The Greatest Love of All: Etch a Message on Your Mirror
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Mirror, mirror, on the wall...
Posted by ReadyMade
Project by Adrian Van Allen; photo by NIna Belisso
The romantic luster of an antique silver mirror, reflecting your image in a soft, gossamer light, is better than any wrinkle cream. Martha suggests painting silver leaf on sheets of glass and hanging them from satin ribbons to create that faux-antique look. We at ReadyMade are inclined to promote a more modern message—something that accurately reflects our self-obsessed, navel-gazing age. With that in mind, we submit to you the LOVE THYSELF mirror. Affix an affirmative message to the surface using one of these easy methods and you’ll never need to buy O, the Oprah Magazine again.
Skill Level
Hard
Active Time
One day
Cost
$
- Picture frame with glass
- Mirror, cut to fit the frame
- Self-stick vinyl letters or word printed on clear acetate
- Glass-etching paste (available at craft stores)
Materials
- Glass cleaner
- Paper towels
- Blue masking tape
- Ruler
- X-acto knife
- Spoon
- Rubber gloves
- Laser or ink-jet printer (if using acetate)
Tools
Pick a word or phrase to etch on the mirror.
Take the glass out of the picture frame and clean it well. Wipe it dry and cover one side with overlapping strips of blue tape.
Use a ruler to center your word, affixing the vinyl lettering directly on top of the tape. Alternatively, you can place the acetate on top of the tape and use that as the template.
Use the X-acto knife to carefully cut out the letters, making sure you cut through the blue tape underneath. You are using the vinyl letters (or acetate) as a template to cut out a stencil.
Once the mirror is exposed through your neatly excised letter holes, use the spoon to burnish down the edges of the tape for crisp edges.
Pull on those rubber gloves and apply the glass-etching paste, following the package directions. (Don’t inhale deeply, don’t massage it into your bare skin, don’t light a match, etc.)
Once the paste has done its work, rinse it off with cold water, dry the glass, and remove the tape. You should now have an opaque word on clear glass.
Return the glass to the picture frame and fit the mirror piece behind it.
Hang and adore.
