MAKE A MOSAIC USING THE PAPER BACKED METHOD | Using a paper substrate

[@christinaetzrodt-rempeters5129]

Thankyou that all is written down, so i can better understand.

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

Great! I hope it's helpful 😀

[@franzrogar]

3:32 You could also use "nori" paste, which is just the same but instead of wheat flour, it's made of rice flour. It's a bit stronger (safer to avoid losing any tesserae), but water will dissolve it just the same. You can find it ready-to-use in most markets. Also, bookbinders' glue (which is the real wheat flour) can be found, but because of "being modern", some brands sell not-real wheat glue as "bookbinders"... so you should check the composition before buying them.

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

That's a great tip. Thank you so much for letting me know

[@barbrathompson9798]

Love how you show the work rather than your face,,, makes such sense showing the work ,,, Thank you very much

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

You're very welcome! :)

[@thatavguy]

Love these videos, great instructions. I do change the playback speed to 1.5+ because she speaks very slowly, it has helped me enjoy them all the way 😉

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

Great idea! I speak very fast 'in real life' so I'm glad that this technique is helping to speed me up again. 😃

[@deborahmikelson1923]

Great job! Loved your great explanations! Especially why you need to draw on backside to reverse the image!

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

So glad Deborah! Yes, drawing on the backside to get the reverse image is a very handy trick 😀

[@barbrathompson9798]

You are a brilliant teacher ,,,, please come to South africa

[@DH-hz5qw]

Oh my gosh, you are the sunshine in my life! Thanks for all the info. You are amazing. 🙌🏻

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

You are so welcome! And you are the sunshine of mine - comments like this are so nice to receive 😀

[@rebeccacampbell8020]

Please make a video that shows the various examples of smaller and medium sized works that could be used to decorate a home, and the various presentation methods. Or, maybe you have a link that you know about that does the same.

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

That's a great idea Rebecca. It would need quite a bit of preparation but well worth the effort. I will add it to my list!

[@happychappyy]

Do you just lay these on the tile cement? Can you show how to stick these on and piece sections together please?

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

Yes, you lay them into a thin layer of tile adhesive. I will try and do a video about that soon. 😀

[@happychappyy]

@@HelenMilesMosaics Thankyou

[@microdose1175]

Thank you for the tutorial! Very insightful. Can you give tips or provide a video on how you attach the mosaic to a wall? Do you attach it with concrete or mortar fill? Thank you!

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

Yes, I keep meaning to do that but I keep being thwarted by not having a wall to experiment on! Anyway, you attach it to the wall by spreading a thin layer of outdoor grade tile adhesive thinset onto the wall and pressing the mosaic into it. After about 20 minutes you can dampen the paper and gently peel it away from the corners towards the centre. When it's dry, the finished mosaic may need grouting

[@microdose1175]

@@HelenMilesMosaics Absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much!

[@microdose1175]

@@HelenMilesMosaicsOH I also forgot to ask- can you attach it to a wooden wall or does it have to be concrete /brick?

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

@@microdose1175 It could be attached to a wooden wall if it was indoors, otherwise concrete/brick are advised.

[@mujededalvi]

So Great ....

[@danieledney5775]

Thanks for the video! It really helps. I’m using 10mm tiles with 1mm grout lines. Will the concrete still flow up between the tessera? Would you advice using a thin set mortar? Thank you 🙏🏼

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

I would aim to make the grout lines a bit wider if possible - more like 2-3mm.

[@soleluna7639]

Buongiorno, grazie per tuttorial. Lo guardato attentamente perché non capisco quello che dice ....mi mancherebbe vedere come si incola quadro di grandi dimensioni già sulla parete (o com'è quadro) dalla carta. Grazie per quello che fa è molto utile e molto interessante

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

I am sorry for the late reply. The answer to your question is that once the mosaic is completed, you prepare the wall where it will be attached by creating an even surface of thin set adhesive. Then you flip the mosaic over into the adhesive so that that tiles are face down and the paper is face up. Leave it to set a little, then dampen the paper and peel off.

[@barbrathompson9798]

Just curious, what different from using the mesh to paper back

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

It has taken me this long to realise that comments are tucked away in my KZbin studio! Apologies for the late reply. The paper backed method is used for floors - it is the only method available that ensures a completely smooth surface. The mesh method is sometimes used for floors too but it is much harder to get a 100 per cent even surface because of minute differences in the amount of glue used to fix the tiles to the mesh. I hope I haven't been too late to help!

[@soleluna7639]

Più piacciono molto i suoi mosaici

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

Grazie mille! 😀

[@wolfgang4468]

As a beginner, I am wondering why this method is only mentioned in conjunction with being put into concrete. Why wouldn't you use it for other substrates, for example, when making a design and you are undecided about which kind or size of substrate you want to use?

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

Great point. Yes, it can be used in that way but I guess that the majority of people have decided on their substrate ahead of time. Notwithstanding that, I agree that it's a great method and very handy because it is so much easier to correct mistakes with the paper backed method than it is with most of the others.

[@wolfgang4468]

@@HelenMilesMosaics I seem to be the most haphazard mosaic beginner around ...

[@heatherwilliams1394]

Curious? Why can't you just glue to paper permanently and paste it to the wall and grout it? Shrug? Like wallpaper.

[@HelenMilesMosaics]

Because the tesserae are too heavy. Even if you used thick paper, over time the weight of the tesserae would pull the paper off. If you are making a wall mosaic is makes much more sense to use a hard, permanent board. The paper method is used for floors when you want to ensure a totally flat surface.