Painted Mirror Makeover

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I have wanted to paint a mirror for a while now, and am so excited that I finally got the chance. I got this mirror at the thrift store for $7. The mirror is actual glass (as opposed to the thinner, slightly flexible ones that you can get most places now). I loved the look of the frame but it was really beat up and coming apart on a few sides. Yikes! Not what you want to be holding a heavy piece of glass, that is for sure! I disassembled it and got to work.

First I wiped the frame down really well with Krud Kutter's Gloss Off. Has anyone seen this before? It removes the top layer(s) of poly and stain from the wood, dulling the surface, and prepares the surface to be re-painted. Apparently it has some chemical in it that helps the new paint to stick to the surface. I was all about this, mostly because I didn't want to strip the wood (I hate using chemical paint strippers, they scare me), and I don't have an electric sander and didn't want to buff the whole thing down. It worked pretty well. My rag was covered in brownish orange stain, it cleaned the wood and dulled the surface, so it worked for me. It didn't remove all of the paint like a stripper would have, but I was sticking with it. I re-inforced the corners by gluing them together with some Gorilla Glue, and then turned my attention to the mirror.

I cleaned off the mirror, lined up this stunning Iron Gate Allover Stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils, and started painting.

I used a light coat of spray adhesive since I was working on a flat surface and didn't want it to shift on me. I used a dense foam roller (also from Cutting Edge), got a little paint on it, rolled off the excess onto a paper towel, and then started rolling onto the glass. I did 2 light coats so that no paint would seep under the stencil, and waited for both to dry completely before picking up the stencil and shifting it over to cover the next section of the mirror.

(There's me! Hi guys!!)

I spray painted the frame a similar ivory color to what I used on the mirror, and when it was dry, just popped the mirror back in and nailed the back piece to the frame.

I was left with this perfect mirror makeover.

Isn't it gorgeous?!

As always, I'll be linking this project to some of my favorite link parties including the DIY Club, which you can see here. Have a great week!!