Making faux mercury glass with “looking glass” mirror paint

I have found my new favorite paint! Krylon Looking Glass spray paint. This stuff is like magic. You can actually create a mirror-like finish! I had no idea mirror paint even existed until I saw this idea in this Budget Living book (which, by the way, is a great little deco book, even if it is a few years old).

It’s a little pricey, but I used a 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby which made it about $7 for a can.

I took some pieces of clear glassware that were languishing in a box in the basement. A couple were candle jars that had been used up long ago. Sometimes I wonder why I hold onto this stuff, but then I end up using things for a project like this and it bolsters my inner hoarder.

I masked off the outside of the glassware with some painters tape and paper.

Then I sprayed the inside of the vases with two coats. The paint is very, very thin (and, incidentally, smells exactly like nail polish). After I sprayed, it quickly ran down the inside walls of the glassware and collected in the bottom.

I tried to swish it around to cover the glass and that worked somewhat, but you can sort of see how uneven the paint dried. It contributes to the “antique” effect, but additional coats might even that out.

I thought I was going to have to do some antiquing with black paint or the like on the inside before spraying with the mirror paint, but after my initial piece, I decided that wasn’t necessary. Lovely speckling.

Because I only gave mine two coats, they look a little transparent when the light shines through. But from the outside, it’s very reflective and fairly opaque.

I had less success with the small bud vase. Because the neck was so narrow, it was really hard to spray inside. But even the very thin coat still produces a reflection.

The shade is more of a deep platinum than a bright shiny silver, but I like that. I can’t wait to experiment on a flat piece of glass to see how that works. I imagine it will be easier to get a more even finish.

See more looking glass paint projects >>