Mosaic tiles are very popular, quite expensive and can make any plain house look elegant and stylish. Specifically designed patterns are available, but you can expand your imagination and use stained glass pattern for glass mosaics. Stained glass is different from mosaic pattern in terms of spacing between glass pieces and size of the pieces.
People love using mosaic patterns outdoors and they also look great but as outdoor temperature may be very high during particulars periods like noon time, mosaics using large glass pieces may get cracked. It can be avoided by ensuring that you are seating glass properly in cement. There must not be any air bubbles underneath glass or other simple alternative is to make use of smaller glass pieces rather than big ones. Larger glass pieces carry bigger chances of cracks over time.
You are also required to consider spacing between glass pieces. It may vary as per your requirement and choice but it must be less than 1/4th of an inch. Stained glass pattern can be turned into mosaics by resizing it so that it fits mold size of mosaic. Individual pieces of pattern must be cut to smaller size (1/16 to 1/8) that would also provide you spacing (1/8 to 1/4). In case you want to achieve traditional look of stained glass, you need to cut 1/16 smaller sized individual pieces. Spacing between glass pieces must also be identical.
In case the pattern chosen by you is made up of large glass pieces, pattern pieces must be cut to 1/16 smaller size and then it can be divided in smaller pieces (1/32 inch of space between pieces). Utilization of smaller spacing between designs in place of large glass piece not only expresses unity but would also prevent any cracking in future. Use of different spacing gives unified effect; large spacing offers definition whereas smaller spacing unifies color.
Other option that would easily convert stained glass pattern to pattern of glass mosaics is by resizing pattern so that it fits in mosaic mold that you are planning to use. In case of clear mold (mold must be wiped with Vaseline), clear contact paper can be cut to fit bottom of mold. It must be placed in mold with sticky side facing upwards. Pattern can thus be placed under the mold. Glass nippers can be used to fill areas with small glass pieces within pattern. Do not forget that you have to place individual pieces upside down, such that when pieces if mosaics are removed from mold, bottom would become the top. Press glass tightly for attaining good adhesion when it is on top of contact paper. You can now fill mold with concrete. In case where clear mold is not being used, clear contact paper can be placed on top of pattern with sticky side facing upwards and then continue in same way.
