DIY MERCURY GLASS PLANTERS

February 11, 2023

2 mins read

I've been enamored with mercury glass ever since I came across this pic from West Elm.

Come to find out you can make your own mercury glass decor & between you & I, it's as simple as pie. Honestly! The only challenging part of this project is tracking down the Krylon Looking Glass; as in like I- stopped -at- five- stores- type- of- challenging.

Who knew this darn thing was such a delicacy among the spray paint world?

Hobby Lobby ended up being the only place to come through for me. So fist bump to the HL.

Besides the elusive Looking Glass spray paint you will also need:

*Spray bottle with 50/50 mixture of vinegar & water

*Paper towel

*Clean, glass vases {I picked mine up at the Dollar Store}

*Plants or candles to place inside

I started off by spritzing a quick shot of the vinegar/water mixture into my first vase with my spray bottle. This technique leaves water droplets on the inside of the glass which will help you achieve the mercury effect later. Then I LIGHTLY started to spray my vase with the Looking Glass paint. I emphasize LIGHTLY because this stuff is very thin & watery & if you go all guns blazing you'll get streaks. The can of spray paint instructs you do about 5 coats of paint. I think I did about seven or eight {I did a spritz of the 50/50 mixture between each paint coat} but I wouldn't take my word on it because I am no good at math under normal circumstances so just imagine what I'm like when I'm high on fumes?

Allow the glass to dry a few minutes. For the final step, spray some of the water/vinegar mixture on a piece of paper towel & with your index finger start gently rubbing away at some of the paint.

Be random & spontaneous on the places you distress on the vase.

The point is not to be a perfectionist here! Stop once you are happy & then allow the glass to dry again for about a half hour or so.

Okay, I fibbed.

The final step IS actually to add plants, or candles, or what ever floats your boat to your vases.

When lit, candles give an absolutely beautiful ambience inside distressed mercury glass but I wanted something for our outdoor patio table so I went with succulent plants.

I know these type of plants need good drainage so we'll see how long these babies survive inside the vases. I'm sure there is some savvy way to like drill a hole into glass but I'm not allowed to play with power tools when the hubby's not home.

On an another note, let me tell you it is incredibly hard to photograph mirrored objects with out capturing your fun house midget reflection on every picture!