I've seen this faux mercury glass everywhere...it's on Pinterest, at HomeGoods... I've even seen it already made at craft stores like Michaels. It's beautiful and I needed some. So what does one who is addicted to crafting do? Make it of course. Here's how. To start this project you'll need glass...clear or color (as long as you can see thru it). Thrift stores are full of it, cheap. The Dollar Tree is also loaded with it. A word of advice..look at the piece you choose, look at your hand, look back at the glass, Ask yourself, "Will my big hand fit in this piece easily without my knuckles bumping the other side?" If the answer is "no, I have man hands like you"... you might consider looking for a larger piece or a smaller hand... I used votives for this project but I've done a larger piece also. While you're out go to Hobby Lobby (only place I could find it). Don't forget your 40% off coupon, it's a little pricey at $11.99 a can.) You'll need a spray bottle with equal parts water and vinegar (I read this on a blog somewhere, I don't know the science behind it. Plain water may work for all I know)
Wash and dry your pieces. The can recommends spraying the inside of the glass with a light coats...easier said than done. This stuff is THIN...by thin, I mean SUPER THIN.
I couldn't spray without it running. I sorta put the nozzle inside and sprayed a light puff as I was pulling the nozzle out. I couldn't keep it from running but trial and error had me spray and immediately turning them upside down to dry.
This is after 6 or 7 coats. Be sure to wipe the tops off when you pick them up. It has a tendency to run down the sides. It needs to be dry between coats. It dries fast, a couple of minutes or so.
After it's dry, lightly spritz the inside with the water/vinegar mixture. Allow to sit for a minute or two.
This is the fun part. I tried using a paper towel but I found my fingers worked the best. You have to be careful not to wipe too much of the silver off. This is where small hands come in handy. If it's too dry it may take a little more rubbing to get the silver to come off. I used my index finger and sort of pushed and pulled the paint around. I wanted it to have a cracked look to it, Occasionally bigger pieces came off but it still looked ok. Before:
After:
Work all the way around. The directions recommend a light top protective coat of something (you're on your own there) but I haven't gotten to that step yet.
on blue:
...and that's how I did it.
