DIY: "zinc" mirror
Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 09:03AM There's something about crusty old zinc mirrors that stop me in my tracks. The price tag, on the other hand, does not. So I decided to try my hand at reinventing a wooden mirror I got at World Market a few years ago (to sit on my fireplace just until my wooden sunburst mirror from Ballard arrives!) I'm thrilled with how it turned out:
To start, I used 100-grit sandpaper to lightly sand the wood, then brushed on a coat of this mighty primer:
Once it was completely dry, I lightly sanded again. Next, I brushed on a coat of Martha Stewart's Metallic paint in Quayside. I absolutely LOVE this color; I could have just stopped after this step, but I really wanted to get some dark and light color variations, so I bought some Folk Art's Glazing Medium (which I found at AC Moore):
To get the lighter variations, I mixed 1 part white paint (leftover from previous projects) with 1 part glazing medium. I added a few drops of water to thin it out a bit. Using a clean, white cloth, I wiped it onto the frame, blending it in in some spots and roughly smudging it onto other parts.
For the darker variations, I did the same as the previous step, mixing 1 part black paint with 1 part glazing medium and a few drops of water. Just like above, I wiped it all over in random spots.
Last, but not least, I smudged plain white paint in random areas to really give it the "chalky" appearance that zinc gets over the years. Finally, I rubbed a little Minwax Paste Wax for protection. I'm super pleased with how it looks:
zinc mirror in DIY, decor, furniture, my work, paint technique
Reader Comments (2)
Kelly,
OH MY GOODNESS! Class, elegance, genuine taste head to baby toes! We must talk, I am taking over my townhouse this Summer and need your eyes and design. I especially l o v e this dining room table featured on the page. I have been a lil busy myself, can't wait to catch up and, as always, give that big strappin man a good 'ole girl NY hug for me.
Talk soon!
Love
Beth
Your mirror looks awesome! Such a great finish. I love faux metal finishes. I've done a couple and I love the way they turn out. Here is a faux zinc one I did : Green Willow Pond