Create A Mercury Glass Tray

Now that the New Years Resolutions are written and the 2013 trends are forecast we are ready to start the new year together.  Happy New Year to you!

Last year I told you a tutorial was coming for a mercury glass tray that I did.  I thought this would be a great way to start out the New Year.

Do you remember this?

It first started out as this…

I liked the dimensions of the frame narrow and long, and the frame itself had great texture.

Let me show you how I made it into a mirrored faux mercury glass tray.

I am sure if you are the crafty kind, scouring your craft stores you may have spotted Krylon’s Looking Glass Spray Paint.

It can turn glass into a mirror like surface with a few coats of spraying. 

I have seen it used on vases and lamps. 

Which made me think…  hey, if it can work on that,

why not try on glass from a picture frame?

Spraying the glass was easy, just make sure to wear sunglasses and protect your eyes if you work outside.  Leave it up to me to spray this outside on a sunny day.  Quickly the reflection of the sun was blinding.  With that said, I do not have any photos of the glass while spraying.

• Spray the glass with water.  I used a spray bottle and sprayed all over leaving droplets here and there.  I also let the water streak in areas.  This helped to achieve the faux mercury glass effect.  It also gives a vintage look to the glass.
• While the water droplets are wet, spray the glass with a coat of Krylon’s Looking Glass paint.  Make sure to follow the directions on the back of the can. 
• Once the first coat is dry, spray the glass with water again making sure there are drops of water present.  I don’t think this is necessary, but I wanted more texture and that worn, vintage, mercury glass look. 
• While wet, spray the mirror paint again.
• Continue this process until the desired look is achieved.

Here is how the glass should look using the water droplet and spraying method.

Next, paint the frame.  This is where Annie Sloan came to the rescue again.

I received Primer Red in my swag bag from the Haven Conference last year.

Check out my Haven experience here.

Once dry, I covered the Primer Red with Duck Egg Blue (Annie Sloan).  You can use any color, but using two colors gives a nice layered effect.

Distressing was in order to show the texture of the frame and layers of paint underneath.

Here you can see the red and green popping through.

 Annie Sloan Clear wax was applied to give the frame a durable finish.

Now to the fun part.  Adding hardware.

We drilled holes in both sides of the frame and screwed in basic drawer pulls

found at Home Depot.

I chose chrome for the handles to add a little sparkle to complement the mirrored effect.

*Caution*  If you do this project you may want to get a flat head screw instead of the rounded screws that come in the package.  I would hate to have you scratch your coffee table etc.  Mine are a rounded edge here, but I will be changing to a flat head.

Insert the glass and cardboard as if you are inserting a picture.  You can leave the bottom as is, or line with felt to protect your furniture. 

Also, keep in mind, this tray was designed to sit on a table or bench

without carrying heavy objects. 

If you choose to carry items on the glass within the frame, reinforce the back to hold the weight.  A piece of cardboard and staples folded over is not going to hold anything heavy.  I did, however, carry filled glasses and I was fine…  but I don’t think I will trust it again until I reinforce it better.

Until then…

I will enjoy it just how it is.

CHEERS!

Enjoy!

Angie