If you enjoy the look of aged mercury glass but either can't get a hold of some or don't have the budget for it, you can make your own knock off super cheap by using some old glass panes, a frame, and some mirror effects spray paint. Although you will probably not be able to see a clear reflection of yourself, it will certainly add a nice touch to your décor.
Here's what you need:
-special spray paint found in most hardware stores and art stores. I have used both Krylon Looking Glass and Rustoleum Mirror Effects and both work really well.
-vinegar
-spray bottle
-soft moistened rag
-paper towels
For the project I am about to show you I used a gilded picture frame that I had either picked up at my local second hand store or found somewhere-I don't really remember (I have of habit of picking stuff up for later use sometimes) and since it didn't have the glass in it, I cut a piece of old glass that I removed from old window panes. It is important to clean your glass thoroughly before painting and if you wish to use commercial window cleaners make sure that all streaks are wiped out otherwise those streaks will show up when you paint. Trust me-been there, my previous project included transforming a gigantic old window into a mirror. Going too fast and such in a hurry to see the final results, I had the fun task of scraping off the paint and having to restart. Like they say-live and learn. |
For this project I used Kyrlon Looking Glass which was purchased at my local art store. I have used Rustoleum Mirror Effects and it also does the job really well. Both, I might add, are extremely liquid and it is best to work on a flat surface to avoid runs and drips which completely ruin the attempt to obtain an "antique" look.
Shake your paint well and start with a light coat-don't rush. As I've said, the paint, when sprayed on comes out very liquid. The paint dries quickly but spraying on too much will create pooling and potential runs. You want this to look as authentic as possible.
After a few minutes, you'll see the paint dry as it will turn a dull silver.
The side you are painting on is the back of the mirror and if you flip it you will start to see a "mirror". Spray on another light coat and continue this until you get the desired effect on your "mirror" side. What's good about this paint is that it dries really quickly so it does not become a time consuming project that lasts for days on end. An "antique" mirror can be created in an afternoon.
Once you've achieved the mirror you want, it is now time to distress the paint and create that old "chipped" look. With your spray bottle containing half vinegar and half water spray the backside of your mirror and wait a few minutes. The vinegar will start to eat away at the paint. Take a paper towel or a soft rag and dampen it with the vinegar solution and dab the vinegar on your mirror up and down gently so you don't accidentally remove big chunks of paint. You should see the paint removing. If you've left your paint dry longer, it might take more rubbing to remove the paint.
Continue this until you achieve the desired look. Once that is done you can either add a couple more coats to lightly cover your chips or you can, like I prefer, paint the backside a flat black which I find emphasizes the chips and scratches.
The one I made here is quite subtle. First of all I only sprayed on 3 coats so the distressing of the paint isn't as apparent compared to if I had sprayed on double the amount like the window frame shown below so basically if you want a more dramatic effect, your surface needs to be more opaque-more paint!
I placed mine with other frames which lead up the stairs but are also visible in the dining room.
It's an easy, low cost project that will take very little time to finish.
Let me know how yours turned out and have fun!
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I call it my wreath for all seasons.
Last year I realized that, each season, I gave myself way too much stuff to do regarding outside and porch seasonal decor. I've always celebrated the seasons despite the way I feel about each one of the (they are not all equal in my heart) and changing my door wreath has always been part of that routine. With time, though, and with everything else to take care of I've had to cut down on the extensive seasonal decor. I've also had to cut down on the amount of stuff I want to store.
So last year I found this great idea on Pinterest. Unfortunately, I don't recall the site where I got this idea but as I wrote this article I went back and I found a lot of tutorials on making this wonderful drop clothe wreath.
What I really like about this wreath is that it will withstand humidity, wind, rain, etc. No wilting. All the maintenance this wreath needs is an occasional shake or vacuum to remove the dust!
It's also inexpensive and easy to make-a no brainer.
Here's what you need:
-A wire ring found at your local craft store (Michael's, Walmart, etc.)
