HouseFinder Magazine is a practical home-and-garden-magazine. We feature a selection of properties for sale and rent from leading real estate agents in Namibia and deliver in-depth articles and expert insights on property trends and news.
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” (1993 film adaptation of The Secret Garden)
No better time than now to make a tiny garden for your garden.
* I found all my craft supplies at PNA Namibia and used a pot I thrifted. Hardware stores also stock most of these supplies.
Wipe off any dust and small particles from the terracotta pot.
Wash in soapy water and let dry completely.
Paint a base layer with chalk paint (optional if you are not tiling the whole pot) and let dry.
With a pencil, draw your design on the pot. (Or do a freehand design!)Enter your text here...
Lay out your design – in my case, flowers – and take a picture on your cell phone for reference.
With either the cement glue or the silicone glue, cover a small area and glue on the mosaic bits. Lay the pot on its side to prevent them from sliding off. I found that it helps to wait a few minutes after applying the glue before applying the pieces.
Tile the background of your design. Cut smaller pieces with the tile cutter (place one hand over the tile cutter to prevent the pieces from flying around and wear safety goggles) and fill in the background of your design. Try to keep the gaps between tiles as small as possible. Enter your text here...
Mix a small amount of grout with only a little bit of water at a time. It should not be watery (refer to photo) but rather have a paste-like consistency.
Apply the grout between the tiles. If you use your fingers, be extra careful of the sharp edges of the tiles. Better to wear thick cut-resistant rubber gloves or use a tile scraper.
Wait for the grout to dry completely and wipe off excess grout from the tiles with a damp sponge and warm water.
Find a special place for your tiny garden. (And watch out for fairies...)
