DIY: Mercury Glass

I really like the vintage look of mercury glass.

It seems formal but with an aged/rustic twist. 
When I saw an online tutorial for making your own mercury glass, I was already mentally rounding up clear glass vases to glamorize.

I've been looking for a way to add style to our mantle.  When we remodeled our house, we painted the brick fireplace, mantle, and bookcase a milky ivory.  I like how this brightened up the room, but it made our glass duplicate vases disappear.  Literally.

 I wanted to keep the vases on the mantle because (1) they are from our wedding; and (2) I like the tall height.  The mercury glass treatment seemed perfect, and it would complement the mercury glass lamps we already have in the living room.

small seating area with mercury glass lamp

Before I did the big vases, I practiced on an extra florist vase.  This helped me fiddle around with it until I got the technique and color I wanted.

The practice vase is on the left; a "real" mercury glass lamp is on the right

And here's how the duplicate vases turned out!

BEFORE ~ ~ ~
  



 AFTER ~ ~ ~





 I think it is a huge improvement -- the vases stand out and I'm proud of them :)
If you want to give it a try, I used this tutorial.  The secret is spraying the painted surface with a vinegar/water mixture and rubbing off bits of the paint to achieve the aged look.