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How to Make a Roman Mosaic

Making a Roman-inspired mosaic is a wonderful activity. It combines history, creativity and problem-solving, while opening up conversations about what makes art art, who ancient mosaicists were and how they transformed simple materials into complex and durable images.

This image has been adapted from an original photograph. The child’s features have been digitally altered using ChatGPT to protect their identity.

Roman mosaics were made from thousands, of small pieces called tesserae. These could be cut from stone, marble, pottery or coloured glass and arranged to create geometric patterns, plants, animals, people and scenes from mythology. Your homemade version does not need to be quite so ambitious. A simple border, a fish, a flower or your child’s initial is an excellent place to start.

For this example, we chose Solomon’s knot. It is a relatively simple design that is easy to reproduce, but it also introduces some of the technical challenges faced by ancient mosaicists. Its curved, interlacing lines encourage us to think about how square tesserae can be arranged to create curves, how closely the pieces should fit and when tesserae need to be cut into smaller shapes. It is therefore a manageable design for beginners, while still offering plenty to discuss and explore.

My two pennies’ worth: This is not a project you can complete in a few hours. It involves several stages, and I have found that the best approach is to work in short sessions of about 20-30 minutes, completing just one step at a time. This helps to keep the momentum going and creates opportunities for a series of interesting conversations about mosaic-making in the ancient world. Do not expect to finish the whole mosaic in one sitting. Rushing will take away much of the fun and many of the wonderful learning opportunities offered by this surprisingly rich activity.

STEP 1 - Set up

Find a table or another clear surface and cover it with a plastic tablecloth, as both gluing and grouting can be messy and may damage unprotected surfaces. Talk through the plan with your child and involve them from the beginning by asking what they think you will need for the activity.

You might also keep a record of the process. For example, put a large sheet of white poster board on the wall and gradually add each stage of the project, together with drawings, photographs, post-its and observations. This can help turn the activity into a longer conversation about how mosaics were planned, made and understood in the ancient world.

What you will need

For designing the mosaic

Printing paper for sketching your design
Pencil, ruler (and compass if you plan to make curves)
Coloured pencils for colouring your design (optional)

For making the mosaic

A wooden board, terracotta tile or thick cardboard for the mosaic base
Glass, ceramic or plastic tesserae in your chosen colours.
Small recycled containers for holding your tesserae
Vinil glue
Your design
A plastic tablecloth or something to protect your surface

For cutting the glass tesserae (optional)

Mosaic nippers
Safety glasses
A thick piece of cloth, such as a cotton kitchen towel folded in two

For grouting

A plastic tablecloth or something to protect your surface
Ready mixed grout (you can easily find it online or in DIY stores)
A small plastic spreader or an old bank card
A sponge and bowl of water
A soft cloth for cleaning and polishing the finished mosaic

STEP 2 - Design your mosaic pattern

The first step is to choose and draw your design. You will find plenty of inspiration online, but for younger children it is usually best to begin with something simple. A geometric pattern, letter or basic shape works particularly well.

When choosing your design, remember that mosaic tesserae are generally square. Straight lines are therefore generally easier to create than curves. Curved designs can, however, produce much more interesting images and offer a good opportunity to discuss some of the challenges faced by ancient mosaicists. For example, how did ancient mosaicists create a smooth curve using square pieces?

One solution was to cut some of the tesserae into smaller pieces and fit them closely together around the curve. Alternatively, one could place whole tesserae next to one another and fill the larger gaps with grout. The results would look quite different. A design made from small, tightly fitted pieces would usually appear more precise and would also be more durable. A mosaic that relied on large areas of grout would be less secure, as the grout may gradually crack or fall away, particularly if the mosaic was placed outdoors. You can look at different Roman mosaics and look at the different strategies the mosaicists adopted to overcome these issues. Below I have added some images of ancient roman mosaics you could look at together.

For more info and a high resolution image of this mosaic: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/254535

This is a fantastic example of a Roman mosaic that brings together geometric and figurative patterns. It decorated the floor of a Roman villa near Rome in ca. 130-150 CE. Below you can look at how the mosaicist has interlaced the black and white tesserae to form a complex pattern of interlacing curves around a single, white tessera.

This suggests that the mosaicist created the pattern as a series of concentric circles, beginning with a single tessera at the centre and building successive rows of black and white tesserae around it. The design was therefore worked from the inside out, rather than from the outside in. This is one of the key practical principles of mosaic-making and one that would have been learnt through years of practice. It is also one of the clues that mosaic-making was a highly specialised craft requiring considerable training and experience.

Below you will find several mosaic patterns to choose from. You can also design your own using a ruler and pencil. Whatever design you select, print or draw it at a scale that allows each band of the pattern to accommodate one, two or three rows of square tesserae. This will help you avoid having to cut large numbers of pieces because the spaces are either too narrow or too wide. Look again at the mosaic above to see how Roman mosaicists adjusted the scale and width of their designs to suit the tesserae they were using.

You can download these patterns here.

Step 3 - Make your mosaic

Once you have designed and, if you wish, coloured your pattern, you can begin making the mosaic. Apply a generous, even layer of PVA glue to the board and press the paper pattern firmly onto it. Make sure that the entire sheet is fully glued down, including the edges and corners, as any loose areas may lift away from the board once the glue has dried.

