Last week was spring break for my kids and we had a lot of fun with little adventures and taking it easy at home! Being on more of a relaxed schedule gave me some extra time to get little projects done around the house, like repainting the mirror that hangs in my foyer. Here’s what it looked like, pre-paint job.
I purchased that mirror right before my daughter (first child) was born – thinking that once she arrived I would never again have time to go to a store in my life. So I rushed into the purchase and bought the first thing I found to fill the wall. Needless to say, the faux silver finish wasn’t really doing it for me anymore (ever, really!), and with our foyer freshly repainted and new brass ceiling light on the way, I needed to give the mirror some pep!
The problem was that I couldn’t get the mirror out of the mirror frame! I tried really hard but it just would not budge. Whoever made it did a great job with the glue. Having spent a lot of time trying to get the mirror out, I was invested at this point and ready to paint! So I figured out a SUPER EASY way to paint a mirror frame without removing the mirror, and I didn’t even damage the mirror in the process!
You won’t believe this trick. I rubbed Aquaphor all along the edges where the mirror met the mirror frame.
The reason I used Aquaphor is because it’s what I had on hand. You could absolutely use Vaseline or petroleum jelly, which is cheaper than Aquaphor! (Funny note about Aquaphor: I became addicted to it in college when I went on Accutane for my major acne problem. It saved my lips and my skin from burning to a crisp! Now I always have it at home, and I use it for everything!) 
See that nice line of Aquaphor all around the mirror? It saved me during this mirror painting project!
Now that you know the trick of how to paint a mirror frame without removing the mirror, let me show you how I repainted my mirror and another fun way I used Aquaphor in this project! I started by painting the mirror with a red chalk paint. Notice that I got some paint on the mirror, but on the parts where the Aquaphor covered the glass.
After that paint dried, I used Aquaphor to help create a distressed finish on the mirror frame. Watch this video to see just how easy it is to distress painted furniture with Aquaphor or Vaseline!
Although the section I distressed in the video isn’t very dramatic, you can definitely use Aquaphor or Vaseline to make the distressed areas more prominent, like on other parts of this mirror.
After all the paint dried, I used a flat head screwdriver to gently remove any paint that made its way onto the mirror. It came up instantly because of the Aquaphor! I just wiped it up with a paper towel and then used glass cleaner to remove any residue.
It was so easy to remove the metallic finish on this mirror and give it a new look. But hey, guess what? I’m not sure I like the new look so I may repaint again!
Even though I’m undecided on the actual paint job, I can’t believe how easy it is to paint a mirror frame without removing the mirror! So, I’m not all that worried about repainting it if I still don’t love it after a month or so.
What do you think? Do you like the two-tone distressed finish, or do you think it would look better as a solid color?
Let me know what you think in the comments below!
-Bre
ellisonwilliams says
Hey there! What a fantastic blog post! Painting a mirror frame without removing the mirror is truly a life-saver for those of us who adore DIY projects but dread the idea of dismantling things. Mirror Paintings! Incorporating mirror paintings into this blog was a brilliant idea. It takes mirror frame decoration to a whole new level of creativity and uniqueness. By adding mirror paintings, we not only enhance the frame’s beauty but also give the mirror itself an artistic touch.
Sandra says
Hello,
I would like to repaint a non-removeable bathroom mirror wood frame a white color. Are there any tricks for eliminating the reflection of the old wood color from the interior edges where the frame meets the mirror?
Bre says
Hi, Sandra – oh that is such a great question! Unfortunately nothing practical is popping into my mind. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help!
Karen says
What type of paint should I buy? This will be my first time trying. My metal frame with mirror inside of designed frame.
Bre says
Hi, Karen! I used chalk paint because you don’t need to prime with it. If you’re wanting a metallic mirror, you could also try Rub n Buff metallic wax, using the same technique to protect the mirror surface.
Denise St. Peters says
Is the frame wood or a hard plastic? Thank you for the tip in using Vaseline, I have that on hand
Bre says
Hi! My mirror frame was plastic so chalk paint worked perfectly on it without the need for primer! This method of keeping paint off the mirror works regardless of whether the frame is plastic or wood. Good luck!
Patricia says
Thank you!!!! This is exactly what I was looking for! I have 4 silver metallic finish mirrors with design on the frame. I never loved the finish… but loved the mirrors! I almost sold them at a garage sale! Soo glad I kept them! Will start on this project right away!
Bre says
Hi, Patricia! That is awesome!! I’m so glad it was helpful. My favorite thing is re-using something I already have with an update. I hope your mirrors turn out wonderfully!
Kate says
I like it but there is something off about it…I agree with you. Perhaps you should try to match your colour of the flooring or banister in hallway? Distressing isn’t all that its cracked up to be. Loved the tip on how to save the mirror from getting paint on it by using Vaseline.
Bre says
Hi! TOTALLY!! It’s gone now, actually. It just was not right. I found a “painting” I liked better at Homegoods and replaced the mirror with that!:-) But I’m glad the technique was helpful! It’s surprising how many mirrors you cannot get the frame off of!
Christie says
I like the way mirror looks as is but love the top color and think it would look even better solid or with a different colr showing underneath with less distressing, I vote for solid in the top color. and think it would go better with what the other parts of your house that show in the photos. I love the tip on how to paint a mirror using Aquaphor. It’s brilliant!
Laura Harrie says
Your mirror looks great the way you painted it. It certainly seems easy the way you painted it.