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

Hi Guys,

I am very excited to share my latest furniture upcycle project with you. This time I revamped an old coffee table that I bought online a while back.  It was in a sorry state when I got it but after some TLC including cleaning, sanding, priming painting and varnishing. it now looks a million dollars.  Here are some pics of it before I got started...

Moroccan Style Coffee Table - Before 1

Moroccan Style Coffee Table Before 2

Cleaning

This isn't the first coffee table that I’ve finished and I more or less stuck to the same process as usual for the renewing.  I started with the cleaning which entailed wiping it down with soapy water and a sponge, careful not to soak it too much and when dry giving it a good going-over with sugar soap and finally another wipe down, this time with white spirit.  When this is done you can be sure your items is spotless and ready for the next step.

Sanding

I used a detail palm sander for the top and to get into the nooks and crannies, a dremel and some plain old hand sanding.  This is my least favourite part but if you want a nice finish it’s best not to leave it out.  Another wash down with white spirit and it was ready for priming.

Priming

I always use ZinsserBulls Eye 123 primer, it’s a great product and it also seals - I painted on two coats of this stuff letting the first coat dry before applying the second.  Now I know it's possible to paint directly over almost any surface with chalk paint but I don't, I like a primer to give the paint a good grounding.  However, if you feel this is overkill, and you have a good quality paint, go ahead and and leave this step out.

Painting
Once the primer has dried it's time for the exciting bit - the painting.  I used a light taupe colour chalk paint as a base and applied two coats letting the first coat dry thoroughly before applying the second.

Stenciling
Right from the start I had a half-plan in the back of my head for this table, I knew I wanted to do a Moroccan style finish and as I had creative licence, the stencil had already been put aside for the job. The colour was more or less predefined by the owner's sitting room colour scheme as that's where it would eventually be placed.  For the stenciling I used two different shades of blue paint one a chalk paint and the other an acrylic and I also added some black acrylic for depth,  I used gold acrylic paint for the trim which I think finished the table off nicely.

I placed the stencil and slowly worked across the entire table top.  When I had finished I felt the table was a little unbalanced or top heavy so I used the same stencil to add more of the same Moroccan design across the bar at the lower end of the table and this worked a treat giving it the balance that was missing.

Moroccan Style Coffee Table

Varnishing
Three coats of water based varnish sealed the table and when dry I waxed it over with a little clear wax.  This is it finished.

Moroccan Style Coffee Table - Top View

Moroccan Style Coffee Table - /Close-up

Moroccan Style Coffee Table - Front View

Bye for now

Glitzy Faux Pumpkin

Hi Everyone,
I have been dying to glam up a faux pumpkin for ages but haven't been able to source a large one locally so I went ahead and used a small one that I have had for a few years which I bought in a Euro Store for a couple of euro.

First I painted the foam pumpkin in cream - two coats.  I then shaded the creases of the pumpkin using some watered down gold paint. When dry I glued on some gold leaves and painted up some cardboard motifs and glued them into place on the top of the pumpkin.  I added two pieces of gold ribbon and then I dabbed the top of the pumpkin with pva glue and sprinkled on the gold glitter.

I think the result is really lovely and there are lots of possibilities for more pumpkins - stripes, spots, découpage....

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial, please leave a comment below or send me an email through the link on the right hand side if you have any questions.

Bye for now

Découpaged Tray

Découpage never fails to please and this time the subject matter was an inexpensive wooden tray which I had been looking out for for some time.  I hit pay dirt in a city centre Euro store for the bargain sum of €6,99 which just made  this project all the sweeter.

I used napkins for this découpage job - 4 to be exact.  First, painted the tray with a couple of coats of cream coloured chalk paint.  I then stuck on the napkins using some découpage glue and matching up the design where necessary.  Care is needed when matching the design up, it's a bit like wall papering on a smaller scale.  I also stuck some cut out flowers from the napkin to the outside edges of the tray to complete the look. Once dry, I added a coat of découpage glue and when the glue was dry, I sanded it lightly with a fine sandpaper to smooth out any wrinkles before applying a second coat of glue. When the this coat was dry, I finished up with two coats of gloss varnish to protect the surface, as this tray will be used regularly. You may prefer to use a matt finish but for this particular project I thought the gloss would look better.

As this tray is so pretty, I've decided to hang it in my kitchen rather than hiding it in a cabinet - it will also be more accessible for regular use and doubles up as wall decor! See photos below.  Click on photos to make bigger.

Découpaged Tray 1

Découpaged Tray 2

Tray Hanging on Wall

Tray (Before)

I hope you enjoyed reading about my little découpage project, if you would like to ask any questions you can do so by emailing me at funkyjunkinfo@gmail.com or through the contact form on this page and I will be happy to answer you.  You can also let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

By for now

DIY Vintage Style Jewellery Box

If you're anything like me, you have a wardrobe or cupboard somewhere in the house that's full of empty jewellery boxes - you know - the ones that came with your birthday and Christmas presents over the years?  The little watch and bracelet boxes with the manufacturers name on top?  Yes, those ones! I have never been able to throw them away as I always felt it would be a 'shame', well, some of them anyway.....namely the hinged ones.  I knew that one day I would get around to transforming them into something pretty and I was right, that day finally came.