You can then start attaching the tesserae to the board with PVA glue. Using PVA glue rather than instant glue will give you some time to adjust their position as the pattern develops. The photographs show how we managed the curved sections: on the broader curves, we left slightly wider spaces between the tesserae, while on the tighter curves we cut small corners from some pieces so that they would fit more closely.

Work from the centre towards the outside of the design. As you arrange the tesserae, you may find that they occupy more space than the lines on your original drawing. This is not a problem: the gaps between the pieces naturally cause the finished pattern to expand. The images above show how eventually the tesserae extended beyond the area we had originally planned. Had we begun at the outer edge and worked inwards, there might not have been enough room to complete the centre. By working from the inside out, we were able to let the pattern expand naturally and accommodate the spaces between the tesserae.

Cutting the glass tesserae (optional)

Cutting glass tesserae is generally best done by an adult, although an older child who is confident using tools may try it under close adult supervision. You will need mosaic nippers, the glass tesserae and a thick piece of cloth. A cotton kitchen towel folded in two works well.

Small fragments of glass can fly out when a tessera is cut, so wear safety glasses and keep the nippers covered by the cloth while cutting. Place the tessera between the jaws of the nippers and hold it firmly in position. Then wrap the cloth around the head of the tool, completely covering both the tessera and the jaws (but not your fingers!), before squeezing the handles. The cloth will catch the fragments and prevent them from scattering across the room.

Open the cloth carefully and collect the cut pieces. Dispose of any tiny fragments. As the tesserae are made of glass, the cut pieces may have sharp edges, so handle them with care. We have found that, when this activity is carried out attentively, the risk is very manageable. It is nevertheless important to remain aware that you are working with glass, to keep the area where you cut glass clear and to take the appropriate precautions throughout.

If you do not feel confident about this step or cannot supervise your child, simply leave the tesserae whole. Your mosaic will still look stunning!

This stage may take more than one session, so take your time. Enjoy looking at the colours, experimenting with how they work together and adjusting them as the design develops. You can also use this moment to think about how an ancient mosaicist might have approached the same decisions. Larger tesserae cover a greater area more quickly, but they produce a coarser image. Smaller tesserae allow for finer details and smoother curves, although they take much longer to position. You could set a timer and measure your own working speed. How much of the surface can you cover in one minute? Does your pace change when you move from a simple straight section to a more complex or curved pattern? This is a useful way to explore how the difficulty of a design affects the time needed to make it.

The speed with which a surface was covered would have affected the cost of a mosaic: a design made from very small tesserae required more time, greater skill and therefore probably more expense. Look at the mosaic below. It was made entirely from tiny tesserae, which allowed the mosaicist to reproduce a complex scene with several figures and a wealth of detail. How expensive do you think it might have been to produce? What might this tell us about the wealth, status and ambitions of the people who owned the house in which it was displayed?

Female Musicians. Roman floor mosaic, fourth century CE, from Mariamin (Syria). Hama Museum.

Step 4 - Grout your mosaic

Once all the tesserae are in place, leave the mosaic to dry completely. When the adhesive has fully set, spread the grout over the surface using a small spatula or an old plastic card. Work it carefully into all the gaps between the tesserae, taking your time to fill them as thoroughly as possible.

Make sure that you work on a covered surface and wear gloves. Do not worry if the grout covers the tesserae at this stage; this is normal. Follow the instructions on the grout packaging and wait until it has begun to firm up a little. It should still be damp, but less runny than when it was first applied.

Fill a bowl with clean water and take a sponge—an old washing-up sponge will work well. Wet the sponge, squeeze out as much excess water as possible and gently wipe the surface of the mosaic to remove the grout from the tops of the tesserae. Rinse the sponge regularly, squeeze it out again and continue cleaning until the pattern becomes visible.

Work slowly and avoid using a sponge that is dripping wet, as too much water can weaken or wash grout out of the gaps. Once the tesserae are clean, leave the mosaic undisturbed until the grout has dried fully.

Do not pour grout-contaminated water down the sink but dispose of the used water and any remaining grout according to the instructions on the grout packaging.

Congratulations! Your mosaic is finished and ready to enjoy!

Step 5 - Reflecting on your mosaic

Now take some time to think about what you have made. How has creating a mosaic yourself changed your understanding of ancient mosaic-making? Which parts of the process required the most patience, skill or planning? Did anything prove more difficult than you expected?

You might also discuss:

How did the size and shape of the tesserae affect your design?
Which parts of the pattern were easiest or most difficult to create?
Did you have to alter your original design as the mosaic developed?
How did colour choices change the appearance of the finished image?
How many people might have worked on a large floor mosaic?
What skills would an apprentice mosaicist have needed to learn?
How might the cost of materials and labour have affected the final design?
What could a mosaic reveal about the wealth, taste or identity of its owner?
Would your mosaic survive if it were placed on a floor or outdoors? What might damage it over time?

You could add your answers, photographs and final observations to your project board. This will help you remember not only what you made, but also what you discovered through making it.

Step 6 - Explore mosaics in Roman Britain

Now you can explore Roman mosaics in Britain by visiting sites such as Fishbourne Roman Palace and Chedworth Roman Villa, or by looking at their websites, and compare how the mosaics were made: what materials were used, how large the tesserae are, how complex the patterns appear, how different mosaicists solved practical difficulties in their own ways, and why elaborate mosaics were chosen for some rooms while simpler designs were used in others.

You have just learned how to assess ancient mosaics as a real archaeologist!