Mercury Glass Tutorial

Hi everyone! This is the tutorial some of you have been waiting for! This tutorial is a simple method of taking any cheap glass vase, votive, or candlestick, and making it into a faux antique mercury glass piece. There are so many choices of clear glass vases at the dollar stores! Tons! For this tutorial you will need:

• Rustoleum ‘Mirror Effect‘ or Krylon “Looking Glass” spray paint.  Regular paint will not work
• Spray Bottle-Must have a mist spray  Not spray or Jet filled with water
• Newspaper, or something to protect your working surface.
• Paper towels
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Gloves
• And of course your glass piece (I found this one at the dollar store)

Step 1:

Be sure your glass piece is thoroughly cleaned inside and out. For a larger piece, where you can maneuver your hand inside the piece easily and spray, then you will spray inside piece. For smaller pieces, or for candle holders like I am doing ….I sprayed on the outside. There really is no difference in the  final result. 

I am using the Rustoleum Gold Mirror Effects on this one. I have done many silver ones but not the gold

Step 2

Be sure to shake the can well. Mist your piece with water….remember ..it must be a fine mist spray to work properly. You want small beads of water to form on the glass surface. Then quickly you follow with a light spray onto your piece with the Mirror Effect spray paint. The water droplets won’t let the paint adhere to those places, and that creates the old mottled Mercury glass finish. Do not worry if some of the spray paint and water run down the sides to the bottom, that’s normal.

Wait five minutes for the paint to dry , then very carefully dab away  any excess water and spray paint from the bottom with a paper towel, being careful not to hit the pieces sides. I’m spraying on the outside so I don’t have to do that step.

Step 3

I continued coating the piece first with a light mist spray of the water…then followed by a light spray of the paint.

I continued doing this with 3-5 coats until it has reached your desired appearance. Do not get discouraged. It won’t look it’s best till you have a few coats of each on the piece.

If your doing the insides of the glass, you can use some rubbing alcohol on a paper towel to carefully remove the over spray on the outside. Doing the outside of a piece like I’m doing..I didn’t have to worry about it. Look at the plastic the piece is sitting on. Pretty isn’t it…hmm…another idea is brewing.

What I noticed with this particular spray from Rustoleum….it’s not shiny like the silver ones I have done in the past. Very matte. Here are some others I have done in silver that came out wonderful!

Both these candlesticks were done in the silver on the outside.

This is a lamp that was done on the outside:

This one was done from the inside:

Have fun now creating your own faux mercury glass. the votive s look so pretty with a candle inside.

• For added protection add a thin coat of ultra cover 2x matte clear to the painted side
• For enhanced reflectivity, add a thick coat of ultra cover 2x flat black to the painted side. This gives you that blackened background

If you have any questions at all…don’t hesitate to ask. And…I would really love to see your creations when your finished…Thank you for looking!