I started by painting the box with a few coats of chalk paint leaving it to dry thoroughly between coats.  I used a duck egg colour but you can use any colour you like.  Next, I découpaged it with a pretty floral napkin and then added several coats of matt varnish letting each coat dry before the next was applied.  For the final finish I applied some dark wax to age the box a little and the result is below.........a pretty vintage style box - ideal for carryng your jewellery in when going on holidays!  I just love this box, what do you think?  Let me know by commenting below or emailing me by filling in the contact form on the right hand side of this page.

DIY Vintage Style Jewellery Box

Thanks for looking.

Bye for now

Painted and Découpaged Key Cabinet

A pine key cabinet that I bought online some years back and painted and distressed at the time was looking a bit dull and as nothing is safe from my paintbrush these days, it became my next victim!

It's not difficult to change the look of something with a fresh coat of paint or some découpage or both and this little job was done in a jiffy.  First, I crackled the paint underneath using a crackle medium and then I découpaged each section using some floral card cut-outs.  A couple of coats of matt varnish and voilá!  The fourth photo below is the before photo.

I hope you enjoyed reading about my little project, don't forget you can leave a comment below if you wish or you can contact me using the Contact Form to the right of this post at the top of the page.

Bye for now

Découpaged Photo Hanging Frame

Photos are an important part of most peoples lives, they act like memories so that we don't forget what was.  Our children at a younger age, a deceased family member or just happy occasions that make us smile so its an added bonus when you come across a pretty way to display them.

I love the idea of this découpaged and painted photo frame with string and pegs to hang your favourite pics.

You can choose any pattern, design or colour that you like and the beauty of this one is you can very easily change photos from one day to the next.  Of course it's so pretty as it is that you wouldn't have to hang any photos on it and could just use it for little notes to yourself (or others); reminders, shopping lists, or quotes for positive thinking and wellbeing - the list is endless!

Thanks for dropping by, don't forget you can leave a comment below or contact me by email by filling in the form on the right hand side of this post with your request.

Bye for now

Découpaged Box Shelf / Drawer Tidy

Last year I found these little boxes in my local Euro store and bought two of them.  I put them aside and forgot all about them until I was doing a clean-up of my craft studio recently and came across them again. As you can see from the pictures below, they originally had some black printed motifs on the inside sections of the box.
 

I decided it was time to pretty them up so I painted one of them taupe using some chalk paint.  It took a few coats to cover the black printed motifs but eventually they disappeared.  I used two different types of napkins and some floral paper to découpage the interior sections of the box, a different pattern for each section.  I sealed it with a couple of coats of sealant and it is now ready to hang on a wall as mini shelves or on a desk or kitchen counter top as a tidy, or even a jewellery box. I think this one looks real cute.  I've still got the second one to do so don't forget to drop by to have a look real soon.

Bye for now

Mother's Day Gift Idea

My last post promised more gift ideas for Mother's Day and with only a week to go, I said I'd better start posting.  I seem to be keeping things very simple this year and the heart below is just that.

I painted it in a grey colour called cement and added some nice words that I found online.  I used the pencil trick to transfer the writing.  Print your words the way you want them to appear on the heart, then, on the back of the page colour over the entire area behind your words using a HB pencil, place it in the position you want it on the heart (face up so you can see the words), secure it with some tape and carefully go over each letter using a pen or pencil.  When you lift the paper the outline will be imprinted on your heart.

Now all you have to do is go over it to darken it up using a marker or whatever you wish.  I used a black pencil and then I sealed it with some gloss varnish.  I added a bird motif which I glued on and some dashes around the edges to enhance it a little.  String for hanging it and it's done.  You could also use ribbon if you want a more fancy heart and you could add a rose instead of a bird or some découpage.

Thanks for following my posts, drop by again soon to see my final Mother's day gift idea and remember, if you have any questions you can contact me by email using the form on the right hand side of this page.  Bye for now...

Christmas Decorations

Making your own christmas decorations isn't difficult and those of you that follow my blog will know that I do a little something every year.  Last year it was the mini christmas trees which you can see by clicking here.  This year though, I have painted up some little wooden hearts and fireflies that I got as a gift but you can buy them at any good A&C store, I then just added some glitter and hanging ribbon. Simple.  Even the kids could help with this one.  You could also make your own by cutting out some shapes from cardboard - stars, christmas trees, Santas, angels and then paint on some designs or even découpage them.  Why not try a few and have something designed by you this Christmas!

Click to make bigger

Before