• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Atta Girl Says
  • About
    • Contact me!
    • Advertise
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy
  • Shop
  • Home Tour
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Cooking
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Appetizers
    • Drinks
    • Soups & Salads
    • Desserts
    • Canning & Preserving
  • Decorating
    • Holiday & Seasonal
      • Fall Decor
      • Christmas Decor
      • Winter Decor
  • Crafting
    • Holiday & Seasonal Crafts
      • Fall Crafts
      • Christmas Crafts
    • Homemade Beauty
    • Printables
  • Entertaining
  • Homekeeping
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Cooking
      • Main Dishes
      • Side Dishes
      • Appetizers
      • Drinks
      • Soups & Salads
      • Desserts
      • Canning & Preserving
    • Decorating
      • Holiday & Seasonal
        • Fall Decor
        • Christmas Decor
        • Winter Decor
    • Crafting
      • Holiday & Seasonal Crafts
        • Fall Crafts
        • Christmas Crafts
      • Homemade Beauty
      • Printables
    • Entertaining
    • Homekeeping
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    DIY Mercury Glass Gilded Mirror

    Craft Tutorials, Crafting, Recycled Crafts

    collage showing how to make a DIY mercury glass gilded mirror with gold leaf sheets
    before and after collage showing an old ornate frame transformed into a DIY mercury glass gilded mirror
    step by step before and after collage showing an old ornate frame transformed into a DIY mercury glass gilded mirror
    vintage floral ginger jar in front of gilded mercury glass mirrors
    vintage floral ginger jar in front of gilded mercury glass mirrors
    two gilded diy mercury glass mirrors
    two gilded diy mercury glass mirrors

    Learn how to tranform a dated thrift store frame into a glam gilded mirror that looks like a high-end antique. You’ll learn how to make DIY mercury glass using mercury glass spray paint, as well as how to add instant glam to old frames with gold leaf.

    If you’ve ever shopped for antique gilded mirrors, you know they can be pricey. But with this inexpensive DIY, you can get the antique look for much less!

    two gilded diy mercury glass mirrors

    Turn ornate, old picture frames, which are cheap and abundant at thrift stores, into DIY mercury glass mirrors.

    Ths project combines my love for gilding with the techniques I used to make a mercury glass mirror from an old windowpane. It’s an easy afternoon project that will add instant glamour and vintage character to your home.

    gilded mirrors layered on a painted buffet with mercury glass candlesticks and a ginger jar

    Subscribe to Atta Girl Says!

    Get our delicious recipes, latest posts and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.

    I’ve done this technique on vintage frames, both large and small. I usually look for ornate mirrors — wood, plastic or resin frames will all work for this project.

    This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. If you make a purchase based on my referral, I earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    If the frame is missing the original glass, you can purchase a replacement piece at the hardware store or a craft store. (I need to do that for the empty frame shown above.)

    Supplies To Make DIY Mercury Glass Gilded Mirrors

    • Thrifted Frames with Glass – I like using ornate frames because they look expensive when gilded.
    • Mercury Glass Spray Paint – I have used both Krylon Looking Glass Spray Paint and Rustoleum Mirror Effect to create the DIY mercury glass finish.
    • Gold Leaf Sheets – These are normally sold in booklets with tissue paper between each sheet. You can buy gold, silver, copper and other metal finishes, as well as variegated leaf  like I used for these aged copper Easter eggs for different effects.
    • Adhesive Size – This is a special thin glue that allows the gold leaf to adhere to the frames when it dries to tack.
    • Foam Paintbrushes – You’ll need two small foam brushes, one to apply the adhesive size and another to burnish the gold leaf onto the frame.
    • Vinegar and water – To create the DIY mercury glass finish, you’ll need a spray bottle filled with 2/3 cup water and 1/3 cup white vinegar.
    • Paper towels or soft cloth – These are used to blot away some of the mercury glass spray paint to create the antique effect.
    • Water-based Sealer – Use a spray-on or brush-on sealer to protect the gilded finish. This step is optional.

    How to Make An Antiqued Gilded Mirror

    The process to make an antique gilded mirror is simpler than you might think. And while you do have to wait for paint and glue to dry, it’s not time consuming at all.

    collage showing how to make a DIY mercury glass gilded mirror with gold leaf sheets

    To start, you’ll need to disassemble your photo frames and remove the glass.

    vintage frame with a renaissance style painting print

    Clean the frame and the glass thoroughly on both sides to prepare for gilding and painting.

