Mosaic windowsill

Just over a year ago, we had a kitchen fire that meant we lost the whole room and everything in it. 

Every cloud has a silver lining, so it meant we got to pick a brand new kitchen! :)

I didn't appreciate at the time that our windowsill had previously been completely tiled on the top, just like the walls. So when I picked a kitchen without tiles and with glass up stands around the work tops instead, it meant we were without a windowsill. This was something  I'd not accounted or budgeted for. 

I decided to just make my own using Mdf to keep it cheap. However I realised this would not be waterproof so would need covering. 

I'd enjoyed making my mosaic fireplace so much (see previous posts) that I figured I could do another mosaic. 

The new kitchen is aubergine and cream units with fuscia pink glass up stands and splashback. The walls are baby pink. So this is a colourful kitchen!!! 

I wanted my windowsill to refect this colourful, funkiness so I went with a mosaic made with multicoloured beads. 

I got the Mdf from B&Q and they cut it to size in store. This was then held together by a couple of corner brackets so that I could have the downwards lip.

I bought 10,000 x 1cm beads off eBay and then a few larger 3cm ones. I stuck them randomly to the Mdf using some white waterproof grout. 

Annoyingly, this didn't work like normal mosaic because the beads were painted so the damp from the grout caused the paint to run on them. If I were ever to do this again, I'd make sure the material I was using was NOT painted.

Once that was done I then grouted over the top like a normal mosaic. 

I've then sealed it all using spray on varnish. I've then put this in place over the window and then used bathroom sealant to make the windowsill water tight to the walls.

Fireplace mosaic

I have a huge open fireplace, with no actual fire in it. I decided to mosaic the floor of it, which is about 1.5 meters x 0.5 meters large. 

I love the finished effect. A fireplace should be relaxing, warm and inviting. The repetitive circles give this the relaxing feeling that I wanted and the addition of the candles give a small nod to the warmth of a real fire.

I got some MDF and drew out my pattern.  I chosen a simple circular design to match both the rounded pebbles and round tea light holders. I then make a feature out of my house number and street where it will be displayed. I drew out the pattern on the MDF prior to starting with the glass. This template was easily covered by the grout and gave me clear guidance on where to place my glass.

             

I got the round glass pebbles cheap from the pound shop for a really big bag full, as actual mosaic tiles were a killer on the old purse strings. 

And I can't believe how much mortar I went through. I think in total, if I tried to cost it up, it would have been about £5 for the MDF, £15 on mortar, £60 on tiles and pebbles.