For the winter, I really wanted a mercury glass or antiqued mirror for our mantle, but I couldn’t find any in a wood frame that I liked, in the size that I wanted. A few quick searches online yielded plenty of DIYs that were just the solution I needed! We used the method provided by Rustoleum.

Here’s how we made our mirror:

We bought a clear pane of glass from the hardware store– they have a few size options, and luckily one fit the bill.

Spraypaint your pane of clear glass with Rustoleum Mirror Effect.

When the paint is still wet, use a spray bottle to spritz vinegar onto the glass. Spray where/how much you’d like.

Blot with paper towel. Continue these steps until it is antiqued to your liking.

When dry, spraypaint with a darker color (this way the distressed parts show through darker on the front side of the mirror.) We used a brown that we had on hand.

For the frame, we simply cut pine boards to size. We created a bevel so the mirror would fit snugly inside the notch and used mirror clips to secure everything in place.

We used the Kreg Jig and wood glue to attach the boards.

Use any stain you’d like to finish it off- we used a mix of Early American and Provincial because we had some from previous projects.

I love how my magnolia leaf looks hanging on the mirror!