    How to Create DIY Mercury Glass

    I have an entire post dedicated to using Looking Glass Spray Paint to make a mercury glass mirror. You’ll want to check it out for step-by-step photos as well as lots of tips and tricks to acheive the vintage, mercury glass look.

    Here are the basics:

    1. Shake the mirror spray paint well and apply a thin coat to one side of the glass.
    2. Let the first coat dry for about a minute, then spritz lightly with the vinegar-water solution.
    3. Blot gently with a paper towel or soft cloth to remove flecks of paint to create the mottled look of mercury glass.
    4. Apply a second thin coat of the spray paint, let dry for a minute, then spray and blot.
    5. Continue layering and removing paint until you have the look you want.
    6. Between coats of paint, make sure to check how the mirror looks from the other, reflective side of the glass.

    How to Use Gold Leaf Sheets

    While the mirror is drying, you can move onto gilding the frame. For more tips on gold leafing, as well as a tutorial on using liquid leaf, make sure you check out this post.

    vintage ornate gold picture frames

    Make sure the frames are clear of any dust, dirt or grease.

    applying adhesive size to vintage ornate gold picture frames

    Apply a thin coat of adhesive size to the photo frame, making sure you don’t miss any little nooks or crevices.

    All the adhesive size to dry and come to tack, usually about 5 to 10 minutes. (Check the directions on the brand of glue you are using for exact drying times.)

    When the size is ready for leafing, it will be sticky, or tacky, to the touch.

    applying gold leaf sheets to an ornate gold mirror

    Gold leaf is usually sold in square booklets with tissue paper between each sheet of thin leaf material.

    For a project like this, I find it helpful to cut the booklet into strips that are slightly wider than the width of the frame. Be sure to cut so that the bound edge is intact.

    Fold back the tissue paper covering to reveal a sheet of gold leaf and place it on the frame. Be careful not to touch the leaf with your hands, as it will tear. Instead, hold onto the tissue paper along the bound edge.

    Use a clean, dry foam paint brush to press the leaf into the frame, brushing away any excess.

    vintage ornate gold picture frames

    Continue adding leaf around the frame. You may have some spots that have not been gilded.

    vintage frame with gold leaf detailing

    This is to be expected, especially when working with more ornate frames.

    You can touch up any missed spots by applying more adhesive size over those areas, allowing it to dry to tack and repeating the gold leafing process.

    You may find it helpful to cut the gold leaf sheets into smaller pieces for these touchup areas. You can also use any leftover flakes from the leafing process for these touchups.

    two gilded diy mercury glass mirrors

    I like to leave a little of the original finish visible when I’m gold leafing, as I think it adds to the authenticity. Antique mirrors would not be perfectly gilded.

    If you don’t like the original color of your frames, you can always paint them first before applying the adhesive size and gold leaf. A lot of times, antique mirrors were painted red or rust before being gilded. Many gold leafing starter kits come with a red basecoat, as well as an antiquing glaze.

    If you like, you can seal the gilded frame with a spray-on or brush-on sealer to prevent flaking or tarnishing.

    Reassemble the gilded frame with the DIY mercury glass mirror, making sure the reflective side is facing out.

    More Mercury Glass and Gold Leaf Projects

    You might enjoy these other projects using mercury glass spray paint and metal leaf.

    • Mercury Glass Windowpane Mirror
    • Mirrored Mercury Glass Mason Jars
    • Mercury Glass & Sea Glass Votives
    • Gilded Seashells
    • Aged Copper Easter Eggs
    • Metallic Foil Pumpkins
    • Metal Leaf Oyster Shell Jewelry Dishes

    Pin This! DIY Mercury Glass Gilded Mirror

    before and after collage showing an old ornate frame transformed into a DIY mercury glass gilded mirror

    Filed Under: Craft Tutorials, Crafting, Recycled Crafts Tagged With: gilded, gilding, gold leaf

    Never Miss a Post!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome! I'm Amy, your teacher and sassy southern sidekick, sharing easy crafts, home projects and delicious recipes you'll love to make.

    More about me →

    Reader Favorites

    • 5-Ingredient Easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
    • Better than Takeout Pork Fried Wontons
    • Mandarin Orange Salad is the Perfect Dessert for Any Occasion
    • 5 House Cleaning Tips When You’re Overwhelmed

    Sign up to receive my email newsletter




    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Advertise

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Shop Favorites
    • Blog

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Atta Girl Says

    1163 shares