Ceramic Tile Art

Ceramic tiles are great for disposable outdoor art to decorate a seasonal theme. I buy the discontinued styles at Home Depot which are dramatically discounted. I made three "Holy Spirit" 18"x18" tiles with cut out pieces of pretty paper napkins and bright colored tissue paper. Use a thick layer of Mod Podge to coat under and over the paper for durable outdoor art...for a season. These decorated Way of the Cross during Holy Week.


 You can find copyright free designs on the internet to use as guides for specialty shapes such as the dove descending (right) and then be creative with how you cut portions of party napkins. These tiles also can be used for lettering quotes, sayings, and scripture passages (below). Enlarge the words in the typestyle of your choice and then transfer the letter using traditional carbon paper. (Place the carbon face down on the tile, the lettering face up, and use a blunt pencil to "write" over the lettering to transfer it to the tile. Paint over with acrylic paint; coat with Mod Podge to enhance longevity.

 We also glue pictures on the tiles to illustrate themes for Way of the Cross, such as the pictures taken on a mission trips to Guatemala and Zambia, Africa (below). The same concept works for what I call "schlep art," which is disposable art "schlepped" together quickly which will be used for a short period of time, such as the "seven signs" in the Gospel of John (bottom left) used to illustrate a station in Way of the Cross. Kids like to make ceramic tile art, so it is a natural for VBS (bottom right).