'Louis Philippetize' A Square Mirror

As imperceptibly as grief

The summer lapsed away, --

Too imperceptible, at last,

To seem like perfidy.

A quietness distilled,

As twilight long begun,

Or Nature, spending with herself

Sequestered afternoon.

The dusk drew earlier in,

The morning foreign shone, --

A courteous, yet harrowing grace,

As guest who would be gone.

And thus, without a wing,

Or service of a keel,

Our summer made her light escape

Into the beautiful.

--As Imperceptibly as Grief  by Emily Dickinson

Love those French 19^th century Louis Philippe mirrors but can’t find or afford them?  

Here’s how I turned a pair of common square yard sale mirrors into rounded corner Louis Philippeish versions.

Remove glass and clamp your work to a work table with wood clamps.  

Mark a curve in pencil.

Don gloves and safety goggles.

Use a scroll saw with a 3/8" wood cutting blade and round it off.

It takes 10 minutes.

You don't have to be a guy to do this.  

Trust me.

Smoosh putty or craft clay into the top two corners.

Round off with a kitchen knife, sand when dry.

I put a line in to mimic the joint.

I didn't care for the blue paint on this $2 mirror so I repainted it white 

and rubbed on antiquing glaze (Valspar, Lowe's, $12).  

The crazing pops right back up when you do this.

Keep a bottle of glaze in your craft kit if you redo yard sale finds...unbeatable stuff.

I'm loco over the patina of the glass resembling 19th century foxed mercury glass.  This mirror was left outdoors, possibly for years.

I can't believe my luck at finding it for $2 at a yard sale selling hunting gear and man things.

I'll refinish the other (newer) mirror like this and share with you.

Until next time, stay shabby!

 Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday

 Cottage Instincts for Make it for Monday

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

White Wednesday at Faded Charm 

Feathered Nest Friday at The French Country Cottage 

P.S. - Big weekend getaway giveaway over at the Na-Da Farm!