I am so, so excited to offer this to you today. You would not believe the trial and error that has gone into this DIY mercury glass technique. I could open a small paint store with all of the products that I have purchased and tried to create this amazing looking glass.
I have always LOVED mercury glass and I am one of those people every year who is out the day after Christmas purchasing what is left of the spectacular and very expensive mercury glass ornaments to add to my collection for the next Christmas. However this year is different. I was inspired by Pottery Barns giant orbs. (The one I had my eye on was $56 dollars) Somehow while I was out thrifting, a little light literally went on in my head, while I was looking at all of the old light fixtures. No pun intended. I knew these would make the perfect D I Y orb for me.
and also here are some detailed instructions:
First things first make sure you wash all glass with soap and water.
Use Deco art glass conditioner only in spots on your glass. ( I used a natural sea sponge and just dabbed it randomly)
Then cover the exterior of the glass to get it ready to spray. You only are going to be spraying the inside of the container at this point.
Because of the random application of conditioner you should have a mottled looking and irregular looking paint job.
*****IMPORTANT*******
with this step do NOT paint over and over you want this light and also done in one quick swoop. If you over paint it will then become too opaque and it will look like overpainted diy glass. We are trying to trick people remember.
Also the product that needs to be used is KRYLON looking glass. (Looking glass is the color)
I tried many a silvers and many a brands. This is hands down the BEST and most authentic looking by far.
It can be purchased at Wal-mart, Lowes, and Jo Anns.
Trust me on this, this is why I said I could open my own little paint depot. Lots of paint in the old garage.
Moving on............
After the little whisp of paint you are going to let it cure. Maybe 10 minutes or so.
The next step is to add Liquid Silver Agent. I purchased this at my local JoAnn's. It retails for about $5.
I pour a very small amount in and begin turning the glass or rolling it back and forth. This will create depth and further spotting in the glass. (Another look of professional mercury glass) As soon as you have rolled the agent around take 100% isopropyl alcohol and lightly mist inside container. I then prefer to use an old plastic grocery bag crinkled up to dab and take off any excess paint. Last of all make sure to tip your vessel over and allow to fully dry. I recommend several hours without picking up over and over to prevent rolling drip marks.
There you have it. I would love to see any of your finished products.
Wishing you many a happy glass projects to you this Holiday.
xxx,
The Quirky Sophisticate
