Simple mosaic stones brighten any garden

Ann Marie Price taught herself mosaic art, creating intricate designs and portraits with cut pieces of stained glass.

Recently, she began balancing large projects with smaller ones: She turns her mosaic touch to smooth stones that she picks up while beachcombing and mountain hiking near her Huntington Beach, Calif., home.

“I’ve always been a collector of things, of small objects, of rocks,” Price says. “I’ve found a use for all those little things I’ve picked up.”

Price keeps the design simple with a single vivid flower shape, spiral or leaf. The works can be displayed indoors or out.

Chris Emmert of Eugene, Ore., creates mosaics on a variety of surfaces, including mirrors and pendants, but primarily enjoys crafting mosaic rocks.

“I still enjoy doing it because I like the rocks. There’s never a bad rock out there,” she says.

Emmert mostly uses Pennsylvania bluestone; it’s dense, flat and can endure both hot and cold weather. Emmert sells her mosaic stones at her Etsy.com shop, ChrisEmmertMosaic.

Garden designer Kathryn Boylston also makes mosaic stones and sells them at Sundance by Design, a shop she manages in Evergreen, Colo.

“It’s a convenient, readily available surface that’s not going to blow away in the landscape,” Boylston says. “It’s just a pretty little thing to have in your garden.”

Although the process is simple — adhere glass and other pieces to the stone with a waterproof silicone adhesive and then fill in the spaces with grout — there’s still a learning curve.

“Don’t stress on the design. The first one is not going to be your masterpiece,” Emmert advises.

Additional tips from these experts:

• Learn about the process. YouTube videos are a good starting point.

• Ask for scraps at a stained-glass shop.

• When finished adhering colorful materials, outline the design with painter’s tape, leaving 1/8-inch around the piece. After grouting, and before the grout thoroughly dries, remove the tape. This will create a clean grout line, Boylston says.

Making mosaics soon becomes soothing and feeds the creative spirit, Emmert says.

“You’re creating rubble and then putting it back together again.”