Have you ever tried turning glass into a mirror? It's actually quite easy and I'm going to show you how. But I'm taking it one step further by sharing how to turn clear glass into an antiqued mirror.

Meaning, once the clear glass turned into a reflective mirror, how to distress that reflective finish. I'm demonstrating these two mirror techniques with an upcycled thrift store picture frame. I'll also be stenciling the mirror for budget-friendly fall decor for our fireplace mantel.

Thrifted Picture Frame To Hello Fall Antiqued Mirror

If you look closely in the photo below, you can see a pretty mustard yellow damask pattern peeking through the distressed mirror. It's the perfect backing for my hello fall antiqued mirror but the possibilities for a mirror backing are endless.

Stenciling the front of the antiqued mirror is completely optional and not limited to Fall. You could add any stenciled typography to the front for year-round decorating.

I've displayed my small antiqued mirror on our fireplace mantel to create a fall vignette with dollar store-painted pumpkins and a tall sunflower arrangement in pretty autumn colors.

I've included a supply list below with what you'll need to make an antiqued mirror. It also includes the supplies for turning it into a seasonal hello fall mirror.

What You'll Need To Make It

This post contains affiliate links so you can see what products I used or recommend for this project. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Supply List

Wood Picture Frame WITH Glass (thrift store)
Looking Glass Spray Paint
Vintage Scrapbook Paper
Orange Autumn Paint
Mustard Yellow Paint
Brown Wax
Hello Fall Stencil

How To Turn Clear Glass Into A Reflective Mirror

We'll begin with the step that is the most fun, watching the clear glass turn into reflective glass. It's super easy to do and you'll have it finished in mere minutes. You can find the detailed step-by-step instructions in my How To Turn Ordinary Glass Into Looking Glass post.

Once the paint is dry to the touch, come back here for the next step on how to antique the reflective glass.

How To Antique DIY Reflective Glass

Scrunch a damp lint-free rag in your hand. With little pressure, randomly dab along the edges of the reflective paint to remove some of it. Repeat this in random areas of the mirror as well.

Don't fret if you remove too much in some spots because you can always go over it with more looking glass spray paint.

Antiqued Mirror Backing

Now that the picture frame glass has been turned into a reflective antiqued mirror, we're going to add a decorative backing to peek through the distressed areas of the mirror.

There are so many pretty vintage-style scrapbook papers available like the mustard yellow damask paper I used pictured below.

Simply cut the scrapbook paper the same size as the mirror. Set the glass and the paper aside because the next step is to paint the thrift store picture frame.

This isn't the first mirror I've antiqued. A few years ago I turned an inexpensive floor-length mirror from Walmart into a gorgeous Modern Farmhouse Antiqued Mirror for our dining room.

Upcycled Picture Frame

Last but not least, it's time to give the wooden picture frame a fresh new look. I used an old picture frame that was hanging outside on our fence for years and took a beating from the elements.

First, lightly sanded the wood frame with 150-grit sandpaper to remove any chipping paint and to give the new paint some bite. I painted my frame with two coats of the color Autumn, a burnt orange from FAT Paint Company that I had on hand.

Next, dry brush the second color of paint for a layered look. I used the color Arles, a mustard yellow Annie Sloan Chalk Paint for Fall that I had on hand.

An inexpensive chip brush works great for the dry brush paint technique. Dip the tips of the brush into the paint and dab it onto a paper towel to remove most of the paint. Hence the term, dry brush!

Swipe the brush with light pressure and long brush strokes over the painted frame. This will highlight the grooves, decorative details, and edges of the frame, giving it a time-worn patina.

To make the painted frame look aged, like the antique mirror going inside, we'll use antique brown wax. Apply the wax with a lint-free rag, getting it heavier in the nooks and crannies, and wipe away the excess (pictured below).

Stenciled Antiqued Mirror

As I mentioned earlier, this step is completely optional. Whether you're using the antiqued mirror for seasonal decor or to have it on display year-round, typography adds that extra touch.

There are many vintage-style typography stencils available. Alternatively, if you have a Cricut Maker, you could cut vinyl typography instead.

I'm using the same hello fall stencil that I used on my stenciled checkered fall pillow covers. Tape the stencil to the center of the front of the glass (the side not painted with reflective spray paint).

I would recommend using multi-surface paint for stenciling on glass. However, if you're going to use chalk paint like I did, stencil one coat of clear Mod Podge first for a base layer for the paint to adhere to. You'll need fewer coats of paint this way too.

Also, for stenciling glass, my preference is to use a sponge stencil dauber with an up and down pouncing motion. But to prevent paint bleed, make sure to remove the excess paint by dabbing the brush onto a paper towel first.

Once the paint is dry, place the glass back into the painted picture frame followed by the scrapbook paper backing. Enjoy your handmade antiqued mirror!

I told you it was easy! For more handmade Fall decorating inspiration, visit my DIY fall ideas page.

Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! I hope you were inspired by this handmade antiqued mirror tutorial.

Almost all of our DIY ideas have step-by-step tutorials so why not get your budget DIY on and subscribe. You can also find us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section below or the Contact Me tab at the top to drop me an email. I love hearing from you!

If you enjoyed this antiqued mirror tutorial and/or DIY fall mirror idea, I'd be so thankful if you shared it with a friend and pinned it to your Mirror Ideas or DIY Fall Decor board on Pinterest.

I share my projects at these inspiring link parties.