Your mosaic is assembled? Great! There's just one final step before proudly hanging it on the wall: mounting and finishing. This phase is essential to ensure a clean, durable, and perfectly aligned result. Discover how to mount, glue, and frame your artwork like a pro.
1. Choosing the Right Final Support
The support for your mosaic depends on its final destination: indoor or outdoor, temporary or permanent, decorative or artistic. Here are the 6 main options:
⭐ Directly Mounted on the Wall with the Pixel Corner Mounting Kit (Recommended)
Who it's for: Standard sizes of Pixel Art Kits.
What it is: Professional double-sided strips included in the kits.
Advantages: Mounts in 5 minutes, no drilling, no tools, repositionable and leaves no marks. Perfect for renters.
Usage: Sizes ≤ 30 cm, weight < 1 kg, smooth walls.
🟢 Directly Mounted on the Wall with Adhesive Putty like Blu Tack
Method: Simple for small pieces, mini tiles, and artworks with several separate parts.
What it is: Adhesive putty. Warm it between your hands, form small balls, then stick them to the corners.
Advantages: No holes, repositionable, no drying time, easy removal.
Limitations: Sizes < 20 cm, weight < 500 g only. May leave some slight greasy marks.
🖼️ In a Frame (with or without glass)
Who it's for: To create a true artistic painting with a premium finish.
What it is: Deep frames, like shadow boxes of 2 to 4 cm, which allow for keeping glass with a 3 to 5 mm gap. Or a classic frame without glass.
Where to find them: Ikea, Maisons du Monde, Leroy Merlin, framing shops.
Price: €15 to €60 depending on size.
🎨 On Various & Creative Supports
Ideas: Transparent Plexiglas for a floating effect, raw or aged wood for an industrial style, thick cork, reclaimed pallet, metal for outdoors.
Tip: Use our two-component adhesive, which adheres to almost all materials.
🎪 Directly Glued to the Wall (Street Art)
For the daring: Glue directly onto exterior or interior walls. Compatible with metal, glass, stone, render, concrete, or brick.
What it is: UV and weather-resistant adhesive, such as "no nails no screws" indoor/outdoor type, or tile mortar.
Rules: Dry weather, no rain for 48 hours, minimum 24 hours drying, ideal temperature between 15 and 25°C.
📐 Placed on Furniture or a Stand
Concept: Keep the Pixel Corner grid as a support. After cutting, simply place your artwork on a flat surface. The grid allows most of our small compact pieces to be displayed vertically against a stand without mandatory gluing.
Ideal for: Decorative items placed on a shelf, desk, mantelpiece, XXL magnets, coasters.
Opt for reclaimed supports: old antique frames, pallet wood, Plexiglas scraps, reclaimed cork. That's the DIY spirit at Pixel Corner! ♻️
2. Properly Gluing to the Support
A well-mounted mosaic must be securely glued without marks or overflows. If you have chosen to glue your piece onto a support (wall, wooden panel, plexiglass, etc.), here is the professional method in 5 steps:
1️⃣ Make sure all pieces are properly glued
Ensure all tiles are in place. Make any final corrections now: after gluing, it will be too late.
2️⃣ Cut off excess grid
Use a sharp utility knife or scissors. Follow the outline of your artwork as closely as possible, leaving a 1 to 2 mm margin.
3️⃣ Apply glue strategically
After complete drying, turn the mosaic over. Remove the cellophane, then apply glue in small strips on the back: in the center, then along all edges. Strips spaced 3 to 4 cm apart are sufficient.
4️⃣ Position and press
Place your piece on its support. Press gently all over, making slight circular movements to remove any air bubbles.
5️⃣ Clean immediately
Wipe off any excess glue with a dry cotton swab or a slightly damp paper towel. Don't wait: once dry, glue is harder to remove.
Allow to dry flat for a minimum of 24 hours, ideally 48 hours, before any handling. For outdoor use, allow up to 72 hours depending on weather conditions.
3. Reinforcing and Protecting for Greater Longevity
A few simple precautions if you want your mosaic to truly last:
✅ Dry surface mandatory
For direct wall mounting, always ensure the surface is perfectly dry and clean. Wait 24 hours after cleaning the support.
✅ Drying 24-48 hours minimum
If you opt for mounting on a support before wall installation, wait until it is completely dry before attaching it to the wall. For large formats > 50 cm, allow up to 72 hours.
✅ Rear reinforcement
For large formats, use canvas tape crosswise or rigid cardboard strips positioned perpendicularly on the back.
✅ UV protection (outdoor)
Our glue is UV resistant. Nevertheless, if possible, avoid direct south exposure. In addition, you can apply a mosaic anti-UV varnish.
✅ Avoid constant humidity
Ideally, avoid gluing your piece in damp areas, such as a bathroom without ventilation, without additional protection. The glue could soften. When in doubt, add a rigid backing or reinforce with canvas tape.
4. Framing Your Mosaic (3 Methods)
Framing gives a premium look and transforms your mosaic into a true artistic painting:
📐 Method 1: With protective glass
What it's for: Protects against dust, shocks, and humidity. Ideal in high-traffic areas.
