How to Gild a Mirror {Solid Gold, Baby!}

Ever have that moment while thrift store shopping when the world seems to stop spinning and you get tunnel vision and you may or may not have knocked 12 people out of the way on your way to grab a treasure?  Anyone?  No?  Anywho, that’s what happened a few weeks ago when I spotted a vintage Hollywood Regency style faux bamboo octagonal gold mirror sitting at my local thrift.  Which is a mouthful, so perhaps I’d better show you what I’m talking about before I get on with the how-to of how to gild a mirror for those gold decor fans out there:

You may have seen that pic on Instagram, where I often beg you for thrift store advice.   The best part, aside from the faux bamboo and gold tone?  It cost $7.50!  Actually, it cost $10 but I used a thrift store coupon for 25% off.  I couldn’t resist that coupon.

Here’s the kicker: I scoped them out on Etsy, and mirrors in this style range between $200-$300.  WOOT!  Take THAT, doubting husband!  Mama’s making BANK!  Since it was a vintage mirror, there was some dirt and dust in all those nooks.  Windex and some paper towels took care of that.

What Windex couldn’t fix were the black splatters all over the gold.  It kills me that this was a ‘style’.  Every time I see vintage gold toned items they are speckled with black, like my preschooler or Jackson Pollack got their hand on some black paint and went nuts.

I needed to decide how to get rid of those splatters.  There are basically three options for getting a gold toned, gilded look: spray paint, gold leaf, or gilding paint.  I couldn’t fathom all the taping this mirror would require if I spray painted it.  As for the gold leaf, I didn’t love the ‘leafed’ look and it’s a two step process {too fussy for this lady!}  Which left gilding paint.  I found this one at Michaels.

After stirring up the paint, I dipped in a soft paintbrush, held my breath, and applied it.  Here’s the crazy part: I’m am the world’s messiest painter.  I’m terrible at it.  I don’t have patience or a steady hand.  But even I was able to apply this paint without using tape.  It went on very smoothly.  First I painted the inner octagon and spokes, and then the outer octagon.

Since the antique mirror was already gold toned, I only needed one coat of the gilding paint.  Hint: the paint does smell strong, so if possible paint outside. Optional: then let it dry in the sunshine, to soak up the happy rays.

And now?  Now this baby SHINES.  She’s solid gold, baby!  {and the mirror IS a ‘she’, right?  anything this glitzy and blinged out must be a ‘she’!}  She’s hanging in my entryway, part of a master plan to bring more light into our hallway with a mirror wall.

I hope to get her other mirror friends hung up on the wall this weekend.  Let there be light!  And mirrors.

Sigh.  Who knew I’d fall back in love with gold?

Case in point: look what I found at the Habitat ReStore yesterday.  A gorgeous Greek Key-ish gold toned side table.  WITH UGLY BLACK SPLATTERS on the metal.  Time to gild it.  GILD IT GOOD.

And pssssst: if you’re looking for another easy DIY gold project, check out this 15-minute faux bois painted tray.

So that’s how to gild a mirror– or furniture, or a frame, or most non-porous decor pieces actually.  Even if a gold mirror isn’t high on your ‘want’ list, but you love gold decor, then grab a paintbrush and take a deep breath– and gild it, baby!  Mirror wall coming soon, I hope.  Now, where’s my solid gold dancers when I need them?

{Linking up with: Not Just a Housewife |  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia | Home Stories A to Z |Domestically Speaking }