How To Make a Haunted Mirror


With a cheap secondhand store picture frame, some acrylic paints, white glue and looking glass spray paint, a haunted mirror can be yours. And, the possibilities are endless. 
This large 30 x 40 mirror puts life-sized black-eyed kids at the right height level when hung. 


One 30 x 44 inch glass picture frame from Goodwill (this one only $24.99)
2 cans of looking glass spray paint by Krylon
1 container black acrylic paint
1 container crackle medium
1 container ivory paint
printer paper
Spray bottle

Print life-sized photos of Victorian kids in black and white (eyes blacked out). I found these kids online and stamped black where their eyes were. I printed them out life-sized head/shoulders.

Cut them out, glue with mod podge glue (or mix of Elmer's glue and water) them to glass. Let dry completely overnight.

Next day, wet your fingers and rub on the back of the paper, letting it get damp and move gently to rub some of the paper away from the ink along the edges to soften the "cut-out" effect. You can do this over the entire image if you are brave enough to do it with a gentle enough hand to not pull the entire image off. The goal here is to get the looking glass to show through the images so they seem transparent. 

To make the mirror more old looking, take a spray bottle and fill with some vinegar and water. Spray the glass (remember you are working on the back of the glass where the images are glued, so you will be spraying over the back of these images on the glass too). While it's damp from the water/vinegar spray, spray now with looking glass paint, go back and forth, shake often. You will be letting it dry and adding more layers as you want. Don't worry about quality of the surface. It will come out as a mirror and look aged if it is uneven. 

While this is drying, age the frame. 

Paint picture frame black. Let dry.

Paint with crackle medium. Let dry.

Top coat frame with ivory paint and it will crackle in minutes.

Put glass back into frame.

Hang. 







Here are some others I've made - 




Here are some inspiration photos I found online that made me consider some other ways you could do these - 




(if you line this up right, when hung, your eyes would reflect where the eyes are on the face)

Take this idea and run with it.  Tis the coming season to be inspired! 


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