Today I’m sharing how to create the look of a French Ornate wood carved Mirror for under $25 If you’re thinking this looks difficult, it’s really not!

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Here is a list of the products I used to make this with links to purchase.

Wilton  roses candy mold 

Wilton fondant cake mold 

plaster of paris

E-6000 glue

DIY Paint Letterpress grey

DIY Paint Vintage Linen

Dark and Decrepit Aging dust

 DIY Clear Wax

Silver Lining Metallic patina

Hot glue gun

This was surprisingly easy to do, it took some time though, to cover the entire mirror (15 hours) however you could simplify this project and just add a few to embellish furniture,or an accessory like candle sticks, a shelf, trash can… this method could be applied to so many things that wouldn’t be nearly as time consuming.

I found the mirror at my local thrift store and purchased the plaster and candy molds at a craft store, all of the supplies can be found on Amazon, the links are provided above.

I used DIY Paint, Silver Lining, wax and decrepit dust to create this finish, the dust is what made this look come to life! Often adding an aged look to white paint or a pale shade can be tricky, It’s  veryeasy to add to much dark wax or dark glaze and ruin your work. I love the dust because it is subtle and easy to wipe off the excess. IMO dust is a hidden treasure, a humble product that is often overlooked.

the hardest part about this project… getting a good photo, I took about a hundred shots, and never really captured how pretty it is IRL.  the detail shots show it off but the overall photo was hard to take, clutter kept showing up in the reflection and created a distraction, the video shows it off much better.

I created a DIY Plaster Pinterest board as there are many ways to do this, I choose plaster because the giant tub was $5 and it was the easiest to work with, you can also fill molds with wood putty, tile compound, hot glue paper clay and other mediums.This is the project taking shape before paint, patina wax and dust.

Many times with DIY, there are several things to work out, mistakes, trial and error.

I tried wood putty first because I wanted the mirror to be as strong as possible. The putty I used (shown in the video) did not dry after two days.  I don’t think it was made to be used in thick application. There was another type of putty that may have worked but I did not try it as it was really expensive.  Ultimately I went with the plaster, it is fragile, however a mirror does not get a lot of wear and tear. UPDATE:  I have had the mirror now for several months and the plaster is intact.

 

Pictured above are the reject roses, the plaster dries fast, be sure to have your molds ready and pour before it starts to set up or you will have roses that look like this.

The great thing about plaster is that it’s really affordable, so if you do what I did you will still have lots of product to work with.

The fun part started after all the roses were glued in place and the paint went on. I applied a layer of Letterpress Grey first and then Vintage Linen. 

After both colors dried, I distressed the color through with a damp cloth as shown in the video. the final step was to apply the clear wax, and work the aging dust in before the wax dried. I absolutely loved this part! this is super easy to do and it instantly transforms your paint finish! The dust gets in all the nooks and crannys without making the white paint too muddy or dirty looking. I love it, did I say that already?

 

I love how DIY paint can transform,  almost anything so easily! if you’re interested in trying some of the products I used, there are over 100 retailers stocking DIY paint in the US and Canada, click here find one near you or here to find out about becoming a retailer

If you try this please tag me so I can share your project!

Sincerely,

Debi