Take an old mirror and transform it into an upcycled beach mirror perfect for any beach-side home. Mel Cavanaugh from Old-Fangled & Chalked By Mel explains the process involved in upcycling an old mirror into something beautiful and like new again. By following these guidelines you can recreate your own upcycled beach mirror at home.

Mel Cavanaugh is the owner of Old-Fangled & Chalked By Mel. She specializes in upcycling unique pieces of furniture as well as odds & ends. Upcycled furniture and antiques are her passion and she values sustainability which is reflected in all of her work. We are sure you will agree she has a real talent for transforming pieces.

Upcycled Beach Mirror

Prep

What started as a perfectly fine but underwhelming white mirror is transformed into a beach-inspired dream mirror. The mirror was one of Mel’s many fantastic thrift store finds.

Already painted white with accent dark antique gold shell this was a great base to be starting with. Depending on the quality of your original frame will alter how much prep work is needed. Mel’s frame was lightly sanded to get it ready for painting. You will want your frame to be smooth before you paint it with no flaking paint or bumps as this will drastically alter the final product. Spending more time at this stage and getting a properly prepared base is key to having a good final result.

Paint

The frame was painted using CraftNique paints by CrystaLac Company. CrystaLac products are highly developed, carefully researched, and formulated, premium-grade acrylic and polyurethane resins using the latest waterborne technology. They have a range of fantastic 3 in 1 paints. Meaning the paint, primer and topcoat are all in one bottle! This makes it really easy for use when upcycling mirrors.

They also have a paint starter kit that includes everything you need to complete your DIY painting project. With these kits, you make your own paint color by adding Color Boutique Concentrated Pigments into the Universal White Paint Base and then protect it with Grande Finale’ Top Coat. By using this kit you will be able to make any color you like.

Either of the above methods will give excellent results. Alternatively use your favorite brand of paint and follow their recommended process to achieve optimum results.

Mel used a teal color, a navy color, and medium blue color. A soft brush was then used to blend the colors together in layers.

Stencil & Detailing

After the frame is dry from painting it stencil on the clownfish. You could use any sea-related stencil in place of a clownfish or freehand the image if you don’t have a stencil. A simple option would be a freehand starfish! Another option if you are not confident at freehand painting is to find an image you like online (Canva makes this easy to do) and print it off. Carefully cut the around the outline of the image. Place this onto the mirror and draw around with a pencil before painting.

CraftNique Gold Metallic paint was then used to paint the seashell & the borders as well as the crevices.

Finishing

The mirror was then left to dry for a couple of days under a fan before being sealed with CrystaLac Premium Top Coat. Depending on the paint used and finish that you would like to achieve this step may not be needed.

Other Articles Featuring Work By Old-Fangled & Chalked By Mel

• Faux Suitcase Dresser Upcycle
• Upcycled Two-Tiered Stands
• Steampunk Trumpet Lamp

If you would like to see more of Mel’s amazing work make sure to head over to the Old-Fangled & Chalked By Mel Facebook page, give it a like and follow along.