Before you can start making mosaics, you need to gather together some basic supplies and tools.

No matter how fancy or simple you want your mosaic to be, there are four main supplies you need:

.A Base: This is the item you will make the mosaic on. 

.Tessarae: Your tessarae are the small items you use to make your mosaic design. Adhesive: This is what attaches the tessarae to the base.

.Grout: This is a cement-like mixture used to fill the gaps between the tessarae in a mosaic project. 

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Tile Cutter: It is used for cutting down larger ceramic tiles.

Glass Cutter: This is used to cut down large pieces of glass.

Nippers: This tool is used for cleanly breaking small pieces off of tile or sometimes glass tessarae.

Hammer: A hammer can be used to break up pottery, china, CDs, and other items you can use in mosaics.

Of course, there are also some basic crafting and safety supplies you will need:

Safety Glasses: Used to protect your eyes while breaking apart tessarae.

Latex Gloves: The use of these is optional; they can be used when handling grout. Read the label of the specific grout you purchase regarding any safety measures you should take.

Dust mask: This should be worn to protect yourself when working with the grout in powdered form.

Wax Paper and Newspaper: Use these items to cover your work surface as this can be a very messy craft.

Stir Stick: A paint stir stick works great for mixing grout.

Bucket: I use an old ice cream bucket for mixing the grout in.

Rubber Spatula: Use this tool, or something similar, to spread the grout onto your mosaic. For a small project, you can even use a craft stick.

Clean Rags and/or Sponges: To wipe grout off of the tile surface after applying.