That’s Not Old Blue Willow! One of my early mosaic tile projects was a wooden key holder. I intended to decorate this little treasure with a piece of Old Willow china that I found at a garage sale. At the last minute, I added a little Buddha figurine that my dad had bought me while he was in Hawaii with my mom, years earlier. With only two objects and a little glue, I was able to create a very simple, yet functional, piece.

Never aspiring to be an expert collector of china for any other purpose than to break it, I didn’t give the china pattern a second thought.

Not long after, that finished piece was displayed as a sample in an art fair, and I found myself being scolded by an antique collector. She let it be known (in a very abrasive manner) that breaking a plate of that value was unheard of. She said the plate was worth at least thirty dollars; what in the world I was thinking? I wasn’t. I loved the china. I broke it. I glued and grouted it. And the best part is, I still use this key hanger. It’s displayed prominently in my hallway, and it actually holds my keys. In fact, it receives more use, admiration, and attention than it ever would have in its previous incarnation as a solitary, mismatched plate.

That simple piece, created with a chipped Old Willow plate, lets me begin my day remembering my dad with a smile. It never fails.

The point is that you will run across amazing treasures on this journey called pique assiette. You’ll never look at castoffs in quite the same way. Objects that you would never imagine being interested in will suddenly jump off the shelves at thrift stores, Goodwill stores, and garage sales. Dumpster diving outings may become a way of life (just a friendly warning). Nothing will be safe from you and your glue.

But there may come a time when you have to decide if the treasures you have found are those that truly inspire you to create that perfect mosaic tile piece—or if they are better left unbroken. You might choose to take a minute to research your find on a website such as replacements.com. It’s worth checking out the value of an object, especially if you plan on selling your artwork.

I tend to follow this rule: if I love it, I break it and glue it to something. But in all honesty, there are pieces that I can’t bring myself to break—or sell. When I find myself questioning the value of certain things, I do take the time to research them. And that’s an exciting adventure in itself—kind of like my own little version of the Antiques Roadshow.

So once again, I’ve crossed a line that tends to disturb many antique collectors and broken up another piece of Old Willow china. This familiar, friendly, and often-mimicked historical pattern is always a favorite. It’s pretty easy to find the copycats or even the real thing while thrifting for your next kitschy blue plate special.

If you want to know the value of the Old Willow dessert plates that I used for this project, you’ll have to look them up yourself. I already did, and I’ve had to let go of that balloon.

When you start collecting china, over time you’ll acquire a new appreciation for the cool patterns that have graced people’s homes. Every piece truly tells a story. Just think about all the happy, awkward, or dramatic family events your china has witnessed!

It’s a good day when you’re treasure hunting and you stumble upon unique china patterns and dishware. Bonus days are those that bless you with multiple pieces that are laden with amazing borders, full plate designs, centers, and signature backs.

This project is a great way to get comfortable with cutting china borders, china centers, and china signatures.

Now, it’s your turn. Gather your wheeled glass nipper and the china. Keep in mind that you want to preserve the outside border, the center medallion of the plate, and the signature on the backside from one of the plates.

Tip

When a cut doesn’t go as planned and an unfortunate break occurs, just remember that you can glue it back together. The more you practice, the less frustration you’ll experience.

Materials

1. 8-by-8-by-¾–inch basic wooden picture frame. Precut craft frames and assorted wooden shapes are available at some craft stores, but mainly online.
2. Paint color of your choice, if you plan on painting the raw wood
3. Two Old Willow dessert plates (full design)
4. Fifty ¾-inch ceramic tiles (cobalt blue)
5. Four bronze glass gems (flat bottom)
6. Four ½-inch gold tapestry mirror tiles
7. Assorted red millefiori
8. Sanded grout (almond color)
9. Mirror or glass insert (if it didn’t come with the frame)

Tools

1. Wheeled glass nipper
2. Tile cutter
3. Safety glasses
4. Paintbrush or foam brush
5. Sandpaper
6. PVA (Weldbond) adhesive was used for this project, but mastic can also be used
7. Roll of painter’s tape
8. Disposable latex-free gloves
9. Large ziploc bag
10. Paper towels
11. Q-tips, skewers, toothpicks, or small tools for prodding and cleaning
12. Vinegar and water

Directions

1. Cover your workspace with newspaper.
2. If you want to paint the raw wood, do it now and let it dry completely. Keep a little extra paint for any touch-ups that may be needed after grouting.
3. When it’s dry, lightly sand the frame in all of the places where pieces will be glued.
4. Cut your materials into desired pieces, preserving the borders, a signature, and a medalion.

   

5. Take sixteen ceramic tiles of equal size and create a square of four in each corner of the frame.
6. Glue the remaining ceramic tiles to the outside border of the picture frame. Keep the spacing equal between each tile. Feel free to move tiles around to get them to fit. Step back for a moment to get a feel for the balance of the piece, and even things out if necessary.

   

7. Glue the precut china border around the picture/mirror opening.
8. Attach the precut china signature from the back of one of the plates and glue it into the middle of the frame, top center.
9. Place the precut china center medallion of the plate, in the bottom center of the frame.
10. Fill the rest of the frame with the remaining china shards. Cut them smaller as needed.
11. Glue a gold tapestry mirror to each bronze glass gem. Set aside to dry. Glue a gem in each corner.
12. Add any finishing touches. I added a few pieces of millefiori here and there.
13. Clean off any excess adhesive. Let the piece dry for a minimum of 24 hours. When dry, apply painter’s tape to areas that you don’t want exposed to grout.

    Grout Lines

    An amazing visual transformation takes place in your piece when it’s grouted. Grout color and the thickness of grout lines have a major effect on how a piece looks. Decide ahead of time whether you want your bits and pieces to blend with the grout color, or choose to go with a darker shade to really make the pieces pop.

    Darker grout shades tend to be favored by many mosaic tile artists, and with good reason. It’s like basic black in your wardrobe. It’s slimming, tasteful, and looks good on just about anybody. My advice is to glue the shards closer together and grout with a color on the darker side of the spectrum.

    Some of the projects in this book have been intentionally grouted with a questionable choice of grout color. As you can see in the Old Willow picture frame, I feel that the shards could have been closer together and a darker grout shade would have given the shards center stage. Again, it’s very much a personal choice.

    

14. Grout your project. Clean the frame, let it dry, and polish.
15. Insert a mirror or photo.