Do It Yourself

Make Your Own Antique Mirror

An antique mirror is a really great way to add a vintage feeling to your home, and it doesn’t take long at all.

All you need is:

  • a mirror
  • paint stripper
  • a paint scraper
  • muriatic acid (preferably spray, but you can always just pour it into your own spray bottle)
  • spray paint (black or gold)
  • a few towels

While you’re making this, especially when you are using the muriatic acid but also with the paint stripper, you should be wearing protective gloves, protective eyewear, and a ventilation mask.

Cover the area that you are working in with some towels or newspaper so that you don’t ruin it. If your mirror is framed, you’ll first want to take it out of the frame.

Next, put paint stripper on the back of the mirror and leave it long enough for the paint to loosen.

Using your scraper ( or a putty knife if you have one), take off the paint on the back of the mirror. Don’t damage the actual mirror.

Using a towel, clean the mirror off and make sure it’s dry.

Now spray the back of the mirror with the muriatic acid. Be careful with this step. You want to keep it on long enough to see that it’s working, up to a minute only. Just spray it on a few areas of the mirror so you don’t ruin the whole thing.

See Also

To remove the acid, just use a towel to dry it. Remove it when you see that the reflective backing is gone. After that you’ll want to rewash the back of the mirror and dry it again.

Paint the entire back of the mirror, one to give it the antiqued look, but also because it helps to keep the rest of the reflective backing from becoming loose. I’ve seen people use black or gold antique spray paint, so whichever you’d prefer. The front of the mirror should look like the picture.

Now just reassemble the mirror if it has a frame, and that’s it!

Did you make your own antique mirror? Let us know below! And don’t forget to follow our blog on bloglovin.com!
Inspiration and photos from here and here. Featured image source: https://www.homeheartcraft.com/blog/diy-faux-antiqued-mirror-no-chemicals-
lindsayrobbins

Recent Posts

6 Valentines Day Ideas For Someone You Just Started Dating

Valentine’s Day is a holiday with a lot unnecessary but added pressure. What’s even worse if figuring out what to…

29 minutes ago

15 Cute Valentine’s Day Makeup Looks To Copy

Valentine's Day is an entire day devoted to your boyfriend or girlfriend, so it's important that you look your best…

12 hours ago

The Ultimate Guide To Boston University Financial Aid

Applying to college was beyond tough. Just when you put all of the late-night essay writing and SATs cramming behind…

17 hours ago

10 Things Every Syracuse Student Asks Themselves

We come from corners of the globe, near and far, but we all chose the same place to spend the…

21 hours ago

The Ultimate Guide To Columbia Financial Aid

If you’re feeling stressed about how exactly you’re going to pay for school, you aren’t alone. The financial aid process…

1 day ago

The Ultimate Guide To Arizona State University Financial Aid

Arizona State University is known for being relatively generous with the money they award in their financial aid and grant…

1 day ago