I’m back with another furniture upcycling project!!  Wahoo!  Ahhhhh, I just love a good upcycle….

I’ve had this stand-up mirror for years (I *think* it was a gift from my grandma for my 16th birthday….so needless to say, I got it a long time ago!).  It’s very practical and I use it everyday….but it definitely looks very blah and boring.  That honey oak just doesn’t do much for me.  I need some COLOR in my life.

I wanted to give this mirror a little makeover and turn it into something that was not only functional but also fashionable….I mean, mirrors reflect fashion but they can also be fashionable themselves, right??  A little chalk-based paint and wax followed by a cute motivational saying did the job nicely….I love the final result!

 

Mirror Makeover with Chalk-Based Paint & Etched Glass Vinyl

Supplies:

• Stand-up mirror
• Chalk-based paint
• Painter’s tape
• Steel wool
• Wax & Rag
• Polycrylic
• Three paint brushes (one for the paint, one for the wax, & one for the polycrylic)
• Etched glass vinyl
• Silhouette Cameo
• Bronze spray paint

 

The Stand-Up Mirror: Before

So here’s my mirror in all its before-makeover glory (I was too excited to get started and forgot to snap a pic before applying all the painter’s tape!).  Nothing wrong with it, but nothing special about it either.

 

My son often likes to give kisses to “the other baby” he sees in it.  He’s a very affectionate boy….even in crazy cow pajamas. ;)

 

The Makeover Begins!  Applying Chalk Paint:

A couple years ago, I attended a furniture painting class at a cute little vintage/artisan/DIY store here in Huntsville called University Pickers.  For the class, you bring in a small piece of furniture and they provide all the supplies and teach you how to upcycle furniture from start to finish.

I was a total furniture painting newb but had been dying to learn this skill, and this class was one of the most beneficial and enjoyable four hours I’ve spent in a long time!

The brand of paint we used was Maison Blanche chalk-based paint (we were told for trademark reasons they can’t use the term “chalk paint” but that’s what it actually is), and I love it because it is NO PREP PAINT.  Yep: NO sanding and NO priming required.  Just slap on a couple layers of this paint as well as some wax if you want and you’re set!

Immediately after the class (which was long before this blog came to fruition, so no tutorial or pics….nuts!), I upcycled our coffee table and two end tables in an off-white oyster color.  For this project, though, I wanted to go BOLD and BRIGHT and used a turquoise shade called Colette.

 

Per my training in Furniture Painting 101 {wink}, the first coat of this paint doesn’t need to be pretty.

In fact, you want it to be light and rough….and I mean really light and really REALLY rough.  Just slap it on there.  It’ll look like a hot mess, but that’s ok.

 

Once my mirror had its first coat applied, it got me all excited for an impromptu photoshoot, even in my SAHM/DIY-project wardrode….don’t judge. ;)

 

The next coat went on much smoother than the first and started to provide more even coverage.  I ended up doing three coats in total, but I only used about three-quarters of my little 4 oz. sample-size jar.  So not only does this paint require no prep, but a little also goes a long way!

 

Distressing with Steel Wool

The Great Distressing Debate: Whenever I paint something like this, I always have an internal debate about distressing it.  I mean, I just spent all. that. time. and energy ensuring my paint application was perfect, and now I’m thinking about intentionally defacing it??  Back and forth, back and forth…..it’s such an internal struggle, I tell ya.

In this instance, distressing won out.  I always like to use steel wool as opposed to sand paper when distressing by hand because I think it provides a more natural aged look.  Plus (and most importantly), it just makes my hand ache less while scraping.

For this project I used a Grade #1 pad because that’s what I had on hand, but I would have rather used a more coarse one.  This still got the job done just peachy, but it took a little bit more elbow grease.

 

I just scraped some of the paint off with the steel wool so it had a natural look to its marks, making sure the distressing was asymmetrical.  While distressing, I try to think about where the piece would get dinged and banged up naturally over time, and then focus on those areas.  Edges, corners, areas that might get kicked while passing through, and this case, spindles, got most of the distressing.

 

Applying Some Antique Wax & Sealing with Polycrylic

Now that my mirror was painted and roughed up (but in a beautiful way), it was time to apply some wax.  The wax not only provides some protection, but it also enhances the paint color and distress marks, as well as gives a nice and subtle gleam.

I used the same can of antique wax in Light Brown that I bought for my first coffee/side table makeover project as well as on my more recent bronze-dipped bar stool makeover.  This stuff seems to be lasting forever!

 

Another great thing about this wax is that it is sooooo easy to apply and use.  I mean, seriously, a monkey could do this job.  Just slap on a super light coat with a paint brush (no fancy brush required!), let it dry for about 20-30 minutes (or more/less depending on how deep you want the color to be), then buff it out with a rag.

You want it to dry long enough so everything doesn’t immediately wipe right off when you’re buffing it with a rag, but not so long that your arm wants to fall off from all the elbow grease you have to apply to remove the excess.

 

Spray Painting the Hardware

Now my mirror makeover was nearing completion….wahoo!  At first I wasn’t planning on painting the little side knobs  (which is why they were covered in painter’s tape and my mirror wasn’t taken apart up to this point).

However, I felt like they needed a little sprucing up as well, so I unscrewed everything and blasted the hardware with some bronze spray paint that was left over from my bar stool makeover.

While they were drying, I applied a couple coats of polycrylic over the newly-painted-and-waxed mirror to seal everything, then removed the painter’s tape.  Once the hardware was dry, I then screwed them back in and reassembled my mirror.

 

Adding a Motivational Phrase in Etched Glass Vinyl

For all intents and purposes, my mirror was complete!  Who doesn’t like a receiving a compliment, though??  I know I do, especially when checking how I look….I mean, looking in the mirror is one of the most appropriate places to receive a little daily affirmation, amiright ladies and gents?

I figured a little motivational saying wouldn’t hurt, so I whipped up this “Hello Gorgeous” positive phrase and cut it out of some silver etched glass vinyl with my Silhouette Cameo.

I first thought about using some etching cream again like I did with my dad’s Christmas gift, but I didn’t want this to be a permanent change to the mirror….who knows if another makeover is in its future.

So, the etched glass vinyl will give me the same look, just as a removable (and less messy) option…..and I like having options.

 

The Mirror Makeover is Complete!

A little glass cleaner to remove all the finger prints and smudges was all that was needed for my mirror makeover to be complete!

And here it is…..looks much more pretty now.  I absolutely LOVE this turquoise color (although my husband does not!  Ha!) and the faux-etched-glass positive message is a nice final touch.

 

Not a bad Before-&-After, huh??

 

More Upcycling Amazingness….

If you enjoyed this, check out some of my other upcycling projects in my Project Gallery!

And I’ve got a whole Pinterest board dedicated to my love of upcycling that you might enjoy as well!

Follow Christine {WhereTheSmilesHaveBeen}’s board Upcycling: Trash Into Treasure on Pinterest. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!