Beautiful DIY Mercury Glass!

I love Mercury Glass! LOVE! I have a few antique mercury glass ornaments that are REAL mercury glass and so pretty but very delicate..every year I pull them out and get scared of them breaking.  Its gorgeous all year round but especially in the Fall & during the Holidays!

And usually anything mercury glass even faux is fairly expensive so why not make your own on the cheap.  There is NO LIMIT on what you can make!

I first saw someone do this online while blog hopping (she did an old window) and I said "hmmmmm....I wanna try that".  So I refereed to her technique but changed it up a bit along the way to make it work for me. I did trial/test pieces to see how it would work..I highly suggest you do the same.

Here's what you will need:

- 1 can of Krylon Looking Glass Spray

- squirt bottle of 50/50 vinegar & water 

- clear glass objects 

- a sponge you can cut up

- a lint-free cloth

- papertowels

-acrylic paints in Gold

(black & silver optional)

NOTES:  

Use only the Looking Glass/Mirror Spray...metallic silver will not work..trust me.

I only used gold paint on my mercury glass...but you can add extra silver or black if you want to vintage/distress it more. 

Clean your glass pieces well and then dry them and wipe out with a lint-free or tack cloth.

Cut your sponge into smaller pieces for each paint color you choose to use PLUS one piece for the vinegar spray.

BUT WAIT....find an old piece of glass or a cheap glass (Dollar Store) to test this process on before you try it on the things you really want to use.  TRUST ME on this.

The Krylon Looking Glass Spray is very runny so I found I had to LEARN HOW TO SPRAY IT!!

Short, far away, light sprays in the glass on the INSIDE ONLY on each side.  Light coats and you can respray after 1 minute...you will see it drying.  You do NOT want runny lines of paint!

I did 5 coats on each of my pieces...short light sprays each time...drying for 1 minute.

These are my pieces above after 5 coats.  You may want more or less...totally up to you.

(I had seen someone online suggest spraying it on the bottom and rolling it around the glass...I don't recommend that because it dries quickly and you will be left with runny streaks that aren't pretty..I tried it twice that way on cheap glass and it was awful and too hard to do for me.)

After you have enough coats on your glass...let it sit and dry for about 10 mins.

Then spray your 50/50 vinegar water into your glass on the inside lightly and far away.

Don't put the sprayer right into the glass...do it from a distance so you get lil balls of spray

like above.

Let vinegar water sit for about 20 seconds on inside of glass.

Now some tutorials suggested using paper towels to remove the paint...I tried that on my test pieces too.

(IMPORTANT TO DO THIS ON A TEST PIECE or two...I CANNOT SAY THAT ENOUGH)

But because I was working on a smaller object (she had a huge sheet of glass) I found a small piece of sponge to be easier to control and I liked the texture it gave..but its up to you on what you use.  

Spray your sponge piece with just a lil' vinegar/water as well to wet it.

Then holding your glass in one hand, use your sponge to dab at the paint from inside the glass.

Adjust how much you dab off and the direction you use each time for variation in your glass.

After I did a little bit I would check it from the outside to see how it looked as I worked around the inside of the glass.

Its up to you on how much you want to take off...I suggest starting with a LITTLE bit and then you can take off more as you continue on.

LET IT DRY AGAIN 

after you have removed the amount of paint from the inside that you want.

I let mine sit for about 10 minutes.

Antique Mercury Ornaments..you can see the black peekin' thru!

{source}

Then you can start dabbing the paint (I used gold only) on the inside of my glass only on the places I removed had removed the Looking glass Paint from.  

USE THIN LIGHT COATS OF PAINT...not globs!!  

After adding each bit I again checked from the outside to make sure it wasn't too much or too little.  

I didn't use the black or silver paints but perhaps next time I will try it...I was skeered and I liked just the gold on mine for now.  But I like how it looks in the above picture.

This is a close up of the piece after I removed some of the Looking Glass paint and added the gold.

Here they are all done...I am in love with how they turned out!  And it wasn't hard at all once I figured out what process worked best for me.

