Painting a Mirror: So Easy, a Caveman Could Do It

So back in college, when everyone else was involved in tomfoolery {not me, I swear!}, I liked to scout out garage sales and Target for cheap ways to liven up my room in the townhouse I shared with six other girls. Yikes - that's a lot of tomfoolery! I found out how many different arrangements my room allowed with a twin bed, dresser, and TV {exactly two}. I kept my closet in ship shape with clothing hung according to sleeve length and color. And I accessorized as much as I could with the little wall space I had. Two of the best investments I made in decor happened to be for that little room in college. I picked up a Shabby Chic mirror and shelf from Target that originally came painted a sage green. Nine years later, I think I've painted that mirror and shelf at least four times, and they still look great!

The mirror was last red for Lou's nursery:

Stunning! But I needed to take the Lady in Red down and make it work for the girls' new room transformation. The new room's colors will be a mix of Rhino by Behr {Remember? One of the most wonderful colors on Earth?}, a silvery beige, a grayish turquoise, and dark brown. So the Lady in Red will now be the Damsel in Dark Brown. I picked up an 8 oz. trial size of my paint choice at The Home Depot. {Less than five bucks and big enough to paint a few accessories!}

Two coats of paint later, and the mirror was transformed. All this babbling, but here's a useful tip. When you're painting a mirror or any frame on a piece of glass, you don't need to take the time to tape it. You can, of course, but I'm usually either too lazy or too busy keeping four kids alive and well. Instead, I paint away, and after the paint dries, I use an old calling card or a credit card to gently scrape the paint off of the glass. So easy, a caveman could do it!

Here's a sneak peek at the mirror in her new place, waiting for the rest of the room to come together.

As not to feel left out, the same shelf from college also got a couple coats of the same lovely brown. She's waiting anxiously to join her old friend, the mirror, in their new home. Happy painting!