Carina Claassens
This DIY mirror project makes it super easy to give a boring piece a romantic antique look. Here’s a quick step-by-step on how to distress a mirror
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- A framed mirror
- Protective gloves
- Protective eyewear
- A mask
- Paint stripper (we used Duram Durastripp)
- A paintbrush
- A scraper
- Cotton rags (strips of old T-shirt work well)
- Pool acid (we used HTH Easy Acid)
- A spray bottle
- Paper towels
- Black spray paint
HOW TO DO IT
- Remove the back and frame from the mirror. Keep it aside; you’ll need to reattach this later.
- First, remove the grey paint backing of the mirror. In a well-ventilated area and wearing your protective gear, brush a thick layer of paint stripper onto the back of the mirror. Leave the stripper on for a few hours, checking frequently. When the paint begins to bubble and peel, it’s time to remove it. Wipe the stripper off with a cotton rag, or rinse it off under running water. You may need to repeat this step until the silver backing is revealed. Be patient; this step can be time consuming.
TIP: If the paint is not coming off easily, you may have to lightly scrape it. Be gentle when doing this, as you don’t want to scratch the mirror’s surface.
- Once the grey backing has been removed, and once again wearing your protective gear, pour the pool acid into a spray bottle and spray onto the mirror where you want antique spots. This will create a spattering effect. The more you spray, the more ‘antiqued’ your mirror will look, but rather spray a small amount at a time, as you can always go back and antique some more if necessary.
TIP: Mirrors naturally tend to age from the outside in, so keep that in mind for a more authentic look.
- Leave the acid on for about a minute or until it removes the reflective surface. Keep an eye on the acid’s effect and wipe off a small spot at regular intervals until the acid has worn the silver from the mirror to your liking.
- Use paper towels to blot the excess acid off the mirror and rinse it again with water. Dry with a cotton rag.
- Finish by applying black spray paint to the back of mirror. Be sure to spray the entire surface, as this will protect the mirrored coating.
- Once the paint has dried, reattach the backing and frame you removed in the first step.