I am using flameless battery flickering candles in mine. ONE: because I don't want wax melting on the inside after all that work and TWO: I'm not sure if the heat would bubble the paint or make it smell.

I'd rather not push it, if you know what I mean.  Plus these candles are NO WORRY which is great!

(My battery candles are from Hobby Lobby...they were on SALE..and they smell like vanilla)

Cost Breakdown:

$11 $6.60 Looking Glass Spray

(use coupon for 40% off at Hobby Lobby or Craft Stores)

Large Glass Hurricane $4, small votives $1.99 = $4 total

(glassware was 50% off at Hobby Lobby)

Sponge & Rag - FREE

Vinegar Water - FREE

Acrylic Paints - FREE (I had already)

(but usually run $1-2 a bottle)

TOTAL:  $10

You can NOT beat that deal...$10 for these 3 glass pieces...it would cost at LEAST $25 or more in stores!

And I have a lot left in my spray can for more projects..whoo hoo!

And I am ready to use this technique on a lamp and some ornaments I have.

Will share those when I finish those up.

Seriously if you want to try this...do it...it's not hard...just do a trial piece or two first.

If you do make something...come back and share with me...I'd love to see your take on it!!
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I'm entering this into the following Linky Parties:

That's What {Che} Said - Monday Funday
Domestic Superhero

Give Me The Goods Monday
Your HomeBased Mom
Make the Scene Monday
Life on Lakeshore Drive
Home Stories A to Z
While They Snooze 
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Savvy Southern Style
The DIY Dreamer
Thistlewood Farms
The Fun in Functional
Common Ground
No Minimalist Here
Cedar Hill Farmhouse - The Scoop
Awesome Things Tuesday

Fall In Love!

I've been doing some decorating outside over the past week for fall.

I try not to overdo it anymore even though I want to LOL.

Problem is we get so much wind in the fall here that I end up either re-doing everything

or fixing things everyday...and that is a big pain in my behind folks ;)

After 7 years I've learned my lesson well.

So I am planning on getting 3 more bunches of corn stalks for the front to bulk it up on the columns more.  We couldn't fit them all in the truck the first time..due to my..umm...over buying of mums..heehee.  I will do that this weekend though shhhh.  I used to get big bales of hay but got tired of cleaning it off the porch and yard (and I'm sure the neighbors weren't so thrilled either..ha).

The wind whips up the hill and onto my porch ferociously and knocks all those mums over.

BTW...see that luscious green grass...yup we just redid the front yard...hubby is very proud of his work so I thought I'd throw that in for him ;)

New pillows from HomeGoods (2 for $20)...love that dark orange color with the white rockers. They are a bit silky so they change in different lights.

Fall-licious!

This is by the front door...that red mum needed a drink when I took this pic...I watered it no worries.

I want one more large mum...will grab that this weekend.

This is my new fall doormat...from Lowes for under $15...loved the fun floral pattern and

pretty colors!  We get such harsh direct sun on my front porch that everything fades so I won't spend a ton of cash on things because I know they will have to be replaced.

I decorate my backyard as well...we spend a lot of time out here in the fall watching football and having fires.  So some pumpkins, mums and gourds come out to play.

*See more of my backyard area HERE*

I keep succulents under the cabana..they don't need much light or water and always look beautiful (the other one is on coffee table).  I added some pumpkins and my hurricanes from Pier One from a few years ago...they give off such a pretty amber glow in the evening.

On the table I used a bright yellow mum...love the pop of color.  Those lanterns I got on sale at Target end of summer sale for $3 each...they were dark brown. But I spray painted them gold, they look much better.  But by spring they will probably be coral...that's the beauty of spray paint y'all!

See the trees in the background...they are just starting to turn shades of beautiful.

Nothing better than the colors of fall!

I'm taking Alexa's senior pictures next week...not the school ones (those have been ordered already)..but the more casual pics.  And some with her BFF Grace (on the right) along with some outfit changes I've been informed..teen girls ya know.

