This was my first large mosaic project, and I'm really pleased with how it came out. I wanted it to be functional and flat enough for beverages, but I was using an existing tabletop, so I didn't want to use the indirect method (that is when you put the pieces face down and pour concrete into a mold). The direct method (masticking and grouting--traditional mosaic) wouldn't work either because the ceramic pieces were of all different thicknesses.

I wound up using a combination of direct and indirect that worked really well. I created the mosaic face down on a piece of clear contact paper laid sticky side up on a piece of clear acrylic (so I could check out the pattern by lifting up the acrylic and the pieces wouldn't slide around). When I was finished, I spread mastic as smoothly as possible over the existing tabletop. It wound up a little thicker in the center than on the edges--something I'll have to be more careful about next time. Then I inverted the mastic-covered tabletop over the face down design, still attached to the contact paper. I had a friend help me turn it back over--acrylic and all--and press down evenly. The acrylic on the top allowed me to see when the pieces were evenly embedded in the mastic. When the mastic dried, I peeled off the contact paper and added the side trim. When that dried, I grouted and sealed as usual.

I love this piece. I haven't gotten up the energy to do another large mosaic since, but I'm sure I will at some point...