in renovation contracts with their clients. More likely than often, they will be pleased and call you whenever they get a bunch of tiles to throw out! A ceramic flooring store in my area calls me whenever they get new samples and must throw out their old ones. Floor, wall and glass tiles make up their inventory. I can literally ceramic my whole house with the tiles they give me! Also, when the owner of the store lays down tile for a client, often, the client doesn't measure properly and ends up ordering too much special tile. The owner of the store cannot sell these left over tiles and he gives them to me! Beautiful porcelain tiles, often in excess of 30 have been given to me by this store owner, along with 50-60 wall tiles in various colours! It helps them out because they don't have to pay special fees for having their tile removed from the premises and disposed of!

If I need a specific colour that I don't have in my inventory, well, I usually go down to the local big hardware store and buy a few tiles in their ceramic section. Often they will sell tiles individually and keep them on hand for clients that need not buy a whole box.