You guys, I know I say this with each project but this one is my favorite! It’s such a fun DIY and gives very cool results regardless of your technique.
I wanted to wait until after our workshop so I could share some varying photos for it so I am finally able to post the How To. I was inspired by a similar project on YouTube so this was not at all invented by me…I am just the sharing type and wanted you to all have the opportunity to play a little.
Here’s what you need:
A frame with a clear glass insert, Black matte spray paint, Spray bottle of denatured alcohol, Baby Wipes, Gold Size, Mercury Glass spray paint, Chalk Paint, Gilding, and Mica or Gold Leaf or Glitter, Silicone Decorative Stamps, Black Stamp Ink
Here’s how we did it:
Remove your glass insert from your frame and clean it well. We used Denatured Alcohol. Set your stencil on the glass, and lightly apply Annie Sloan Gold Size with a stencil brush or sponge. Remove the stencil and allow it to come to tack (5 minutes.)
Apply one of the following: glitter, mica, glass beads, sequins, crushed shell, gold leaf, etc…the list goes on. The more substance the product, the better visibility it will have through the glass. {This process is called reverse gilding. Use that term to impress your nerdy “finish friends” like me.}
In a well ventilated space (we went outside) spray the glass on the same side as your freshly gilded stencil, avoiding the stencil, with Denatured Alcohol then coat the entire surface with one like coat of the “Looking Glass” or “Mercury Glass” or “Mirror Finish” spray paint. (Those are all different names for the same product.) Wherever you applied the Denatured Alcohol. the spray paint will bubble up and create patterns. Allow to dry.
Use a decorative silicone stamp and black ink to stamp patters on top of your Glass spray paint (all of this work is layered on the same side.)
Repeat step 3: go outside and apply Denatured Alcohol and Mercury Glass spray paint over the stamps. (Keep in mind it will remove your ink so avoid that area.) This time, while it is drying, take a baby wipe and gently wipe off some areas until the glass becomes transparent. Allow to dry.
Seal the layers of work by spraying a full coat of Matte spray paint over it. This will give depth and dimension to your “mirror” and allow for reflection and the distressed glass will look black on the reverse side which gives it an antique foxed look.
Paint your frame with Chalk Paint, gild it, seal it with wax if you’d like and reassemble your masterpiece!
We LOVED this project and did it several times in different ways to play around with the outcome. I think it could be so cool to create them for halloween with skull stencils or Day of the Dead themes. I am sure you’ll be seeing more of these on our walls in the coming months as it’s a quick 2-hour project that makes you feel very craft and accomplished.
Here are some of our finished “vintage foxed mirrors”:
A student’s from our workshop