By the way, I should mention that I've done some small ceramic tile projects before, pots, stepping stones, birdhouses, etc, but found that the method I used, glue and grout, didn't hold up well outside. This is a permanent fixture in our garden so I need it to last. Also, I would like to use glass this time to give the bench a smoother surface that is comfortable to sit on. Ideally, I would like to do the design and then bond it somehow to the bench surfaces. I am looking for step by step instructions.
Thanks so much!

Whew, there are so many outdoor projects here. Klinger does some benches, but casts them herself. I think you need to use thinset for the "glue" you can use that to grout or use regular sanded grout. Until the others chime in, you can try searching some older posts

Maria

thinset is the way to go on concrete because its meant to bond to subflooring so it will hold up for a long time but if the finish on the bench is very smooth you will probably want to pressure wash it first so it will etch the surface and help it to stick better also if you do pressure wash it if you wit till the bench is almost dry but still a little damp and then start it will pull the thinset right into the concrete and it will be almost impossible to remove when dry I have been picking my neighbors brain hes a tile guy and i want to do my front porch this is what he told me to do to pressure wash it then do my tile mosaicing on top while its still damp
HTH

best way to get it smooth enough to sit on (in my opinion) is reverse mosaic on sticky mesh of brown paper, then lay that into the thinset.

Pat

I love the idea of the reverse design on sticky paper set into the thin set. Can anyone tell me where to get the sticky paper mesh? Also, great tip about wetting the bench before the thinset. Thanks!
Danalou

When I have done the reverse design on sticky paper I used clear shelf paper I got at the store...They sell a thicker kind on some web sites but I found the shelf paper works fine!!! I have not used the mesh before or heard of a sticky kind..that would be cool !!!