How to Paint and Stencil a Mirror for Custom Home Decor

Welcome back!  I’ve got a brand new makeover for you today along with some other thrifty Trash to Treasure projects from my blogging friends. These old plastic mirrors look so pretty painted!  Here’s a similar mirror I updated last year, but in a totally different way.   This time I’ll show you how to paint and stencil a mirror for chic custom home decor.

This post contains some affiliate links so you can easily find the products I use and recommend. Discover all my favorite brands and tools for doing DIY makeovers here.

The best places to find old mirrors to paint are yard sales and thrift stores.  You can also find them at flea markets and antique shops, but they might be more expensive.  I scored this vintage mirror from Goodwill a couple months ago for only $6.99.  It was really dirty but had potential.

First I cleaned it by wiping it down with a damp cloth.  There are so many nooks and crannies, so it takes some patience!

Supplies for Painting a Mirror

Paint:  I chose Country Chic Paint in the color Liquorice (that’s how it’s spelled where it’s made in Canada – or Licorice in the U.S.).  For my DIY makeovers, I always prefer paint that is specially formulated for furniture and decor and avoid others like latex paint and spray paint.  I mostly use Country Chic Paint, Rustoleum Chalked Paint, and Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

Paint Brush:  Purdy is the best brand of paint brush, and I’ve been using most of my Purdy brushes since I got them 10+ years ago.  For this project I used a narrow Purdy paint brush.

A small to medium-size brush works well on pieces like this with so many curves and crevices.  You’ll need to give it 2-3 coats, checking each time for any spots you may have missed before.

Depending how steady your hand is, you might want to grab a smaller artist’s brush to paint the edge of the mirror frame. Sometimes I slide some of those junk mail postcards in there to catch any stray paint, but it’s not hard to remove later if you do get some on the mirror itself.

Use a damp paper towel and your nail to slide along the edge of the frame. Or you can use a Q-tip to remove excess paint.

Stenciling a Mirror

When choosing a stencil for your mirror, you have lots of options.  You don’t have to seek out a Mirror Stencil, because almost any stencil will work.  I chose one in my stash that fit perfectly within the frame, and the style seemed to match also.  I’m feeling a French Gothic vibe from this duo.

Some great places to buy stencils online are Amazon (I like this similar stencil) and Etsy where there are lots of varieties from hundreds of sellers.  You can also find great quality stencils from Royal Design Studio and Cutting Edge Stencils.  In person, you can visit Hobby Lobby or Michaels for stencils.

Tape the stencil in place (I used FrogTape for Delicate Surfaces).

Fold a couple paper towels nearby and dip the tip of a stencil brush into the paint (I used the same exact paint), blotting onto the towels to remove excess paint.  Lightly dab the brush over the stencil.  Stenciling directly onto a mirror is a little more difficult than wood or fabric. You may need a couple of light coats of paint, and some more patience.

Keep going until you’re finished.  The great thing about a stencil is you can choose to use all or just some of it.  This time I used it all.

You may apply a topcoat over the mirror frame, but it’s not required with Country Chic Paint.  (Learn more of my thoughts about Country Chic Paint here.)

And here’s the old decorative mirror looking all pretty now…

The paint on the mirror is a little uneven, which gives it a faded, worn look like it’s been there a long time.

And if you did end up with any smudges, you can easily clean them up with a damp Q-tip.

This custom stenciled mirror is an excellent statement piece for a hallway or foyer.  Did you know you can also apply a rub-on image transfer directly onto a mirror?  I did it on a large mirror here and a small gold mirror here.

Friend, I hope you enjoyed today’s tutorial for how to paint and stencil a mirror for chic custom home decor.  Feel free to Pin this project or share it with someone else who might like it.

Here’s a different painted old mirror makeover you might like:

Mirror makeover: How to paint plastic to look like real wood