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You will need:
Plastic or florist's fruit
3 shades of red or green tile
Grout
Tile adhesive
Applicator
Sponge
Mosaic Tile Nipper
An old mug to hold the fruit as you work on it
Paper towels
Red and brown acrylic paints to colour grout
Here's how:
1. Nip half of the red/green tiles into randomly-sized small pieces.
2. Position the fruit on top of a cup to make application easier.
3. Starting in the middle of the roundest part of the fruit, spread about 5 cm of adhesive onto the apple. Place small pieces in lines horizontally around the belly of the fruit. For best effect gracefully follow the surface of the fruit and the flow of the pieces. Cover your section of adhesive in lines of tile keeping an even spacing between the pieces.
4. While the adhesive is still wet, tiles can be moved until you are satisfied with the design. Do not attempt to reposition the tile after the adhesive begins to set.
5. Continue to apply small patches of adhesive and tile to the belly of the fruit in this manner until you have covered as much of the surface that stands above the cup holding it. Leave the top and bottom ends for later. Clean off any extra adhesive around the tile with a craft stick. Allow adhesive to dry before proceeding.
6. Now work on the other side, being careful to continue the flow of the pieces already applied. Once you have finished the belly all the way around you can work on the top and bottom. It works best if you let the apple dry in between each stage as before.
7. Starting with the top, glue around the top surface following the line of the pieces on the belly. You might have to nip even smaller pieces to fit in the tight space around the stem.
8. The grout should be of a thick, creamy consistency. Add a little pigment into the grout if wished at this point; otherwise you can colour with watered down acrylic paints after it has dried.
9. Use applicator; scoop out grout and spread it over the tiles and into the crevices between the tiles. Be gentle - you don't want to loosen tiles. If a tile should become loose, apply more adhesive to the tile and reapply to the base. Continue grouting around the repaired tile, making sure not to dislodge it again.
10. Work the grout into the crevices until it becomes smooth and level with the tile surface. The best way to do this is by spreading the grout in one direction and then spreading it in the opposite direction. When you have finished applying grout, wait about 15 minutes for it to harden slightly.
11. Dampen sponge with water and squeeze out excess. Gently wipe the dampened sponge across the tile surface, removing excess grout from all surfaces. Wash out the sponge periodically while cleaning the tiles, as it will soak up a lot of grout.
12. Allow to dry overnight. Gently loosen any remaining excess grout from tiles with a wooden craft stick. Gently polish tiles with a paper towel or cloth. For extra shiny tiles, polish with a small amount of vegetable or olive oil.
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