So this past weekend we played in the woods to try settings/lighting/aperture/etc on my camera and shot some fun pictures. These were my faves and really showcase their beauty (no makeup, look at that skin), friendship and joy!  But we will do the formal shoot on Monday at a park with the beautiful foliage as the background.  Should be fun!

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Entering into the following fab Linky Parties:

Domestic Superhero

The DIY Dreamer

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Practically Functional

Savvy Southern Style

The Tablescaper

Thrifty Decor Chick

Golden Mirror!

Thrifty UpCycle

I've shared my love of "junkin" as I call it...visiting thrift stores, antique stores, Habitat Humanity ReStores.  I'm always looking for a few things but they must be fairly inexpensive..that means once I buy it and fix it up it should be cheaper than anything I can buy already done or just better period.  That's the THRILL for me...making an item into something fabulous on the CHEAP.  

We call that a "thrifty upcycle"...so you are basically recycling and renewing an item..and saving money...and helping Mother Earth.

I got this beauty for $10 at a junk store in Purcellville while visiting my buddy Marti last week.

I love the size and the ironwork in the frame of this mirror.  I knew it would be even more

beautiful with some metallics added...really make it SHINE!

So I taped off the mirror well and set it up in my Spray Box...a UPS box split open on one side.

Its rustic but it works well...don't knock it ;)

This mirror only took 3 coats of the Rust-o-leum Aged Bronze Spray.

I didn't go with Gold because it just was TOO...TOO much know what I mean?

Too gold and shiny for where I wanted to put it anywho.

And this is that mirror now...beautifully metallic in Aged Bronze and fits in with all my other accessories!

This is my foyer table area and I've been looking for something to hang here for the longest time.

I used to have a floral picture but I got sick of it and gave it away...I don't have a pic of that sorry.

But my demilune table from Ethan Allen has bronzed/gold paint in it and I picked that up with my lamp, picture frame, urn and Metallic Pumpkins (that I made HERE).

I didn't want anything overpowering for this space, something pretty and that reflected the beautiful

light we get in the front of the house.  This mirror was perfect!

And for a total of $14 ($10 mirror + $4 spray paint) I think I got a good deal!!

Just to compare look at these similar mirrors for much, much more...makes me even happier with mine:

$199 at Lamps Plus

$129 at FleaPop

$50 at Etsy

Have you transformed a thrifty buy lately?


I'm entering this into the following linky parties:

The Hankful House (get your diy on)
Domestic Superhero 
Transformation Thursday

Funky Junky Interiors - Party Junk

Nooks & Bitz!

My Fave Fallish Nooks in My House!

I have some nooks and vignettes in my house that I adore...yup I really love 'em.  I'm still working on redoing a few rooms, looking for the "perfect" object for a wall space in some rooms, ripping up carpet, painting...lots going on in my house.  And these vignettes are FALL inspired in colors and style.

But at least some things are DONE and pretty in my house to help make me feel better right?

So I'm focusing on a few of them today that are on my first floor, makes me feel better!

PS--all these pics taken with that new giftie my hubby got me, for no reason other than he loves me...what was it?
A NEW CANON REBEL T51...whoot whoot...so excited to learn more on how to use it but I'm loving it already :) I got the best hubby in the whole wide world!!

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Living Room

I collect old books...not any old books...they have to be special books....have a personal meaning to me.

I collect old Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew books...they were some of my faves growing up.

Or favorite subjects...I have a book called "Suzanne" that my mom found for me from the late 1800's.

I also collect old clocks like this one...all sizes and colors...but just have to be unique and old.

Like my other collections I don't have 500 of anything...I like a few of each scattered around my home.

Two of my favorite toile chairs in my living room...never really sit in them..but they are darn purty ;)

I love all the beautiful sunlight I get in my living room and dining room.  The walls are a creamy yellow and they just glow during the day...makes me happy.  I love light!