Steps: Open the frame → Glue the mosaic to the backing → Let dry for 24 hours → Replace the glass with a 3 to 5 mm gap → Close.
⚠️ Golden rule: Never glue the glass directly against the tiles. Leave a 3 to 5 mm gap to prevent condensation and breakage.
🎨 Method 2: Without glass ⭐ Recommended
Why: For a modern look, vibrant colors, and maximum brilliance. Our preferred method.
Steps: Glue onto a rigid panel → Cut the edges of the panel to the frame dimensions → Place in the frame without glass.
✨ Advantages: More vibrant colors, maximum brilliance, gallery effect, simpler hanging.
🏆 Method 3: Shadow box (display case)
Why: Ideal for an elegant display case effect, thick mosaics, or creations with relief.
Depth: 2 to 4 cm, compared to about 1 cm for standard frames. This naturally leaves a space between the glass and the tiles.
Where to find: Framing shops, Ikea "Ribba", Maisons du Monde. Price: €25 to €80.
5. Hanging on the Wall (With or Without Drilling)
Several solutions exist depending on the weight, size, and type of wall:
🎯 Guide by format & weight
| Format | Weight | Recommended solution |
|---|---|---|
| Small (mini tiles) | < 200 g | Adhesive putty like Blu Tack |
| Medium (20-30 cm) | 200-800 g | Pixel Corner Mounting Kit or Command strips |
| Large (30-50 cm) | 800 g - 2 kg | Reinforced strips or suitable wall mounting |
| Giant (> 50 cm) | > 2 kg | Wall plugs + screws (drilling recommended) |
Never underestimate the weight of a piece in a glass frame. Formats > 40 cm can exceed 2 to 3 kg. When in doubt, opt for a solution capable of supporting more than the indicated weight.
6. The 5 Mistakes to Absolutely Avoid
❌ Mistake 1: Gluing without checking alignment
Problem: Crooked artwork, impossible to correct after drying.
✅ Solution: Place without glue, check centering, mark guides, then glue.
❌ Mistake 2: Too much glue
Problem: Glue overflowing everywhere. Difficult to clean.
✅ Solution: Apply small strips spaced 3 to 4 cm apart. Center + edges only.
❌ Mistake 3: Glass directly on tiles
Problem: Tiles breaking at the slightest impact. Condensation guaranteed.
✅ Solution: Always leave a 3 to 5 mm space between the glass and the tiles. Or remove the glass.
❌ Mistake 4: Hanging too soon
Problem: Glue not dry, tiles detaching.
✅ Solution: Patience. Minimum 24 hours, ideally 48 hours. Outdoors: 72 hours.
❌ Mistake 5: Underestimating the weight
Problem: Artwork falling and breaking.
✅ Solution: Weigh the artwork with its frame. Choose a suitable hanging method for the actual weight. When in doubt, go up a level.
Frequently Asked Questions: Mounting and Framing
Can a mosaic be mounted without drilling the wall?
Yes. Several solutions exist: adhesive putty like Blu Tack for formats under 25 cm and 500 g, Command strips up to about 2 kg, or the Pixel Corner mounting kit included in our kits. For large, heavy formats over 2 kg, drilling with wall plugs remains the safest solution.
What glue should I use to fix a mosaic to the wall?
For direct wall bonding, use a two-component indoor/outdoor UV-resistant adhesive, or tile mortar for permanent outdoor installation. For bonding to a support, a transparent universal adhesive works very well. Always work in dry weather and allow 24 to 48 hours drying time, or even 72 hours outdoors.
Should a protective glass be used?
It's optional. With glass, you get better protection against dust and impact, but the brilliance is slightly reduced. In this case, it's essential to leave a 3 to 5 mm gap between the glass and the tiles. Without glass, which we often recommend at Pixel Corner, the colors remain more vibrant and the effect is more contemporary, at the cost of regular light dusting.
How to frame a thick mosaic?
Use a shadow box frame, with a depth of 2 to 4 cm instead of the usual 1 cm. This allows for maintaining a space between the glass and the tiles, while providing an elegant display case effect. They can be found in framing shops, at Ikea with the Ribba model, or in some home decor stores. Another very simple option is a frame without glass.
How long should I wait before hanging the mosaic?
Wait at least 24 hours after final gluing. Ideally, wait 48 hours, especially for large formats over 30 cm. Outdoors, allow for 72 hours with favorable weather conditions: no rain in the 48 hours following and a temperature between 15 and 25 °C.
Summary: Fixing = Crucial Final Step
Attaching and framing your mosaic is the last step before enjoying your creation. Choose the right support, use the correct glue, allow 24 to 48 hours for drying, frame according to the desired look, then hang with a fastening adapted to the actual weight.
📝 Recap of 6 essential choices
- Final support: Pixel Corner Kit / Patafix / Frame / Plexiglas / Wood / Wall
- Adhesion: spaced strips center + edges, drying 24 to 48 h
- Protection: rear reinforcement if needed
- Framing: with glass + space / without glass / shadow box
- Hanging: according to weight < 200 g / < 800 g / < 2 kg / > 2 kg
- Patience: never before 24 hours of drying
You are ready to finalize your mosaic like a pro. 🖼️✨
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