Mosaic Birdbath

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Recycle old materials to create an eccentric garden decoration. Your neighbors will thank you for it. People will think you're "artsy."

Step 1Gather Materials

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You'll need to decide what garden "item" you'll be applying a mosaic to. I am using flower pots, a bird bath, and this "thing" that I found in my neighbor's trash. For this instructable I'll focus on the birdbath.

You'll also need to gather a bunch of old crap to apply to your garden item. I am using old tile pieces, marbles, coffee mugs, broken flower pots, mirrors, and other odds and ends. Anything that will withstand the elements should be fine.

There are some tools and materials that you will need:

2 buckets
water
a sponge
steel wool (or a scrubby sponge)
Thin set mortar
Sanded grout
Tile snips (optional, for more fancy designs)
Glass cutting tool (optional, for more fancy designs)
Silicon adhesive (optional, for more fancy designs and for smaller pieces like a flower pot)
Safety glasses

Step 2Think about a design...or don't

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At this point you can preplan your design. On the other hand, you could just do a free-form design and don't plan anything ahead of time.

I created a star template out of cardboard and traced it onto the birdbath with pencil. This keeps me on track when I'm applying the tiles.

Step 3Break Stuff

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You'll need to break all of the tiles, mirrors, etc. into small pieces so that you can apply them to the object. Use a hammer and make sure you wear safety glasses when you do this. Be careful!

If your design is somewhat intricate you'll want to break the tiles and mirrors with some degree of precision and accuracy. A glass cutter and tile snips come in handy here.

Glass cutter: a little, pen-like tool that has a sharp wheel to score glass. This will cost <$5 at a hardware store. You basically press firmly to score the glass. Then you tap the glass to break it along the scores.

Tile snips: These are like a hybrid between pliers and hedge trimmers. They gradually nibble away at ceramic tile to acheive a desired shape.

Since I am making a star pattern I had to make sure that I had some sharp, acute angles for the tips of the star. It is really important that you plan these things ahead. You don't want to be snipping away at tiles while your mortar is mixed.
If you're doing a free-form pattern then screw it and just break eveything with no regard.

Step 4Prep the Surface

The surface of the object that you are going to mosaic needs to be relatively clean. So you should wash it off if it is dirty. The bird bath that I am doing was covered in algae and other gross stuff so I scrubbed it with bleach and hosed it off. It doesn't need to be completely dry before you start mosaic-ing but there shouldn't be any puddles or excessive water.

Step 5Apply the "Intricate" portion of the Mosaic Design

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Your mosaic design can be completely random or very thought out. If you intend to make a specific design you should draw it out on paper first and keep it near you while you are working or create a template. Otherwise, just make the design up as you go along. If you intend to create a more formal design you should start with that part. The small detail pieces can be applied with Silicon adhesive rather than messy, thick mortar. I finished the entire star pattern in this way.

Apply the broken pieces to the object. Keep them pretty close together...1/8" or so. Any large gaps will use up expensive grout.

Step 6Mix the Mortar

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Once you are done with the intricate part of the design you can start applying the rest of the mosaic with thinset.

You'll need to get some tile thinset mortar at the hardware store. This stuff is pretty cheap (about $5 for 50lbs).
Mix it per the instructions with water in a bucket to get a paste-like consistency. Don't mix more than you can use is about 20 minutes or it will get too hard while you're working on it. It's better to make a few smaller batches than to waste a large one.

Note: if you are just doing a small object, like a flower pot, you can forgo the mortar. Instead use cheap silicon adhesive for all of the tile pieces. But for larger projects it is far more cost effective to use mortar.

You want the mortar to be like paste...not too runny but also not crumbly and dry. Keep in mind: It is always easier to add more water rather than to add more dry mortar.

Step 7Apply the Motar to the Object

Thinset mortar is called thinset for a reason. You only need to apply a thin layer. Apply the mortar to the surface of the object using a rubber spatula or mortar tool or some kind of stick or your hands. Only do as much area as you can work on in an about 10-15 minutes. Otherwise it will begin to skin over and not stick as well.

Step 8Apply the broken pieces

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Take all of the broken pieces that you have and start applying them to the object. If some of them are very heavy you'll want to put a little bit of mortar on the back of the tile piece to help it stay in place. Go nuts.

Step 9Let the Mortar Dry

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Go to bed and let the mortar dry over night.

Step 10Grout the Mosaic

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You can now apply the grout. You can use a spatula to mush the grout into the spaces between the tiles. I prefer to use my hands. But be careful because the tiles are sharp and will cut.

