Hey guys! It's been a while since I have done any posting so I thought I should get on it! Part of this blog is going to be fun craft projects that we try or think you might find fun! Today, I am focused on mirror art and thought I would share. Please keep in mind, the steps I share can be altered to whatever fits you best! To help, I will add photos of each step of my project for you!
Mirror art is a craft that I find pretty amazing and fun to work with. Basically, I find the right sized mirror, use spray paint to make the texture/picture/pattern I want, and then I seal the mirror! Sealing the mirror can be done a few different ways. Some simply spray a clear coat sealant over top and leave it (this is great for a defined or detail oriented picture but may not last as long). Other's choose to burn their mirrors to ingrain the picture more fully (this lasts longer but is more for colors and patterns). By burning the mirror, you get a dreamier quality to your artwork too. How you seal it is totally up to you! In this case, I am going to use the burning method because it is just so much more fun! Hehe!
OK, so first step is to pick your mirror. It can be any size or shape. Some things to keep in mind when you are working with mirrors are:
1. It cannot be in a frame. You can always frame it or mount it later.
2. It must be real glass. Plastic mirrors do not work.
3. Don't be afraid to use more than one mirror. You can mount them on a board or make a set to form the picture if you want.
4. Make sure there is nothing attached to the mirror (front or back). Remove any stickers, footie pads, or other items.
5. Make sure to clean the glass and let it completely dry before painting on it.
Step two, pick your spray paint colors. I love painting night scenes onto my mirrors. So I often use a lot of blues, black, and white. Some other colors I will mix in at times are teal, purple, pink, yellow, orange, red, or green. Any spray paint brand/color works. I personally use the $0.98 cans from Walmart whenever I can. I would caution against the use of glitter, glow in the dark, or metallic colors when using the burning method. Unfortunately, they burn more than add to the mirror art.
Step three, it's painting time! You can get creative here to make pretty much whatever you want! I usually prefer to do my mirrors in two steps. Background colors first. Burn. Let seal overnight. Then my front image. Burn. Let seal overnight. It is completely up to you and how you want this to work.
The fourth step is my favorite! Now we burn! A few cautions first. Please remember that this is using fire. Make sure to follow these steps in order to maintain safety and not break any laws:
1. Make sure it is not illegal to do any burning art in your city/town. Some areas do not allow burning of any sort inside city/town limits.
2. Make sure you have a clear area to burn on. There can be no nearby debris of any sort. I personally use the center of my driveway. I can sweep it clear and/or wash it if I need to. Also, the concrete is not flammable so I don't have to worry about it catching fire.
3. Make sure you have no small children or animals around.
4. You should not wear loose fitting clothing or long sleeves. Make sure any long hair is pulled back and you wear protective eye wear.
5. This is fire and can be unpredictable. ALWAYS have a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher near by in case of accidents.
6. Do not burn outside when it is windy. Even small breezes can make a huge problem with burning. You are going to want it to be dry and still to do this.
7. I do not recommend burning inside any structures. Ever.
With that being said, this part is fairly easy and pretty fun! The trick to getting your mirror to burn is.....Acetone! Well, any accelerator works really but you don't want to use one that's illegal (gasoline), or that will burn too much, or that will ruin your artwork. So really, Acetone is the best option and the only one that I use. Applying the acetone can be done two ways.
1. If you are just looking for textured colors and no defined pattern or picture, you can simply pour the acetone onto the mirror and light it.
2. If you are using a pattern or picture that you do not want ruined, you can use a spray bottle to spray the mirror and then light it. Please note, your picture is going to run a little bit. There is no helping it.
The mirror will burn itself out if everything goes according to plan. If you would like to only lightly burn the colors into the mirror, simply use the lid of a pot to smother the fire out early. It will burn more (higher and longer) if you pour the acetone on. If you spray it on, you may need to do spot burns to get any areas the acetone didn't cover enough. It will burn less with this application method. The mirror will be hot! Let it cool for at least 10-15 minutes before touching it. I prefer to spray my finished product with a clear coat to completely seal the picture in. It will take about 24 hours of resting for the sealing process to be complete.
That's all there is too it! It usually takes me a few hours at most and I can do up to 10 smaller mirrors all at the same time! If you decide to try it, please let us know how it goes for you! We would love to see any of your projects too!
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