Mosaic house numbers

Mark Rayner finds a new twist to painting by numbers.

You will need: Red, green and pale green ceramic wall tiles, damp sponge, clean dry cloth, exterior grout, container for mixing grout, clean water, exterior PVA glue, tile cutter and tile nippers, large, round, terracotta plant saucer, paintbrushes (including a medium artist's brush), small piece of galvanised wire, Resene Terracotta Sealer, Resene Lustacryl, tinted to Resene Elvis, Selleys Multipurpose Knead-IT', latex gloves and a pencil. All construction materials for this project came from Mitre 10 Mega and all paint products and brushes came from Resene ColorShop.

Step one
Seal the plant saucer with one coat of Resene Terracotta Sealer and allow to dry.

Step two
Draw a large number on the saucer.

Step three
Cut the red tile into 10mm strips using the tile cutter and then cut these into 10mm squares using the tile nipper.

Step four
Place a circle of red pieces around the rim of the saucer and fill in the number with pieces nipped from the green tile. Fix with a generous amount of PVA glue.

Step five
Fill in the background area with pieces nipped from the pale green tile, again fixing with PVA glue. Allow the glue to dry.

Step six
Mix the grout according to the manufacturer's instructions and work into the cracks of the mosaic. Wipe off any excess grout with a damp sponge. Once dry, wipe off any dusty grout residue with a clean, dry cloth.

Step seven
Paint the outer rim of the house number plaque with two coats of Resene Elvis, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step eight
Mix a little Knead-IT, following manufacturer's instructions, and place on the back of the house number plaque. Carefully embed a small piece of bent wire to form a hanging device. Allow Knead-IT to cure before hanging.

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