Creating A Faux Verdigris Mirror

A sweet friend of mine gifted me this lovely mirror.

When she gave it to me, she mentioned that she had wanted one a little prettier but was unable to find one.

And she knew I could do something fun with it, and she was right!

Did you know that I am a hair stylist by trade?

I have not worked in a salon in years, but still cut and color hair for a few of my friends and family.

My friend knew I needed one, because my last one broke a year or so ago and I kept forgetting to purchase one.

Instead of just painting this I thought I would have fun creating a faux verdigris mirror.

Heirloom Traditions paint can be used on pretty much every surface, so I knew it would adhere to this plastic mirror.

But how was I going to get a metal look?

Let me show you how I achieved this look.

I took out my Heirloom Traditions paint in Mocha and painted one coat on the front and back of my mirror.

I let this sit and fully dry before going on to the next step.

Yes, I took my hairdryer out to help speed up this process.

Next I took out Synergy also from Heirloom traditions and applied a coat on the front and back.

But this time I used very little and applied it using the dry brush method.

I wasn’t looking for a complete coverage because I still had one more step after this.

Just make sure to get the front and back of your mirror.

Once this was dry I added a gold gilding wax to my mirror.

At first I started to apply a small amount to my mirror using an old cotton t-shirt.

But I was not getting in the nooks and crannies.

So I pulled out a few q-tip’s and applied the rest of the wax using a q-tip.

After applying the gold gilding wax to the front and back, I took my cotton t-shirt and buffed the wax to get a nice shine.

And here it is.

This was such an easy project, it literally took 20 minutes from start to finish.

This really makes this plain plastic mirror a beautiful piece.

I think beautiful enough to give away as a gift.

Just a thought if you were thinking of a Mother’s day gift.

One of the most important tips about this project is to let loose.

Don’t go for perfection, because we are looking for a vintage or aged patina.

And you will never get perfection in an older piece.

This paint technique can also be used on wood, how about an old frame, or on kitchen hardware.

I used a similar technique when I painted my thrift shop kitchen hardware.

Oh I know, what about a garden statue?

I don’t think I would leave it out in the garden, unless you seal it well.

But this technique would look beautiful on a cherub…note to self… I need to find a cherub and try this technique 😉 !

Lots of changes coming to the blog…so excited I cannot wait to share!