Thursday, August 1, 2013

Mercury Glass

10:12 PM | | Edit Post
With the wedding quickly approaching we decided it was time to test out the DIY mercury glass techniques we'd seen on pinterest. The mercury glass vase centerpieces and vases are a huge aspect of the romantic, vintage vibe I'm going for with the wedding and I figured it was better to find out sooner than later if I needed to rethink things. 

 We were ready with the twenty-something glass vessels Joe and I had yard saled, plus another dozen mom and I had picked up at flea markets. (btw- flea markets are a perfect place to find them- again we never paid more that $2) as well as all the supplies they listed in the multiple tutorials I read. And while I was worrying about doing it "just right" when I got started, I quickly learned that it's nearly impossible to mess the process up, and the results we go were  phenomenal.  Like "I can't believe we pay so much for mercury glass in the store" incredible! 
As you can see, we were able to get some very unusually shaped glassware which added so much interest to each pieces. I love that they don't look "cookie cutter" and truly do look old and vintage. 
my favorite!
Each vase can be done in less than 10 minutes and they really do look amazing.  Applying the finish and perfecting each one was almost magical and I was so sad to get to the end of my glass pile. 

You can find countless tutorials for DIYing your own glass on pinterest, many with subtle differences in steps but all achieving the same beautiful results.  My suggestions are this: don't stress when getting started! All you need to know is the vinegar is the resist. It either inhibits the paint from sticking wherever it was sprayed, or it can be used on a paper towel to rub the paint off of areas that were over-sprayed. Anything goes!  Other than that you just need to make sure you are using white vinegar. We tried apple cider vinegar first and it does't work at all!
We also sprayed a handful of vases with a thing layer of matte black spray paint on the interior after the distressing was complete. It gave the pieces much more depth and an older appearance.  I suggest trying this out in light layers on once piece only before you go crazy. It's a different look, and you may not prefer it. 
don't forget to do the base!
I encourage you to give this DIY project a try. I promise you will be amazed, and hopefully have a great time hunting for vintage glass pieces. If flea markets and yard sales aren't your thing then consider hitting up the dollar tree or similar discount stores. 
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