DIY painted mirror

Ever since I saw it hanging on Vanessa’s wall in a photo of her home, I adored Ikea’s plastic Ung Drill picture frame ($25), but the cost of replacing the glass with an oval mirror was prohibitively expensive. Then I found this carved wood mirror on Craigslist for a steal — $20. The existing finish was much too multicolored for me, though. You can’t tell in this picture, but the mirror was painted gold, then highlighted with magenta, splattered with black, smeared with a gray wash, and finally sprinkled with silver glitter. I kid you not. I think it looks much better painted solid black — and it was an easy fix. By the way, I scored that lattice bowl at a thrift store.

How to paint an ornate frame

SUPPLIES & TOOLS

old toothbrush
vacuum
rag or paper towels
painter’s tape
newspaper
spray paint

INSTRUCTIONS

Painter's tape along the outside edge of the mirror, photo

1. Whenever refinishing an old, ornate piece, you should clean it well. I scrubbed it with a dry toothbrush, vacuumed the dust, then rubbed it down with a damp rag.

2. Apply painter’s tape right against the inside edge of the frame.

3. Then tape newspaper down on top of that to cover the mirror.

4. Take the mirror outdoors to spray paint. Lay down newspaper underneath it, covering the surrounding area to protect from over-spray. Follow the instructions on the can of paint. You’ll need to spray a few coats at all different angles to cover completely.