Who doesn’t love free stuff?  I get excited because this means my DIY projects are very inexpensive!!   I was given this mirror but I did not care for the gold color.  I decided to paint it to give it a complete new look.  Here is how it was before the transformation!

The first thing I did was put painter’s tape on the edge to make sure I don’t get paint on the mirror.  I did not have to sand it.  The material it is made from does not require sanding it first.  I knew by the feel that the paint would stick just fine.  Plus it will be hanging on my wall and not handled very much to get nicked up.

I love acrylic paint.  It’s amazing how much these paints can make a difference in my projects.  The great thing about paint is that you can always change it up every so many years if you get tired of that color.    Here is what I used.  I wanted to use a “Matte” finish for this mirror because I wanted to give it an old look.   Glossy paint is pretty but it makes the item look too new.

Here is the look with one coat of paint.

Here is the look with 5 coats of paint.  The amount of coats depends on the color and what the item is made out of.

Here is a close up.  I love the details on the mirror and it has texture!

Next, I used brown paint.  I put a small amount of paint on my brush.  I dabbed my brush on paper towel to make sure there wasn’t too much paint.  When I work with texture, I like to use very little paint on my brush so I can gently brush over it.

Here is how it looks!  I love the old look!

Here is the finished project!

 

I also did some candle holders the same way but did not get pictures as I was working on it.  I sanded the candle holders first to make sure the paint would stick.  Here is the after.  Sorry, I do not have the before pictures.

Here is another set of candle holders that I did.  I sanded them first.  I love the vibrant colors!!

Something I do is spray a finish on my paint to help protect it.  This is a clear acrylic sealer.    Again, I used the “Matte” finish.