-Drop clothe (found at the local hardware store in the paint section)
-scissors
Optional:
-a glass of wine or other drink to celebrate crafting and if you want, a movie or friends to share this with :)
The size of the drop clothe that you get depends on the size of your wreath.
The size of my wire ring is 18" and I got a small drop clothe was enough to do my wreath
So once you're all set up and decided to do this (because I have to be honest it gets long and tedious) take your drop clothe and cut it in strips of about 1" (2.5 cm). Then cut those strips into lengths of about 6" (15 cm)
An easy way to get this done is to cut about 2-3 inches into your drop clothe and then tear the rest. Not only will you maintain your sanity but the frayed edges of the fabric when it is torn adds character. The action of tearing can also lets your frustrations out (if you might be having some at the time).
All ready to go!
Once the tearing is done, refill your drink and sit down comfortably and start tying the strips of drop clothe onto the wire ring making sure to squeeze all the strips together to get a nice bushy look (you want to avoid seeing the wire).
All done!
All nice and bushy. The sunshine was dancing through the stained glass panel when I took this picture and I decided to keep it!
Then when you are finished you can either admire its simplicity and hang it up as it is,
add a ribbon, or
Even with little effort the wreath looks great. A different coloured ribbon can also do the trick when you want seasonal change!
as I do, add seasonal elements that inspire you.
I found these little pears in my stash. I couldn't find my little apples for my Fall look and in September I'm not ready to go with the bold Autumn colours so I opted for softer colours, for now, and I will probably add more elements as the Fall seasons progresses.
I drilled holes in the pears to be able to string them with wire.
Using wire makes removing them easier. I avoid gluing on my wreath because I want to be able to change it as I wish and I don't want to ruin it with globes of dried glue.
I decided to add bits of Hydrangea from my garden.
I really like the frayed edges on the fabric resulting from the tearing!
The hydrangea was simply tucked into the fabric. My wreath is pretty much protected from wind and rain so I don't really fuss and worry about things wilting or flying off.
Voilà! My Pre-Fall look. The softer colours still remind me that there's a little bit of summer left!
To break the monotony of winter I replaced the pears and hydrangeas with pastel colored eggs.
I love the soft colors!
Let me know how yours turned out!
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I notice everything-especially when an antique shop is having a "Closing Sale".
After I inspect what is left for sale, I move to the basement to see if there are any good deals on old windows or doors. Nope nothing.
Then I sneak into the work shop and BAM, there it is- a beautiful piece of junk full of potential. I try to keep my excitement contained while I try to find the owner...
I did my best to look non nonchalant as I explained that it would be the perfect thing to store my stained glass supplies in and as I settle for a price for the piece AND the delivery to my basement/studio, I start to imagine what I would do with it.
Then it actually sat in my basement for a long while and ended up being used for my stained glass supplies for a couple of years.
The idea of sprucing it up came about when my then home office turned out being used more as a guest room than an office. I was always being banished to my living room and I seriously needed to do something. I brought my desk and, luckily, my living room is so long that dividing in two spaces was no problem. What about storage? There was no way I was sticking a file cabinet in my living room -no way!
Then came the "Ah Ha" moment.
Then came the habitual eye roll from my hubby...
Then came the task of hauling it upstairs...
And then, oh the vision!
35 drawers.
All sanded to reveal a couple of layers of paint. I didn't want to go further. A few rough boards to give the top some style and a moulding to hide the chips at the bottom gave the cabinet a more finished look.
But then I wanted to really add my special touches. It's what excites me the most-the final finish. New hardware-the biggest investment.
Handmade "enamel" tags give the whole piece a library file cabinet look and help keep my storage organized.
And, of course, a hand painted French typography sign on the side completes my vision :)
Vintage style storage with a place of honor in my office!
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I love big massive window trims.
I love the feel they give a lot of class to a room.
And I love the fact that they are easy and inexpensive to make and can be done on pretty much any window type.
