Mercury glass is the new silver

Lately I have become fascinated by mercury glass and old tarnished silver so at Christmastime I started a small collection.

This ornament looks old, but it was a new purchase from TJMaxx Homegoods. I thought that it was too pretty to put away.

I do love the many lovely shades of grey and taupe, so it is no wonder that this new collection has taken my fancy.

Yes, I have given in to collect another thing. Even so it strikes me as strange that I hadn’t always wanted to display old silver things.

I am not interested in bright and shiny silver — it has to be worn and tarnished. I also love stainless steel that is encrusted with rust.

And then there is old mercury glass! I love that even more than silver! Many reproductions are available now. I have even played around with making a few pieces, like this small milk bottle. I found a few tutorials online and did some experimenting with mirror spray paint applied to the inside of the glass jar, spraying a bit of vinegar water along with the paint to get a more mottled look.

A project best suited to doing outside where you won’t get overcome with paint fumes.

Here are my favorite inspiring tutorials for making your own mercury glass:

http://vintagefragment.blogspot.com/2013/07/faux-mercury-glass-tutorial.html

http://sherrisreadingjubilee.blogspot.com/2010/11/mercury-glass-one-of-my-all-time.html

http://www.hgtv.com/design/make-and-celebrate/handmade/easily-make-your-own-mercury-glass-votives

http://www.17apart.com/2012/05/how-to-diy-antiqued-mercury-mirror.html

Rainy and cold though our Oregon winter has been, I am embracing the grey!

Thanks for stopping by ~ have a creative day — Karen