DIY Mercury Glass Tutorial

This diy mercury glass tutorial is a fun way to change up items around your home or thrifted purchases. I’m sharing my step-by step tutorial to achieve the mercury glass look!

Upcycle boring old glass into gorgeous mercury glass with this easy tutorial

I recently had to try my hand at the Krylon Looking Glass spray paint that’s become so popular… and I love the result.

DIY mercury glass tutorial

I have loved the mercury glass knobs I added to my red dresser, the way they are both modern in their glam and antique in their texture, and I was excited about the possibility of being able to turn clear glass into something more interesting. All you need for the diy mercury glass look is:

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Here are my vases before – both cheap and simple:

How to give vases a mercury glass look:

 
Step 1: Clean the vases
Step 2: Lightly mist interior of vase with spray paint
 
Step 3: Lightly spritz with vinegar water solution
 
Step 4: Let dry… repeat as desired (I did 3 coats)
 
That’s it! Now a few notes for you… First, I don’t think I cleaned my vases well enough. Oops! I can see some funny residue under the paint in one of them (just under the twine below). It certainly didn’t ruin the vase, but please learn from my mistake!
Second, when I say lightly, I mean lightly. If you overdo it, you’ll end up with a mess like I had:
Fortunately, that didn’t seem to ruin the vase either, I’m happy to say! But if you hold it up to the light, you can still see some strange drips inside. Just take it easy on the spray; the stuff is very runny. However, be sure to spray the vinegar on almost immediately after spraying the paint if you want a significant mottled effect (like mercury glass) because if you are spraying very light coats, they will dry in a matter of minutes. I actually would have been happier with more mottling.
In the end, though, for less than $5, I’m happy to repurpose some of my unused glass items. Plus, I now have the skills to complete another project I’m really excited about for my poor guest room. Stay tuned for that one. I also like the versatility of these vases. I added twine and put roses from our garden in one…
and a candle in the other (though it’s hard to tell from this picture), which was beautiful coming through the spotty glass.
One little tip: the can says not to put live plants in a vase with the paint, so I came up with a solution: Insert a small mason jar to hold water for fresh flowers.
And have been so pleased with the result!
I hope you find this helpful… Have any of you tried to a diy mercury glass look with this paint or other techniques?
This diy mercury glass tutorial is a fun way to change up items around your home or thrifted purchases. I'm sharing my step-by step tutorial to achieve the mercury glass look! #mercuryglass #diydecor #diymercuryglass #upcycle #vaseupcycle #diyvase

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21 Comments

  1. I just recently played with this paint and loved it too! Your vases turned out great! Such a fun transformation.

  2. So pretty – thanks for sharing this. I had never even heard of this kind of paint. You did a fantastic job!

    1. Thank you so much! I’m so glad you liked it. I’d love to see what you do if you try it. 🙂

  3. Both pieces are wonderful. I still need to try this, your did an amazing job. Thanks for joining Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty

  4. Love mercury glass, so want to try to make my own! Yours turned out amazing, thanks for the tips, very helpful! I’m visiting from Elana Maria’s party, have enjoyed browsing thru.
    Rebecca

    1. I’m so glad you liked it, Rebecca! I, too, am obviously a fan of the mercury glass… but so much more fun to do it myself and cheap!!

  5. Great idea about spraying the looking glass with the vinegar and water. I have done bottles with just the mirror spray but did not get as much mottling as I wanted so your tips will help me in the future!

  6. I’ve struggled with trying to create a mercury glass look before… this looks very good! Thanks so much for sharing on Project Inspire{d} this week!

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