Transformation - Photo Frame to Vintage Mirror

Hello again Funky-Junkers,
Today I'm going to show you how I converted a wooden photo frame into a vintage style mirror and you won't believe how easy it is to do this!  Here's some pics of my finished mirror...click to enlargen and you can find my tutorial by scrolling down.

Vintage Style Bird Mirror 1

Vintage Style Bird Mirror 2

Vintage Style Bird Mirror 3

Vintage Style Bird Mirror 4

 

Vintage Style Bird Mirror 5

Before and After

I bought the frame on sale for €2.95 which made this project even more wonderful.  You can use a picture frame if you wish, you just need a frame that has glass as that;s what you're going to transform into the mirror.  For this project you will need the following items:

The frame (including the glass)
Mirror Effect Spray (I used gold)
A vintage style stencil
Chalk paint in two colours (I used Ochre and Cream)
Black or Charcoal acrylic paint
Rust acrylic paint
Mouldings or paper/card/wood appliqués
Dark patina
Crackle medium
Vinegar/Water mix 50/50
Spray bottle

First, I painted the frame using the Ochre chalk paint and when it was fully dry, I added a coat of one step crackle (Daily Arts). This has to be left to dry before the second coat of paint is applied (I used cream).  Take note that when you are painting this coat on you cannot paint over the same spot twice so make sure you load the brush well with the chalk paint.  This is so that the crackle takes effect properly and you can see the cracks which will start to appear as the paint dries.

Next, I worked on making the glass a mirror.  To do this, you first need to lay your glass flat, face down and place the stencil (I used a reverse stencil) where you want it.  This can be a bit messy so make sure you have some plastic or newspaper  protecting the surface you are working on.

Using the 50/50 vinegar/water mix, spray the back of the glass where ever you want the antiqued /corroded mirror look to be - in my case I mostly sprayed around the edges of the glass.  Using the mirror effect spray in a colour of your choice (usually gold or silver), spray all over the back of the glass.  You will soon see the reaction of the vinegar/water in the areas that you sprayed it.  After a few minutes most of the mirror effect spray will be dry with the exception of the areas that the vinegar was used.  Using some kitchen roll gently dab these areas to take off the excess.  This helps to create the corroded look that you're after.  Remove the stencil and leave aside to dry fully.

While the mirror is drying, paint the inside of the back cover of the picture frame using a dark coloured paint, I used a charcoal colour acrylic.  By the time you have done this, the glass will be dry and you now need to add your appliques.  I used a cardboard kind which I painted in Ochre and then dry-brushed lightly with a rust coloured acrylic paint to give an aged look.  I then tore these into odd sized lengths and stuck them here and there around the inside edge of the frame to give the impression of a broken trim to add to the overall vintage mirror look.

I used dark patina to darken the frame and enhance the cracks, concentrating more on the outside edge and adding the final touch to my antique style mirror.

I was so happy with the result that I went back to the shop and bought another two frames for €2.95 each!  Needless to say I will be doing this again.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, please contact me if you have any questions as I would be happy to help with any issues you may have with your project.

Bye for now