You want to keep the grout moving and smear it off the surface of the tiles and mirrors and stuff. There will be a glaze of grout left on the surface of the tiles that can be removed later but you don't want it to be so thick that you cannot get it off.

Use the sponge and the water to smooth out the grout and wipe the excess from the tiles.

Step 11Let the Grout Dry

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Let the grout dry overnight.

Step 12Remove the Grout "Haze" and Seal the Grout

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Use some clean water and the steel wool (or scrubby sponge) to remove the grout haze from the tile pieces. You may need to scrub pretty hard if the grout is caked up. If you can, use a garden hose to rinse it off as you go.

Let the grout dry and you can seal it. Sealing it is optional but it is a good idea because it will help keep the algae down and help it last longer in the winter*. The hardware store will have grout and tile sealer. You will probably only need one coat.

*If you use regular bathroom tiles, or any tiles that are not designed for outdoor use, you probably shouldn't leave it outside in the winter if it is cold where you are. The freeze/thaw cycles will cause the tiles to crack and chip off.

Step 13Enjoy the New Garden Decoration

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Install the newly funkified object in your garden. You can now enjoy the garden a little more.

Superhero Garden Gnomes & The Nook of Justice

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Evil lurks in the shadows of our backyards. Rogue snails. Radioactive skunks. My yard has a maniacal possum that will stop at nothing until he controls the entire area behind the compost pile. That's why every backyard needs a hero. One that can clean up the garden and make it safe for all law abiding neighborhood critters. This Instructable will show you how to turn an unassuming mild-mannered garden gnome into a tiny butt-kicking purveyor of justice.

Step 1Choose your Hero

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The first thing you'll need to do is determine your gnome's alter ego. Spend time with the gnome. Sleep with it if you have to. Look into its eyes...its soul. Look around your yard too. What type of issues are the yard inhabitants facing? Are there other-worldly invaders? Common street thugs? Neighbor's dog? This will help you determine if you need a dark vigilante type or a hulking all-powerful brute.

Additionally, you'll want to consider the physical feature of your gnome. Is it standing? Sitting? Does it have distinct features that lend itself to a specific superhero? In the case of the three gnomes I have here, there were definite characteristics that led me to choose the heroes I did. From here forward, I'll describe the steps to create a Batman, Robin, and Spiderman gnome set. These techniques can be used to make any garden hero.

Batman and Robin: One gnome is in a proud, alert stance. The other is sitting with his head resting on his hands. This gnome pair struck me as a great duo. To me, the obvious choice was the classic Dynamic Duo of Batman and Robin. But I thought I'd change it up a bit and make the standing gnome be the Boy Wonder and the sitting gnome be the Dark Knight. I thought this was more unexpected.

Spiderman: I also had a crawling gnome. As I was holding it and positioning it in different orientations, I noticed that if I held it vertically it looked like it was crawling up a wall, and the knee area had a hole in it to use as a place from which to hang it. So to me Spiderman seemed like a no-brainer. I could position the gnome so that it looked like Spiderman clinging to a wall.

Step 2Supplies

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Before starting you'll want to gather your supplies. Make sure you have everything ready.

• Ceramic garden gnomes
• Sculpey (Super Sculpey is my preference but Sculpey III is good too)
• Bondo body filler
• Craft paint (any type that is rated for ceramics...some aren't. Read the label)
• Paint brushes (artist's and/or craft brushes)
• Spray paint (Clear, outdoor enamel)
• Imagination
• Razor knife (or Xact-o knife)
• Oven (to bake the Sculpey, silly)
• Aluminum foil
• Baking sheet
• Rolling pin (or piece of PVC pipe)
• A smooth, hard surface (such as a sheet of glass or countertop)
• Sand paper (120 grit and 200 grit)
• Wooden spatulas or tongue depressors
• Construction adhesive
• Accessories: such as little buttons, buckles, twine, etc.

You'll also want to have a blank canvas. So if you are not using a brand new gnome you should take the time to prime it. That way all of the colors will be vibrant and uniform.

Step 3Sculpting

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First thing to do is sculpt the masks. For Robin's mask and Spiderman's eyes make a paper template. Next roll the Sculpey out into a thin sheet on a very smooth surface using a pvc pipe or rolling pin. A piece of glass makes a great surface. Use the template to cut out the masks using a razor knife. For Batman's mask just make a large rectangle; no template needed. Place the masks on the gnome faces and pressed them tightly into place. For Batman, drape the rectangular sheet of Sculpey over the gnomes face and cut away the excess. Pinch the nose between your thumb and index finger to create the pointed nose. Use your pinky to make the indentations for the eyes.

