How to Antique Mirror Squares
Finding quality, antique mirrors can be difficult. Many times the mirrors may be cracked, chipped or just not the style you are looking for. In order to get exactly what you want, you can make your own faux antique mirror squares at home. Antiquing the mirrors yourself gives you control over how much you want stripped and where on the mirror you would still like to see reflections.
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Things You'll Need
- Cardboard, plastic or canvas
- Latex gloves
- Protective mask
- Paint stripper
- Copper remover
- Silver remover
- Spray bottle
- Cotton balls
- Rag
- Mirror backing paint
- Craft paint
- Paintbrush
- Toothbrush
- Pumice
Instructions
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In a well-ventilated area, lay out your plastic, cardboard or other material to protect your work table or floor area.
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Put on your latex gloves and protective mask.
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Place the mirrors face down on your work area. Apply a generous amount of paint stripper to the backs of the mirrors. Leave the paint stripper on there for a few hours, or until you are able to easily scrape the paint.
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After you have scraped most of the paint off, wash the backs of the mirrors with soap and hot water to get any residue off.
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Some mirrors have copper on the back which must be removed before you can remove any of the silver. Put some copper remover on a cotton ball and rub it all over the mirrors' backs. The cotton ball will start to turn blue.
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Carefully pour the silver remover into a spray bottle. Spray the remover on the parts of the mirrors you want to look antiqued. Work from the outside in to make the edges more aged than the center. The solution will start to eat away at the silver in about one minute.
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Stay with the mirrors to make sure the acid doesn't eat too much of the silver. Test spots on the each mirror by wiping at the acid with a rag. When it has reached the desired effect, wipe off the acid and pour water on the backs of the mirrors to neutralize the remover.
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When the mirrors look just like you want them to, rinse the mirrors off with hot water and let them dry completely.
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Paint the backs of the mirrors with a mirror backing paint or a regular craft paint and paintbrush. Let the paint dry overnight before you frame the mirrors or put them on your wall.
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Tips & Warnings
You can find mirror squares online, in your local stores, in antique stores, craft stores and yard sales. The trick is to keep your eye out for the mirror squares wherever you are. You might also find mirrors in frames that you can easily remove. For different textures, you can mix pumice with the silver remover to make a paste and apply it with a toothbrush or cotton ball.
It is very important that you work in a well-ventilated area due to the chemicals you will be using.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit the mirror image by Jan Will from Fotolia.com
