Mirror Flip...but Antiqued!

Paint one coat of One Step Paint on your mirror. Once the paint is dry, using a small brush apply the Gilding Size wherever you would like to place the Silver Leaf. If you are working with a large piece of furniture, Gild small sections at a time so that the Gilding Size doesn't dry before you are able to put the leaf on it. Once you have put Gilding Size on your piece wait for it to come to tack (very sticky / not completely dry). This takes about 10-15 minutes. You can tell the Size has come to tack when you touch it and the skin of your finger comes away with some resistance.

Step Two

Once the Size comes to tack, open your leaf booklet and peel back the first tissue. Hold it by the spine of the booklet with your hands on the tissue, not the leaf. Lay the leaf face down on the area of the mirror that you put the Gliding Size on. Burnish (rub) in one direction with your hand while the booklet is still on the leaf you just laid. Remove the booklet and repeat if the section was not completely covered. Take a Chip Brush and smooth in the same direction as you burnished to take away excess leaf. After the larger chunks of leaf are detached you can rub a little more vigorously with the Chip Brush to remove smaller sections of the leaf in the details.

Step Three

Take the Cracked Gesso and put some of the powder into your disposable cup. Add warm tap water until the mixture is the consistency of sour cream. Once you have reached your desired texture take a Sea Wool Sponge, dip it into the Cracked Gesso mixture and dab it onto the mirror. Cracked Gesso dries with a texture and is very hard. Once it has dried, lightly sand the textured areas to smooth it out a little without taking off the texture. Making sure it's not rough or sharp.

Step Four

Grab another disposable cup and add in the Scandinavian Grey Milk Paint powder, add warm tap water and mix. You will need 1:1 of Milk Paint to water. Follow the same steps for the Central Park Milk Paint. Use a damp Sea Wool Sponge to apply the Scandinavian Grey Milk Paint to the mirror. Take the sponge and saturate it into the Scandinavian Grey Milk Paint. Begin applying the Milk Paint by dabbing the sponge on the mirror and providing complete coverage, do your best to avoid puddles. Following the same steps above, prepare the Central Park Milk Paint. With one of the art brushes apply Central park paint to the background of the mirror, highlighting the carving.

Step Five

Pour the Antiquing glaze in a cup and dip the damp Sea Wool Sponge into the cup. Continue to dab sponge on mirror with the glaze pulling off as much or as little paint as you want to expose the Cracked Gesso and Silver Leaf. Give time for the Central Park Milk Paint and the Antiquing Glaze to dry.

Step Six

Once the Milk Paint and Antiquing Glaze have dried bring out the Light wax, Dark wax, and Dust Of Ages. Make sure to have a separate clean Chip Brush for each one. Start with the light wax and a piece of cardboard. Load up the brush so its full then off load on the cardboard so there aren't any clumps. Carefully and lightly add the Light Wax everywhere. When done buff it with a soft clean rag to a soft sheen. Allow Light Wax to come to tack then add the Dark Wax. You want 10-20% Dark Wax in your piece. With a clean brush load up on the Dark Wax then off load as you did with the Light wax. Start on the corners and edges and carefully and lightly add the Dark Wax. Take the Dust Of Ages container and pour some out onto the cardboard. Dip your Chip Brush into the dust and go over your piece. Add it mainly in areas where dust would accumulate. Take a soft clean rag and buff it one last time.

Step 7

Now you have a beautiful antique mirror and you can Enjoy the Bragging Rights! 

For more project ideas, techniques, and products, visit Amy Howard at Home and the AHAH Blog.