A Beautiful Reflection of You

by Nicole Frances

6 Materials

$25

3 Days

Easy

Giving Life to an Old Mirror

Removal of Old paint

Buying an old mirror can be a bit of a gamble, but with a little elbow grease and patience an old mirror can have a fantastic new life ahead.

I first removed all of the brass hardware from the mirror.
I took the old mirror and tried to sand it with a palm sander. This process took quite a long time so I decided that I would just use some paint remover. This step also took a bit of time but it allowed me to get into the grooves of the wood easier.
Using a paint remover I used gloves and an old rag. I generously applied the solution and waited the instructed time for each application.
I used a paint scraper and moved in the direction of the grain pulling off all traces of paint.

Paint remover

The next logical step was to check the mirror for any areas that may need sanding. I used a 220 sand paper and just lightly went over the whole mirror to make sure that there wasn't any wood that was frayed or leaving any slivers.
Once this was done, I wiped the whole mirror down in warm water and let dry before doing anything else. This gave me a clean work surface.

Clean Work Surface

I had decided that I would stain the mirror in a darker walnut color. This color will accent nicely with our soon to be overhauled bathroom. I really didn't want to use chalk or mineral paint over top such a nice piece of wood. I wanted some of the wood grain to pull through.
Using a lint free rag and wearing gloves, I lightly gave the mirror its first coat of stain. I made sure to get into every corner and into every area. I waited approx. 4-5 hrs to apply the second coat. This went on a little darker than the first. I had intended for the color to darken as I went along.
I left the mirror to dry overnight.

Coat of Bees Wax

Once the stain dried overnight I applied the Beeswax using a pair of gloves and a lint free rag. Moving in small areas the Beeswax was applied and then within 10 minutes using another lint free rag, I began to wipe and buff the wax. I didn't want much of a shine.
The brass hardware was reattached and the mirror was ready for hanging.

Ready to hang

Finished

Complete! The mirror was wiped clean and hung on the bathroom wall.

You can do it! Saved to your projects

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