Make a little ball of Sculpey and squish it into a circle. Use it to decorate Robin's belt buckle.

For Batman's ears roll two Sculpey balls and shape them into pointy cones. Use your thumb to smoosh them into place on the side of the gnome's head. They'll probably stick there in place and hold on their own.

You should have excess Sculpey rolled out. You can use a razor knife to cut out a Bat-a-rang. Make a paper template if needed.

Step 4Baking

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Once the gnomes are decorated it is time to bake them. Sculpey is an oven-bake polymer clay. So it is soft and plyable until it's baked. First, heat the oven to 275 degrees F. While waiting for the oven to pre-heat put some foil on a cookie baking sheet. Then carefully put the gnomes on the cookie sheet being very careful not to let the Sculpey touch the sheet or the rack. Put the entire gnome in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Put the bat-a-rang on the sheet too. Since the gnome is ceramic it's safe to put it in the oven. The kiln that it was fired in was a lot hotter than your kitchen oven. When the 15 minutes is up take them out and let them cool completely to room temperature. Note: if your Sculpey pieces are thicker than about 6mm then you can bake it a few minutes longer than 15 min.

Remember, there is nothing holding the Sculpey onto the gnome (no glue or anything). But the Sculpey will probably stick to the ceramic really tightly anyway. I doubt that the Sculpey will stick to the gnome long term so you should carefully pry the Sculpey piece off and glueit back on with construction adhesive. This will hold pretty well outside.

Step 5More sculpting

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There were a couple of areas on the Batman gnome where you'll really want the Sculpey to blend in seamlessly with the ceramic. So you can mix up some Bondo to fill in the gaps.

Bondo is a two-part body filler material used in the auto body industry. It's like spackle but is really hard and durable when dry. Read the directions on the can. Mix it up in a plastic cup per the Bondo instructions. Then use a popsicle stick to apply it to the Batman ears and Batman mask where the Sculpey meets the ceramic. Let this dry a few hours. Drying Bondo smells great; it reminds me of being a kid when my older brother would work on cars. But you should probably head the warning on the can and ventilate.

Step 6Sanding

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Once the Bondo was dry sand it with100 or 120 grit sandpaper. Feather it in really well so that the seam is invisible. Then clean all of the dust off of the gnome with a damp rag.

Step 7Painting

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At this point it was ready to paint. But first you have to choose the colors. There is a process for color selection. You want to select "gnomey" colors. Colors that you could imagine a gnome wearing. You want Earthy colors and not bright colors. So you do not want to pick literal interpretations of the comic hero. So, for instance, don't use black...use burnt umber brown. Don't use red...use maroon. Not white...parchment. Etc.

For Batman, gather some black, gold, grey, and blue. For Robin, you'll need green, gold, red, and black. For Spiderman, white, black, red, and blue. For all of the gnomes, you'll need some colors for the beards, and some browns and greens for the shoulder bags and foliage.

There is no need to prime. Just start painting. Another thing to consider is the costume. It's better to roughly follow the gnomes existing clothes than to crowbar in an exact interpretation of the comic book costume.

Download the characters' emblems from a Google image search. Use these as a guide to sketch out the emblem onto the gnome's cap using a soft pencil. The cap is the most prominent piece of clothing on a gnome. So it is best to put the emblem on the cap rather than, say, the chest. Once it was sketched out, paint the emblem in with a fine artist's brush and acrylic paints.

Step 8Sealing

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Once all of the paint dries you need to seal the gnome. This will protect it from the weather and make all of the colors pop. An enamel clear spray paint works nicely. Spray on 3 even coats of a satin clear coat and let it dry overnight.

Step 9Accessorizing

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Remember that bat-a-rang you made earlier in step 3? Use your acrylics to paint it "black" and spray it with clear spray paint. Then wrap the hemp twine around it in an X pattern and use construction adhesive to glue it in place on Batman's shoulder bag.

For Robin, take 24 inches of hemp twine and neatly coil it up. Then use construction adhesive to glue it onto Robin's shoulder bag.

Take some of the buttons and buckles that you gathered and glue them to the gnome's shoulder bags and jacket cuffs.

Step 10Displaying

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You can display the gnomes anywhere in your yard, but it is best to place them in an area where they can get a good view of the entire yard and any particular trouble areas. If you've modified your gnomes correctly, your garden should be in order within a few weeks. Any new threats can be handled with additional super gnomes or by forming a super gnome league or justice guild.

Take your gnomes inside during winter. The crime rate drops dramatically during the colder months anyway.

