Create an Eccentric Mosaic Garden Ornament

Step 3 Break Stuff

You'll need to break all of the tiles, mirrors, etc. into small pieces so that you can apply them to the object. Use a hammer and make sure you wear safety glasses when you do this. Be careful!

If your design is somewhat intricate you'll want to break the tiles and mirrors with some degree of precision and accuracy. A glass cutter and tile snips come in handy here.

Glass cutter: a little, pen-like tool that has a sharp wheel to score glass. This will cost <$5 at a hardware store. You basically press firmly to score the glass. Then you tap the glass to break it along the scores.

Tile snips: These are like a hybrid between pliers and hedge trimmers. They gradually nibble away at ceramic tile to acheive a desired shape.

Since I am making a star pattern I had to make sure that I had some sharp, acute angles for the tips of the star. It is really important that you plan these things ahead. You don't want to be snipping away at tiles while your mortar is mixed.
If you're doing a free-form pattern then screw it and just break eveything with no regard.