HOW TO TURN A VINTAGE WINDOW INTO A MIRROR
I am a collector of old and unused things! My friends like to give me stuff too, and the one item I have too many of is vintage windows!
When it came time to makeover my bedroom I knew that I needed mirrors on the wall to reflect some light into the small space. So I put my windows to work. Let me show you how I did it!
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Gather your materials:
- Vintage Windows
- Mirrors cut to size
- Clear Silicone Caulking For Windows
- Scraping Tool
- Needle-Nose Pliers
- Razor Blade or Goo-Be Gone for getting rid of caulking on the front of the mirrors
How to turn a vintage window into a mirror:
STEP ONE: Remove old glass from the windows. Be careful with this step as it is easy to cut yourself with the glass and get splinters in your fingers. I like to use a scraping tool to remove the old caulking that holds the glass in, and needle-nose pliers for pulling out the metal tabs that keep the glass secure:
STEP TWO: The windows will look like this when they are ready to be changed into windows:
STEP THREE: I took my window down to the glass store in town and they measured and cut my pieces for me. This step cost me about $40.
STEP FOUR: Squeeze the caulking along the line where the mirrors will be. I used a small but consistent bead since I thought too much may lead to it squeezing out the front of the mirrors. Getting the “feel” of the glue gun always takes me a while. My lines of caulking on the first couple of mirrors were pretty bad, but after that I was doing just fine.
STEP FIVE: Lay the mirrors on top of the caulking and press down firmly. Once the mirrors are in add one more line of caulking over the top of the mirrors. Use your finger to go over this line of caulking and level it out. Be careful about splinters in this step!
STEP SIX: Let these dry for 24 hours. You can use a razor blade or Goo-Be-Gone to get rid of any excess caulking on the mirrors.
I like to use sawtooth hangers for hanging on the wall. I also used anchors in the wall to secure the mirrors properly.
Now wasn’t that simple?
If you get stuck please feel free to email me!
You can shop a similar look on Amazon:
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I am linking up at these wonderful parties!
Very cool tutorial they came out great! Pinned! Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Hope to see ya next week!
Kim
Great idea! Thanks for the tutorial. And Thanks for sharing at our link party. Pinned!
I love this project, Randi. I actually have an old window that I could do this with. I love that your windows still have the old hardware on them.
Thank you, Joanne! The old hardware is my favorite part! I think it adds character!
These are really nice. Its great that you have access to lots of vintage windows. They can cost from $45 to $90 dollars up here so I need to wait until I found some more reasonable. Love them.
Hi Leanna, I that living in a small town is a benefit for me when it comes to finding cheap “junk”. Which is good because i am pretty thrifty by nature! Randi 🙂
I’m a collector of old windows, too! You’re quite brave, taking out the glass yourself — kudos! Honestly, I loved them with nothing in them at all, perfectly chippy shabby! Glad they can brighten up your bedroom:) Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm! xo Kathleen|Our Hopeful Home
They look really great, they are nir that common around my area😁
Thank you, Anita! I hope you have a wonderful day! 🙂
what kind of plant is that?!
It is faux greenery from Hobby Lobby. 🙂
I loved the DIY old window transformation I am going to for sure going to do this thanks Randi 😁