Mosaic art has been popularly used in churches throughout history. Similar to stained art, mosaic involves a lot of skill and patience. However, mosaic art may require a greater level of skill than for stained art. An image has to be first outlined and then it needs to be filled carefully with the bits of mosaic tiles so that each piece fits in perfectly, leaving evenly spaced gaps. A slight error in setting the pieces can result in the entire setting being unevenly spaced.

Originally, mosaic art only used mosaic tiles and sometimes coloured stone. Now, however, a new type of mosaic involving stained glass has developed. Instead of the glass being cut into the desired shapes, it is broken into tiny shapes (squares or diamonds) and then used in place of mosaic tiles. This trend has caught on since the painted glass has a better finish than mosaic tiles. Even so, mosaic enthusiasts still argue that the original tiles can never be beaten.

This mosaic art is used mainly for interior decorations in religious places. While they were mainly used in churches, mosaic art is also used in mosques. Mosaic art is increasingly used in homes today since stained recycled glass has made it cheaper and greener. Many people prefer using recycled mosaic tiles as they have a unique appearance that allows them to stand out from new tiles. Even more important is the fact that recycled tiles allows people to make a statement of their environmentally friendliness. Professional glass makers make their own recycled mosaic tiles from stained waste glass.