Thrifted & Relifted 1 [How to Antique a Mirror Frame]

Hello! And welcome to the first Thrifted & Relifted Blogger Challenge! I'm so excited to be part of a group of bloggers challenging ourselves monthly to share a thrifty find for under $30 that we have given a makeover or repurposed.

At the end of this post you can check out all of the other fun and creative transformations. AND we would all like to invite YOU to join in and challenge yourself to a monthly makeover. Link up your blog or Instagram post below and share your project too! You can share all month.

Today I'm sharing how I antiqued a gold mirror for our recent main bathroom renovation. I searched for months for a real antique mirror, but none that I found were in my price range or quite right for what I was looking for. But then I found this one for $30 at one of my favorite local resale shops.

BEFORE:

But it seemed like it just didn't have enough oomph, know what I mean? I also wanted to tie in the navy cabinet and the black light fixtures.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:
Acrylic craft paint (I used black and navy)
Small craft paint brushes
Paper towels
Paper plate put the paint on

This was such an easy project. How long it takes really depends on the size of your mirror frame and how detailed it is. So here is where I started.

I used a combination of black and navy acrylic craft paint because those were the colors I wanted to bring into the mirror. Brown or charcoal gray would be nice too, whatever works for your color scheme. As I worked I realized a drier brush seemed to work better than one with more paint on it. After dipping my brush in the paint, I dabbed it a few times on my plate to remove some of the paint.

I brushed the paint on darker in all of the recesses of the designs in the frame and with a lighter coat on open areas as it would naturally age on an antique frame. Since I was combining two colors, I alternated them in different areas.

Then I wiped it back with a paper towel, leaving just enough paint to accent the designs of the frame. It was helpful to work in small sections so the paint didn't dry before I wiped it back. If it did dry though, a wet paper towel removed the paint easily since it hadn't set yet.

You can really see the difference the dark navy accents make. The flowers are much more defined now.

Half way done, and you can really see the difference.

And all done and back up on the wall. I like it a lot better and I think the details of the frame really show up more now. I love the definition the dark colors gave it.

So that’s my Thrifted & Relifted project for this month! It truly is something anyone can do with a little craft paint, a small brush and some paper towels.

Now be sure to head over to all the bloggers in the loop and check out their creative makeovers! If you would like to participate, take the challenge to makeover a thrift store, Craigslist, flea market or garage sale find and link up your blog or Instagram post below. If you are sharing your Thrifted & Relifted projects on social media be sure to use the hashtag #thriftedandrelifted I can’t wait to see your projects!