How To Paint An Old Mirror

When Pete was packing to move, he asked if I want him to take this large cast iron mirror or if he should leave it behind.

The mirror was gorgeous and I used it every morning when I slept at his place, so I grew attached to it. The problem was it was painted white ages ago and never taken care of. So the paint was chipping and you could see the metal (and maybe rust?) in places. I told him to take it and I would eventually repaint it to match our new home.

I read in a magazine that you should have a main color theme and that color should resonate in small pieces through the home. Our main color in the apartment (when I painted this mirror) was purple, and I actually continued that when we bought our house. That was good because it meant I didn’t have to repaint this mirror again.

How To Paint An Old Mirror

What You’ll Need:

• Mirror
• Acrylic paint (choose a glossy or pearl, not a matte)
• Painter’s tape
• Sheets of newspaper
• Paper plate
• Foam brush

What You’ll Do:

Lay the mirror on top of the newspaper (to save your carpet) and affix painter’s tape around the entire border of the mirror. Make sure to be very careful with this as you need it to go up to the very edge of the metal — but not over it. You will end up with either paint on the mirror or gaps on the metal, depending on which way your tape is slacking.

Cover the entire mirror at once. You don’t want to go section by section because that is a pain in the neck. Don’t worry if the tape has air bubbles in it. Those won’t affect your finished product.

Squirt paint onto the paper plate and then begin painting. I used a foam brush because it won’t leave brush strokes when it dries.

Paint the mirror and let it dry completely. Then, paint a second coat. Depending on the color, you might be able to get away with a second coat — or you might need a third coat. I was good with two.

Flip the mirror over and follow the same instructions (tape, paint, let it dry, repaint) for the back.

When the mirror is completely dry, remove the tape.

Hang it on the wall and you are done.

This project was seriously so easy and a relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Plus, the mirror looks amazing now, and that is the most important part.