Call off the search for that perfect antique mirror and make your own instead. Your pocket will thank you! Buy an inexpensive framed mirror in a size to suit your space and give it decorative details with texture paste, adding the patina of age with paint. You can apply the same easy techniques to age-up picture frames, too, using stencils for super-simple vintage style.
Gather your supplies
- Mirror with frame
- Artists’ acrylic paints in black and gold
- Texture paste
You’ll also need
Painter’s tape; paper; white chalk; lint-free cloths; palette knife; piping set; paint tray; paintbrushes; MDF frame; plastic stencils
Here’s how
STEP 1 Cover mirror with paper, using painter’s tape to mask off the frame. Draw the moulding design in the corners with chalk and wipe off excess with a cloth.
STEP 2 Fill a piping bag with texture paste using a palette knife, then pipe paste onto chalked designs.
STEP 3 Pipe a border of lines and dots around the inner and outer edges of frame. Let paste set.
STEP 4 Apply 1-2 coats of gold paint over entire frame and texture paste designs with a paintbrush, let dry.
STEP 5 Apply a light coat of black paint over gold paint.
STEP 6 When black paint is tacky, use wet and dry cloths to rub off paint to get the aged look. Let dry. Remove paper and tape.
For more craft projects, pick up a copy of the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine in selected newsagents and supermarkets or buy online today!