All you need are:
The beauty about this is that you don't need to perform any fancy cuts :)
Mostly all the windows to the house had been changed prior to our buying it for more energy efficient ones but a window can only be efficient if there is no air coming from the walls. As I once stated in my previous post, the previous owners were not, to choose my words right, concerned with details. Which is why we discovered that they had omitted to put any insulation between the window frames and the walls...that would make changing the windows pretty much useless.
Thus bringing me to having to take all window trims off to insulate.
And if I have to take something apart, I might as well put it back together to my liking.
Which brings me to my washroom window-
When we finally renovated our shower last December, the wall and trim were damaged and I decided to take all moldings off and insulate properly (I had previously just stuffed insulating wool in there as an emergency solution).
It was also time to redo the trim and remove all MDF moldings which I am slowly removing from my house because I believe that MDF can lead to health issues. See The pros and cons of MDF
So basicially, once the old trim was taken off and the window insulated properly I started to measure for my new trim. I wanted the top trim and window stool to extend a little more than the sides so I started with the header which is equal to the width of the window and the width of the sides. Since I used 1 x 5 which in reality is 4.5" wide the length to cut for the header was ( window width + 4.5" + 4.5")
I nailed the header flush with the top of the window.
I cut the same length for the apron as I did for the header.
Now, I wanted the top trim and the window stool to extend 1" (2.5 cm) on each side of the header and the apron.
I nailed the top trim to the header but since I wanted the window stool to be flush with my window sill, I nailed the window stool to the apron first and then nailed both pieces at the bottom of the window.
Once the header and the apron were installed, I could then measure precisely the length of my sides for a perfect fit. In my case, I could not assume that both sides would be exactly the same length because in old homes, things are not always straight or equal. It's a fact of life.
As a detail, I added a decorative moulding at the bottom of the header which also covers the top cuts of the sides.
Because I intended to paint my window trim, the next step was to caulk all the gaps and joints with a paintable latex caulking. I call this cheating but the results, once you've painted over it, are great. It looks so much professional and perfect.
If you use caulking to cover the nail heads, remember to sand before painting to get an overall smooth finish otherwise the caulking blotches will show through.
My window sill is now deep enough to decorate with plants and other items to beautify.
I've opted for no curtains or blinds for this window but instead a patterned frosted film available at most Home Depots . Because it is such a large window and right beside the shower, a curtain or blind would have been always closed blocking out precious light.
]]>I just need 1 thing to inspire me. Couple that with giving me the challenge of making it either the cheapest (money wise) possible or entirely with reclaimed wood and I'm off.
Sometimes I need to regroup and I need to go back in my bubble so I challenge myself with something new. It renews my self confidence. This time the challenge was was building something that would have nothing "new" on it-all salvaged. It also gets the creative juices flowing.It started with a trip to an antique shop and a pair of windows that I got for a good price (actually the owner threw in a third one that is still in my shed awaiting a new life) and those windows sat around for a long time.
Next came salvaged wainscoting from a lumber yard that specializes in old wood that I got for a real good price also (I was picking up wood for another project and stumbled on these planks).
It started with a trip to an antique shop and a pair of windows that I got for a good price (actually the owner threw in a third one that is still in my shed awaiting a new life) and those windows sat around for a long time.
Next came salvaged wainscoting from a lumber yard that specializes in old wood that I got for a real good price also (I was picking up wood for another project and stumbled on these planks).
Next was odds and ends from my workshop and a rough sketch of what I was planning to do. I adjusted along the way and worked with what I had on hand.
Because the wainscot had already interesting paint colour on it I was careful not to remove to much of it when sanding and I decided that partially stenciling it would add to the old world look I wanted to achieve.
Another interesting aspect of this project was the existing etched glass in the windows that I balanced out by using clear glass for the top section and the etched glass for the bottom sections.
The body, base, top, and shelves are all salvaged wood which I painted a different hues of white that I had on hand. The goal for this project was to make it look as old as possible which I think I succeeded quite well.
Did I cheat?
Yes.
The hinges are new and I used textured wallpaper that I painted over for the backing-sorry.
I'll do better next time :)
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