Vintage Mirror Redo, Before and After

Welcome to Throw Back Thursday!  I was going back through all my DIY projects and updating them when I realized that most of you probably never saw them the first time around.  I’ve been blogging since 2006 and doing craft and DIY projects my whole life so I have a lot of old projects still hanging around.  I thought I’d do a simple “Throw Back Thursday” series, at least through the summer, so you can see some of the best (and WORST) of my DIY projects over the years.  We’re starting today with this vintage mirror makeover.  

I saw this huge vintage mirror even before I pulled into the parking lot of the thrift store.  It was a little hard to ignore.  Like I said, it was huge… and heavy.

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Vintage Mirror Makeover

I loved this big mirror but I passed on it the first day I saw it at the thrift store.  After all, my space at Room With a Past was only a shelf.  I had no wall space to display anything.  But when it was there a few days later and the price was 50% off (which made it $7.00!) I decided I should get it and haul it to one of the flea markets I had scheduled.

It sat on our landing for a few weeks before I decided what color it should be… CeCe Caldwell’s Vintage White.

First, I just cleaned it off with some Windex and a soft rag.  Then I gave it a couple of coats of CeCe’s chalk type paint.  This paint doesn’t need any other prep.  

When the paint dried I wet distressed it with a wet rag and finished it with Minwax Polycrylic.  (I was too lazy to wax that day.)

Just in case you haven’t used chalk-type paint yet, it MUST be finished with either a wax or varnish.  Otherwise the paint will continue to rub off.

Then we hauled it up to Redding for the Roses and Rust Vintage Market.  I’m glad we did ’cause that skinny little booth needed a mirror at the back.  (Read about the terrible decision we made our first time at Roses and Rust HERE.)

I wish we’d had something even bigger for the back wall… maybe next time.  And I was even more glad when it sold.  We didn’t want to haul it back.  And the big guy that took it off said, “No, it’s not heavy at all.”  OK, so I’m a wimp…

If you liked this vintage mirror project, check out these, too:

• How to Frame a Bathroom Mirror
• Vintage Plastic Mirror Makeover
• The Easiest Way to Decorate a Mirror
• 34 Gorgeous Mirror Makeover Ideas

‘Til the next project,

 Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim

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nfdone Originally published April 17, 2014.  We share at these blog parties.