You know those "Do it Yourself" tutorials you see on Pinterest - the ones that tell you how to make your own Mercury Glass? They make it seem like a piece of cake? I am here to tell you that for some of us, it is not a piece of cake! I consider myself kind of handy - I'm not totally unfortunate when it comes to "DIY" projects. I failed on this one but I still like the way it turned out! So, my tutorial is for those people who fret when it doesn't work the "right" way. There's still hope!
I purchased a red painted glass bowl from the Goodwill. The paint was scratched and missing on much of the inside. I decided it would be fun to make my own Mercury Glass Bowl using this discarded bowl and following this tutorial from Pinterest on Making Mercury Glass the "right" way! I purchased some Krylon Looking Glass spray paint and began my project - only for me, the paint was not covering, it was running, streaking and simply not cooperating. The "right" way calls for spraying a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar over the paint after it dries and then dabbing it with a paper towel. Ugh! It wasn't working! I had made too much of a streaky, runny mess! At this point, I must confess, I was ready to throw my $1.99 bowl away. But after spending $9 on the paint, I wasn't about to give up. Losing $1.99 is no big deal but make that $10.99 and I draw the line! I decided the vinegar/water combo wasn't strong enough for the mess I had made. I used pure Acetone (nail polish remover) mixed 50/50 with water and it worked. I sprayed the acetone/water mixture on a paper towel (and added some salt to make it a little gritty) to dissolve the globs of runny and streaked paint. Then I sprayed the acetone/water mixture and dabbed it all over. I painted the whole bowl again with a thin coat of the Krylon Looking Glass paint and sprinkled it with art glitter. I filled the bowl with pinecones, cinnamon sticks and dried apple slices. I then finished it off with a little filigree of lace, ribbons, vintage millinery flowers and a vintage rhinestone earring. Even though it's not the way it's supposed to be, I like the way my Mercury Glass bowl turned out!
I hope if you've tried and failed the "right" way, you'll give it another go! I'm happy I did!
Hugs & Blessings,
Janice
Supplies:
Krylon Looking Glass Spray Paint
Acetone Nail Polish Remover
Salt
Water
Spray Bottle
Paper Towels
Art Glitter
I purchased a red painted glass bowl from the Goodwill. The paint was scratched and missing on much of the inside. I decided it would be fun to make my own Mercury Glass Bowl using this discarded bowl and following this tutorial from Pinterest on Making Mercury Glass the "right" way! I purchased some Krylon Looking Glass spray paint and began my project - only for me, the paint was not covering, it was running, streaking and simply not cooperating. The "right" way calls for spraying a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar over the paint after it dries and then dabbing it with a paper towel. Ugh! It wasn't working! I had made too much of a streaky, runny mess! At this point, I must confess, I was ready to throw my $1.99 bowl away. But after spending $9 on the paint, I wasn't about to give up. Losing $1.99 is no big deal but make that $10.99 and I draw the line! I decided the vinegar/water combo wasn't strong enough for the mess I had made. I used pure Acetone (nail polish remover) mixed 50/50 with water and it worked. I sprayed the acetone/water mixture on a paper towel (and added some salt to make it a little gritty) to dissolve the globs of runny and streaked paint. Then I sprayed the acetone/water mixture and dabbed it all over. I painted the whole bowl again with a thin coat of the Krylon Looking Glass paint and sprinkled it with art glitter. I filled the bowl with pinecones, cinnamon sticks and dried apple slices. I then finished it off with a little filigree of lace, ribbons, vintage millinery flowers and a vintage rhinestone earring. Even though it's not the way it's supposed to be, I like the way my Mercury Glass bowl turned out!
I hope if you've tried and failed the "right" way, you'll give it another go! I'm happy I did!
Hugs & Blessings,
Janice
Supplies:
Krylon Looking Glass Spray Paint
Acetone Nail Polish Remover
Salt
Water
Spray Bottle
Paper Towels
Art Glitter
Finished Bowl
Supplies
Beginning Bowl
Make Sure to Paint Outdoors - the Paint has Strong Fumes
Almost There!
The Inside
Glad I Didn't Give up ...
My second attempt!
I've also added a tutorial on how to make the
Tim Holtz Jumbo Tattered Flowers
My second attempt!
I've also added a tutorial on how to make the
Tim Holtz Jumbo Tattered Flowers
HAVE FUN!
ha ha Janice I loved this post. Your bowl looks fantastic. Some times gems are born out of mistakes.
ReplyDeleteHugs Kay
Thank you, Kay! Isn't that the truth about mistakes?! I'm happy you like my mistake!
DeleteThis really turned out beautifully.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Joanne. I've been having so much fun playing with discarded glass that I find at the Goodwill!
Delete