Learn how to create a DIY antique mirror from glass! This tutorial will teach you how to get that antique mirror look with just vinegar! And you don’t even need to buy a mirror.

This just might be one of my favorite DIY projects ever. Does it seem like I always say that? 🙂 But seriously! This project is so budget-friendly but doesn’t look that way at all.

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If you are into those beautiful antique mirrors, then you will love this project. The real vintage mirrors can be quite pricey, so this a good lookalike version for not a lot of money. And don’t worry, this DIY won’t hurt the glass or damage the frame. The technique is somewhat similar to the mercury glass candle holders I made.

In this post, I’ll show you how to take a cheap frame and turn it into a beautiful aged mirror. This tutorial uses a bit of vinegar and some spray paint. That’s it!

And you can use any type of frame to do this; whether you have one from Target, IKEA, or even a thrifted frame (which is what I used). You guys know how much I love to thrift.

DIy Aged Mirror Tutorial - take any frame and turn it into a beautiful antique mirror!

I very rarely look at the artwork when I’m thrifting. It’s mainly the frames that catch my eye. I snatched up this antique gold frame for only $6! And then I just removed the artwork inside. If you don’t have a gold frame, but you want one, you can always antique one yourself.

You’ll also love this post: How to Make Any Vase Look Old

So let’s get started with this awesome little DIY.

DIY Antique Mirror Instructions

Things You’ll Need

Frame with Glass
Paper towels
Vinegar in a spray bottle
Flat Black Spray Paint
Mirror Spray Paint (Krylon Looking Glass)

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I made a quick video of this DIY and found it much easier to watch – so be sure to check it out to see this in action.

How to create a DIY Antique Mirror from a cheap frame with vinegar and spray paint.

Total Time: 2 hours

Remove Glass from Frame

Carefully remove the glass from your frame. I gave the glass a good cleaning with a wet paper towel and let it dry. I laid the glass on a plastic bag to contain the mess.
Spray Vinegar on Glass

Spray vinegar on the glass until you see a mix of big and little droplets. If you sprayed too much, you can wipe it up and start over. You want the vinegar spray to look casual and random.
Spray Looking Glass Over Vinegar

Immediately after applying the vinegar, spray paint with the Mirror Spray directly on top of the vinegar spray.
Blot Paint with Paper Towel

You’ll start to see the mirror paint dry and become more reflective. At this point, take a paper towel and blot some of the vinegar drops. This will remove some of the mirror paint from those areas – creating a blotchy look. You can repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 until you have exactly the look you want!
Spray Paint Glass Black

After the mirror paint has dried (I gave it 30 minutes), spray paint the glass black (directly on top of the mirror paint.) This is going to give those little blotchy areas a dark, aged look. Allow the black spray paint to dry completely.
Place Antique Glass Back in Frame

Final step! Place your beautiful aged glass back into the frame and hang it up!

This is a great way to put those old frames you have hanging around to good use. You could also buy a bunch of little frames and create a gallery wall of aged mirrors. So cool!