THE NOOK OF JUSTICE:

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I'll start by saying that this Instructable took a huge left turn early on. I was originally going to show you how to seal and cover that unused basement window your wife has been nagging you about. But this morning I made a grizzly discovery that shifted my focus.

As I was leaving the house to go toward the garage I immediately stepped in something squishy on the back steps. When I looked down I saw garbage strewn about the patio and two shredded plastic bags. My stomach sank. This couldn't be happening. As I continued to survey the area I discovered it...the calling card. The Claw had struck my back yard. As you know, The Claw is an evil...nay, evil is not a strong enough word...a WICKED mutant racoon creature that pillages trash and recycling bins in search of food to fuel his empire. I could not believe that he was in our neighborhood, especially after my recent introduction of three Superhero Gnomes: http://www.instructables.com/id/Superhero-Garden-Gnome-Mod/

But alas, The Claw is incredibly powerful and my miniature heros are no match. I decided I needed to summon more heroes & form a Legion of Extraordinary Gnomes (L.E.G.S.). I needed to build the L.E.G.S. headquarters in my own backyard.

This Instructable will give you the skills to build your own superhero gnome hideout. In my case, I am building The Nook of Justice in an unused basement window. However, you can use these basic steps to build a secret gnome bunker any way you like: in a tree stump, a pile of rocks, or near a pond.

Step 1Supplies

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The Nook of Justice is simply a wood façade and door with a bunch of little details to make it cool. To create the Nook of Justice you will need:

• Lumber: you can use fence pickets that are pressure treated. They are 6" long, 5.5 inches wide and about half inch thick. And they're cheap about $1 each.
• Drill
• Jigsaw
• Eye protection
• Ear protection
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Square
• Nails (whatever you have laying around)
• Deck screws (to mount the finished nook)
• Some assorted knobs and little junk. I keep miscellaneous bits and pieces that I have left over from other projects in small boxes. You never know when you'll need this stuff. Search your junk drawer to see what you have available. Otherwise, take a knob off your bathroom vanity.
• You might need Sculpey if you decide to get fancy.
  • If you're a fancy pants you'll probably need...
    • construction adhesive.
    • acrylic paints and brushes
    • clear enamel spray paint

Step 2Measurements

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You'll need to figure out how big the entrance to the nook needs to be. You don't want the gnomes having to duck every time they go in and out of the headquarters. So measure your gnome. This will give you an idea of how tall and wide the door needs to be. [my gnomes are 13 inches high so I made the door about 14 inches tall and 9 inches wide]

You also need to measure the area that the nook is going to be installed in. That way you'll know how big to make the façade. [the window that I am covering is 18.5 inches tall and 44 inches wide.]

Step 3Cutting the facade

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First thing you need to is create the façade. Cut as many boards as you need to get the correct height. If you need a partial board to meet the height requirement then you might be able to use the scrap ends of the other boards.

Once you have all of the boards cut, lay them out on a flat surface by butting the long edges against each other. Using some scraps of leftover wood, lay out some braces to keep all of the boards together. Be sure to leave the door area alone; don't put any support braces there. Nail the braces in place.

Step 4Door and Assembly

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Measure and draw the door on the back of the façade. Cut it out using a jigsaw. Gnome doors can be rounded or squared off...it's up to you. Door shaped piece that you cut out are scrap. But if you are making a rounded door then you should keep the pieces so you can use them for a pattern for the real door. Leave the façade face down.

The door boards will be vertical, not horizontal. So you need to transfer the door shape to another board (you might have some left over) in the vertical orientation. Once the door is cut out, put it in place on the façade (at this point the façade should still be laying face down.

Brace the door in place using some additional scarp wood as braces. Once everything is braced well, none of the boards should move or shift when you flip the façade over (so that it is face up).

Step 5Details

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The key to a great super gnome headquarters is the details. Gather all of the knobs and do-dads that you collected and start attaching them to the door and facade. In the specific case of the Nook of Justice, there are two eternal beacon torches that summon the L.E.G.S. For the flames, make two cone shapes out of Sculpey and give each one a twist. Then insert the torch into the Sculpey flame. Bake the entire torch assembly in a pre-heated 275 F oven for about 20-25 min.

Once the Sculpey is cooled, paint the flames with a swirl of gold, yellow, and red acrylic paint. Give it a few coats of clear spray paint once the paint is dry. Using a dab of construction adhesive, mount the flames on the torches.

Drill pilot holes for the knobs and toches and mount them in place using the bolts [um, you do have the bolts for the knobs right?]

For the door hinges, hammer out two sheets of copper and take them in place using some small brads.

Step 6Installation

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Once the facade is assembled, use decks screws to mount it in place.

Step 7Summoning the Legion

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