Glass Mosaic Steppingstones

Project by Michelle Mickle from Citra, Fla.

Growing up with a stepmom who was an illustrator had its benefits for Michelle Mickle, but it wasn't until the past few years that she realized how valuable those benefits would be as she branched out from drawing and began to explore other artistic mediums. In this project, see where those explorations have led this mother of two — to her mosaic steppingstones for the yard.

Materials and Tools:

12" square concrete stepping
acrylic paint
clear window and glass
indoor/outdoor silicone sealer
caulking gun
broken safety glass
metal leafing
glitter
embossing powder
wooden paint stirrer
unsanded grout
grout floater
dry rag or paper towels
grout sealer
newspaper

Steps:

1. Spread out newspaper on a flat surface like a worktable and place stone on top. Working outdoors is better than indoors.

2. Paint the stone with one color of acrylic paint. This serves as base coat, which covers the entire face of stone. Let dry.

3. Working in small sections (approximately 5 inches): Spread a layer of silicone across a small section of the stone using a caulking gun and paint stirrer. Do not let dry.

4. Apply pieces of metal leaf on to top of wet silicone. Make sure not to cover the entire area (you want the background color to show through).

5. Sprinkle glitter and/or embossing powder over metal leafing. Make sure you don't go overboard because this will cause glass not to stick.

6. Press precut pieces of safety glass into the silicone on top of your glitter and leafing. Leave small gaps approximately 1/8 inch between pieces. Don't worry if metal leafing breaks underneath — it adds to the effect.

7. Put stone away clear of dirt and water to let dry and cure for 24 hours.

8. Grout your steppingstone following manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning dried grout off, add sealant.