Still looking for something on each side of my picture above the couch..seven years now and I'm STILL looking!  Hmmmppppfffffttt

These faux flowers sit on my coffee table...go faux or go home I say..especially when your cat likes to eat the real stuff.  The picture is of the kids when they were MUCH younger on one of our favorite hikes..I printed it out in sepia for a different look.

This little nook sits behind my family room and in front of my dining room (to left), foyer (to left) and living room (to right).  I've had that jelly cabinet forever and it holds candles, towels and toilet paper for the powder room...fancy schmancy supplies ya know!

And yes there are two of my rooster pictures...I love roosters...classy ones...and never a lot of them.

Don't want anyone thinkin' we live in a Rooster House ya know LOL!

No one really sits in these chairs either...I love chairs...even if they aren't being sat in.

What can I say :)

My current table vignette in my kitchen...because of my crazy cat Tucker I cannot do real flowers much.

He eats them...it isn't pretty..trust me...and I find it highly annoying :(

So I go faux...and this is what I have for the moment...its sure to change soon...I like to change it up regularly.  Yup that metal bowl in background is the cat bowl...I have to have it up high cuz' my doggies eat it..ugh.  Animals are so much fun right? right? RIGHT!?

This is another vignette in my kitchen...yup that's a rooster statue and rooster canister set..told you they sneak up on ya in my house ;)

I love warm colors too...they make me feel cozy and give a homey feeling..I love that.

Golds, dark reds, browns, rusts...yup right up my alley!

I have more cool colors in the upstairs and finished basement...but my main level I like warmth.

I want people to come in my house and feel at home, kick your feet up and have a glass of wine or Coke with me and just HANG OUT!

And here is a look into my dining room from the kitchen.

Its a disaster zone with paint swatches painted on walls (I finally picked a color), 

supplies on the table for new vignettes I'm considering and curtain fabric samples.

Oy Vey...slowly but surely said the turtle to the hare..and I'm listening!!

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I'm entering this into the following Linky Parties:

Savvy Southern Style
Strut Your Stuff Saturday- Six Sisters
Its Overflowing
Or So She Says
Your Home Based Mom
What's Cooking With Ruthie
Domestic Super Hero
Thrifty Decor Chick

Flowers of Liberty!

My Fourth of July Decor!

We won't be home for the 4th of July but we will be back from our vacation the day before.  We have our season tickets to the Nationals baseball game for 4th of July and they will have celebrations and fun stuff going on.  Then we will see the fireworks over the Mall in DC from the top of my husband's building where he works...great way to see them without all the crazy crowds. We are staying two nights in DC and just having some fun there.  We go to DC regularly for games and events but its been awhile since we visited some of the monuments and Smithsonians...which I always enjoy and so does my family.  So just a fun couple days added on to our vacation and then we will deal with the REAL world again on Monday LOL!

So I decided to do some early 4th of July decorating around my house...I may disagree with some politics and such that go on but I am very proud to be an American and feel I have been blessed in my life.  I'm always happy to display the American flag when I can!

And these things all SCREAM America to me:  Coca-Cola, blue Mason Jars, and Sunflowers!

So all three go beautifully together.  My Coca-Cola crate I got awhile ago, I have a very old yellow Coca-Cola crate I got many moons ago as well...it gets the royal treatment up top of my cabinets.  I collect vintage Coke items..but I don't go overboard...just a few here & there!  The purple mint flowers are from my garden but the sunflowers are from Wegmans ;)  And I tucked in a small American flag into the bouquet...and amazingly my cat Tucker (yes the flower killer) didn't eat them...maybe he hates sunflowers (good to know).

This is my front porch...I added the pillows (from Target) and red geraniums this spring.  Every year I pick a new color scheme for the porch LOL...I like to switch it up a bit.  I just added two American flags to the pot to dress it up.  My geraniums love this spot on my porch...it gets shade in the morning and then hot direct sun in the afternoon.  Every year I go thru a bunch of plants that don't last LOL but so far so good this year :)

Wishing you & your family a wonderful 4th of July weekend (if you celebrate that is)!!

Be safe, have fun and relax!!