A few people have asked where we got the mirror that is hanging up in the Barn, so we thought it would be a good idea to share details on how we made it.
We are trying to reuse and upcycle as much of the furniture and fittings as possible, so when we were looking for a mirror, I asked Jules if there was anything she could think of that she might have.
Her garden is a veritable treasure trove and it came up with goods. We found an old cold frame lid that used to belong to her mum. It had been outside for a long time and the bars were starting to come away from each other, so we had to carry it carefully. This was not a pristine item!
We started by giving the frame a really good rub.
Then washed and dried both sides of the glass.
When it was completely dry, we cracked out the mirror spray. The type we used was Krylon Looking Glass Spray. It is quite difficult to get hold of, and think I bought it on eBay (it was sitting in my cupboard as I had bought it for a previous upcycle, but changed my mind in the end so never used it.)
You are much better off doing 3-4 thin layers of paint, rather than trying to complete the job with 2. If you spray on too much the paint just pools.
Spray on the back of the cold frame, so before you spray, have a look at which the side you want to be the front.
Leave a couple of minutes between each coat of paint to let it dry fully before the next layer.
And that is it! From start to finish, making this mirror took less than an hour.
As the frame is quite fragile, we drilled and screwed through it to it firmly attach it to the wall, but if your frame is more sturdy there is nothing to stop you using it as a freestanding mirror, or just put hooks on the back to hang it on the wall.
What do you think? Jules loves it! Feels like a wee bit of mum has come to The Barn with us :)