I wanted to share some DIY mercury glass projects.
I have coveted these pedestal plates from Ballard Designs for awhile but didn’t want to open up my wallet for them.
So….one day at the Dollar Tree I spotted this bowl & thought this would be perfect to knock off the pedestal mercury bowls from Ballard.
I bought all the glass at the dollar tree plus I had a couple glass votive holders in my stash.
I glued the candlesticks to the bowls with e6000 {just like I shared for my pedestal plates here}.
Then I used the vinegar|water mixture with the looking glass spray technique to create my faux mercury glass.
There’s a gazillion tutorials throughout cyberspace {yes, that’s an actual #}.
Basically you spray the items with the looking glass mixture, allowing a bit of drying time, and then spray with the 50-50 mixture of water & vinegar which you then dab with a paper towel to reach the desired effect you desire.
I’m super happy with the results I achieved considering the price tag.
All the materials together, glassware, adhesive, and looking glass spray, cost less than one of the items from Ballard.
I’ve wanted to share these for awhile now but haven’t had the opportunity.
I love how they looked with my new, vintage looking ornaments I found at Marshalls.
They blend right in with my real mercury glass.
These will be fun to use for vignettes, tablescapes, entertaining, etc. so you’ll be seeing plenty of them throughout 2016.
Right now they grace my peaceful winter mantle.
The most important pearls of wisdom I took away from this exercise are:
1. Textured glass works much better than solid glass since the relief in the labored glass holds the spray paint but the solid glass allows for runs.
2. It requires many, many coats; I did about 5 coats the 1st day & 2-3 more the following day after it completely dried & cured.
happy diying !
sharing @:
saturday sparks @ pieced pastimes
feathered nest friday @ french country cottage
morning cup of joe @ the cottage market
simple & sweet friday @ rooted in thyme
friday features @ oh my heartsie girl
sabbilicious friday @ shabby art boutique
friday’s five features @ diy vintage chic
bouquet of talent @ life on lakeshore drive
sundays at home @ love of home
amaze me monday @ dwellings-the heart of your home
motivate me monday @ keeping it simple
show & share @ coastal charm
stta @ karen’s up on the hill
metamorphis monday @ between naps on the porch
creative corner @ curly crafty mom
motivation monday @ a life in balance
the scoop @ stonegable
make it pretty monday @ the dedicated house
inspire me monday @ my uncommon slice of suburbia
inspire me tuesday @ a stroll thru life
tweak it tuesday @ cozy little house
the inspiration board @ homework
be inspired @ elizabeth & co.
winter blues wednesday @ diy by design
wordless wednesday @ oh my heartsie girl
wow us wednesday @ savvy southern style
wake up wednesday @ god’s growing garden
what’s it wednesday @ ivy & elephants
vintage charm @ charm bracelet diva
home & garden thursday @ a delightsome life
syc @ have a daily cup of mrs. olson
diy like a boss @ table & hearth
home sweet home @ the charm of home
pinworthy projects @ just us 4
These turned out so beautiful and I love that it was a simple technique that you used to make dollar store items pretty!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
thanks for dropping by & leaving a sweet comment carrie! xo- mj
So gorgeous! I had no idea you could make your own. Thanks for the tips.
What a great project I love the way they turned out!
They look amazing MaryJo. Thanks for the tutorial and for linking up at Shabbilicious Friday. I’ll be featuring this project at the party tomorrow. Hugs ~ Kerryanne
thanks sandra! xo- maryjo
thanks SO much kerryanne! you just made my day. xo- maryjo
So pretty thanks for sharing on Have a Daily Cup Of Mrs. Olson.
thanks heather. i love the new syc! xo- maryjo
Good Evening MaryJo, My word, what a brilliant idea. I love mercury glass and it can be a little expensive, so I am going to be trying your idea. I have some glass bowls and candle holders which I can use… I am keeping my fingers crossed that mine turn out as well as yours.
Best wishes
Daphne
Very cool…and what a fun way to make some display pieces. Thanks for sharing and the simple tutorial…I have never tried that …but will, Sandi
i’m so glad i’ve inspired you to give this a try. if you have any questions please let me know & i’d be happy to help. good luck! xo- mj
hi sandi- if you love mercury glass as much as the rest of us do then this will be a fun project. let me know if you need any help. good luck. xo- mj
Mary Jo, they turned out gorgeous! I would never have known that they were faux. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
They look so professional, Mary Jo! I love Ballard Designs, how did I miss these pedestals lol? I did a DIY mercury glass project a few Christmases ago and it was a bear of a project (so true about the running) but in the end it was worth it. I saved a ton and like yours, it could pass for real mercury glass. Yours look perfect on that mantel. Thanks for joining in over at Vintage Charm, we can’t wait to see what you have in store for us this Thursday! Have a great week! xo Kathleen Charm Bracelet Diva {At Home}
I love mercury glass but not its price! I’ve tried some of those gazillion tutorials with little success but I won’t give up. You say you did about 7-8 coats? So if I understand correctly, you sprayed mirror + allowing time to dry + vinegar/water, and repeated for about 7-8 times? Were the coats of spray paint light or thick?
Sorry for so many questions!!
These are absolutely beautiful! Featured at Be Inspired this morning. Thanks so much for sharing!
These are absolutely beautiful! Featured at Be Inspired this morning. Thanks so much for sharing!
These are absolutely beautiful! Featured at Be Inspired this morning. Thanks so much for sharing!
These are absolutely beautiful! Featured at Be Inspired this morning. Thanks so much for sharing!
These are absolutely beautiful! Featured at Be Inspired this morning. Thanks so much for sharing!
These are absolutely beautiful! Featured at Be Inspired this morning. Thanks so much for sharing!
These are absolutely beautiful! Featured at Be Inspired this morning. Thanks so much for sharing!
These are absolutely beautiful! Featured at Be Inspired this morning. Thanks so much for sharing!
These are absolutely beautiful! Featured at Be Inspired this morning. Thanks so much for sharing!
I love how that paint works to transform the glass. I haven’t found it but if I do I will get some! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!
thanks jann! that’s fabulous to hear. {and i guess, the idea, lol}. i wasn’t so sure as i was doing it but it ended up ok. xo- mj
thanks kathleen. love joining your parties every week. xo- mj
hi pili- so i didn’t wait that long between coats for drying actually. i assembly-lined it so by the time i was done spraying down the line i could start at the beginning again w/ the other medium. the coats of paint were not thick per se but i allowed for full coverage. hope that makes sense & helps. don’t worry about asking too many questions, i’m happy to help! let me know how it goes. xo- mj
thanks so much for the feature sharon! so fun. xo- mj
hi sherry- i found it at a local craft store ‘cuz i wanted to use a 50% coupon i had, but i’m pretty sure michaels & hobby lobby carry it as well. good luck! xo- mj
thanks robin. let me know how it goes if you give it a try. xo- mj