How to give a mirror frame a chic rusted finish

With new paint technology from Fired Earth it’s easy to achieve the rustic, careworn look.

There was a time when rust was the ruin of a thing. These days, decoratively speaking, we embrace the rustic, careworn look it gives. With new paint technology from Fired Earth, you don’t even have to wait long… or leave it in the rain to rust.

Materials you will need:

1ℓ Modo Universal Undercoat
1ℓ Fired Earth Liquid Rust
1ℓ Dulux black PVA – matt
1ℓ Plascon Paint Effects Glazecoat – matt
Fired Earth Rapid Rust Agent
Painter’s tape
38mm paintbrush
Paint solvent for the universal undercoat
120-grit (or finer) sandpaper

Step 1

Key the surface of your mirror frame with sandpaper, then clean thoroughly to remove dust.

Step 2

Mask off the mirror edges against the frame with painter’s tape. Add a layer of newspaper to cover the rest of the mirror as an extra precaution.

Step 3

Paint the frame with one coat of Modo Universal Undercoat. Allow to dry thoroughly. Clean your brush carefully with solvent.

Step 4

Paint the frame with two coats of black matt PVA (we used Dulux). Allow each coat to dry.

Step 4

Paint the frame with two coats of black matt PVA (we used Dulux). Allow each coat to dry.

Step 5

Paint one coat of Fired Earth Liquid Rust and allow to dry.

Top Tip: Don’t be fussy about streaks when you’re painting. A rough look only adds to the rusty appearance.

Step 6

Paint a second coat of Fired Earth Liquid Rust and while it’s still damp, spray the frame liberally with Fired Earth Rapid Rust Agent. Leave your frame to dry and keep it in a safe place for about a week. You’ll see the rust agent starting to work nicely. If after a week or so you don’t feel you have enough rust, simply paint the frame with a coating of tap water. While it’s still damp, spray liberally again with Rapid Rust Agent. The water revives the rusting process. Leave it for another week.

Step 7

Finally, paint two coats of Plascon Paint Effects Glazecoat (matt) and allow to dry thoroughly in between coats. The mirror that has seen better days, has earned its stripes and is now a rusty work of art.