How to Customize a compact mirror

Customization is hot right now when it comes to gifts or personal accessories and custom compact mirrors are no exception. Although you can buy fancy compact mirrors, making one that speaks to you is worth the small amount of time and effort needed. If you are ready to add a sprinkle of glitter to your handbag or make the girls green with envy on your gals night out, you can customize a compact mirror.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Super glue Tweezers Rhinestones Sequins Spray paint Foam decorations Silk flowers Hot glue Strung micro beads Decoupage medium Old

1. Glue on the bling. Apply small rhinestones or sequins to your compact back to add shine and style. Use a tweezers to pick up small stones or colorful sequins and simply dot a bit of glue and place. Create a design by gluing stones in wavy patterns, letter shapes or swirls and then filling in the blank areas with a different color stones. Draw it out ahead of time, or simply glue and go.

2. Spray paint the back. Use a faux finish spray paint or metallic spray paint to give your compact a new look. Try a crackle paint or make your mirror look like stainless steel or new bronze. Place the mirror on some newspaper back side up and apply spray paint in light coats till covered. Allow to dry and you are set to go.

3. Add some foam charm. Foam shapes and letters are an easy way to customize your compact. Spell out your name or glue cute bumble bees, figures or animal shapes onto your compact back with superglue. Foam shapes are especially nice for a young pre-teen as they are colorful and available shapes are usually simple.

4. Hot glue some fun flowers. Cut the blooms off of silk flowers and hot glue to the back of your compact. Wide flower blooms like silk mums or daisies work well and add a fanciful look to your purse. Crowd the flower buds onto the back for a rich custom look. Place a dot of hot glue on the middle of the blossom's back and apply. Let dry slightly before you crowd it in with the next bud application

5. Bead it. Use small micro-beads to decorate your compact mirror. Beads come on strings and can be glued down in straight or curvy lines. Simply apply some bead glue in a design on the back of your mirror and lay the strung beads upon the glue. Allow to dry a bit then pull the string out for a high-dollar look. Play with design and multiple colors to really kick your customization up a notch.

6. Decoupage it. Use old vintage photographs, postcards or even handmade or origami paper to apply a design to your mirror back. Follow decoupage directions by applying the glue, then the artwork and a final seal of decoupage material such as Modge Podge.

7. Add some animal print. Whether you hot glue fabric animal prints to the back of your compact or decoupage paper animal prints, a classic leopard print or zebra pattern never goes out of style. Trace a circle onto paper or fabric to match your compact size and cut out carefully. Glue on and you are set to go.

8. Apply your favorite objects. Hot glue sea shells or buttons or decoupage stamps and love letters; whatever will bring a smile to your face is a great addition to your customized compact mirror.

Tips & Warnings

• Test out your materials first by gluing and drying one object onto your compact to be sure you are preparing the surface correctly or using the right kind of glue.
• Beaded and sequined compacts are fragile so take care of your compacts once they have been customized to prevent lost beads, stones or sequins.