• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

An Oregon Cottage logo

  • Recipes
    • Best Desserts
    • Easy Salads
    • Easy Side Dishes
    • Homemade Breads
    • Sourdough
    • Homemade Soups
    • Pantry Basics Recipes
    • Simple Dinner Recipes
    • Simple Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Simple Snacks
  • Canning & Preserving
    • Canning Recipes
    • Dehydrator Recipes
    • Freezing Produce
    • Fermented Food Recipes
  • Gardening
    • Yard & Garden Tour
    • Vegetable Garden
    • Flowers, Beds & Borders
    • Gardening Tips
    • Ultimate Vegetable & Fruit Guides
  • DIY & Remodeling
    • 1900 Farmhouse
    • 1982 Ranch-turned-Cottage
    • Easy Handmade Gifts
  • Shop
    • Flexible Planner, Cookbooks, Ebooks & More
    • An Oregon Cottage's Amazon Shop
    • Shopping and Gift Guides
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Organic Gardening
  • DIY & Remodeling
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Get my newsletters + access to a library full of printables!

    Home » Blog » Easy DIY » DIY Home Decor Ideas

    November 20, 2012 | By Jami

    DIY Antique Mercury Glass Pendant {A Tutorial}

    Easy tutorial for how to turn basic thrift store pendant glass into a DIY antique mercury glass pendant for an industrial farmhouse look.

    DIY Antique Mercury Glass Pendant- from a thrift store shade!

    Wow, I hope you like this thrift store transformation as much as I do! This is one of those small changes that make a lot of difference - at least to me, 'cause I love our new antique mercury glass pendant.

    antique-mercury-glass-pendant-lit-unlit

    One of the aspects of this antiqued silver finish that is so cool is all the texture you can see when it's lit up. We already had the rusty pendant fixture and the combo of the two produces that vintagey vibe I like so much.

    ribbed-pendant-before

    I was totally stoked to find this pendant at Goodwill for .99 - it was exactly what I was looking for. I was completely willing to pay a bunch more (well, only up to $2.99...*cough*) and was doing a little victory dance - inside my head - when I saw the price. Don't you love it when that happens?

    How to Make a DIY Antique Mercury Glass Shade

    antique-faux-mercury-glass-how-to

    The how-to is pretty simple (and similar to the antique mercury glass ribbed vases here).

    Supplies

    • Krylon's Looking Glass spray paint
    • a spray bottle of water and vinegar (50-50 mix), which I used this time instead of the water only I used on the vases
    • a clean rag for blotting
    • masking tape

    Directions

    1. Apply masking tape to the underside of edges of pendant and set on a piece of cardboard in a well-ventilated area (preferably outside) with the wide opening facing up.
    2. Spray one coat of Looking Glass to the inside of the pendant.
    3. Immediately spray lightly with the water-vinegar mix (just water works, too - adding vinegar gives a bit more antiquey finish, I think).
    4. Gently blot here and there with the rag. The rag will pull up the silver finish with the water mixture. Stop blotting when you have the desired look. More blotting takes away more of the silver.
    5. Let dry and spray 2 more light coats of Looking Glass paint before letting dry completely.

    antique mercury glass finish detail

    This is what my pendant looked like after misting and blotting the first coat. It's not perfect, but a true antique finish wouldn't be, either, so some sides have more silver than others. But since I didn't want the bulb to show, I sprayed two more coats, which is perfect, I think.

    After the pendant is dry, all that's left is to attach it to a hanging pendant fixture which you can also find at  a thrift store if you don't already have one (remember, Oil-Rubbed Bronze spray paint is your friend if all you can find are bright brass bases).

    antique-floral-pendant

    We had converted a recessed light fixture into a pendant using a converter kit from our local home store and a vintage ebay-purchased pendant light back when we painted and remodeled the whole house. The hand-painted shade is really sweet, but was never exactly what I wanted and it didn't go with our main kitchen light (also vintage) that has a beige glass shade.

    diy-antique-mercury-glass-pendant

    The ribbed pendant fit perfectly - both in the pendant fixture and with the kitchen as a whole. I'm so happy with our new little antique mercury glass ribbed pendant - and especially with the fact that including the cost of the paint (about 1/2 the can), this little guy only cost around $5. Swoon.

    diy-mercury-glass-pendant

    Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links and by clicking on them you help support AOC at no extra cost to you – thanks so much! Plus you can trust I'll only share what I love. (You can always read our entire disclosure page here.)

    About Jami

    Since 2009 Jami Boys has been helping readers live a simple homemade life through whole food recipes, doable gardening, and easy DIY projects on An Oregon Cottage. From baking bread, to creating a floor from paper, to growing and preserving food, Jami shares the easiest ways to get things done. She's been featured in Cottages and Bungalows, Old House Journal, and First for Women magazines as well as numerous sites like Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, and Apartment Therapy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Kasia says

      June 15, 2018 at 5:20 am

      This is so cool! I love the look 🙂 And the price... bargain! Quick and easy tutorial, thanks for sharing Jami!

      Reply
    2. laura says

      December 02, 2012 at 7:53 pm

      Would LOVE for you to link this up to my new party over here:
      http://imnotatrophywife.com/2012/11/favorite-friday-party-parade-november-30th.html

      love this! laura

      Reply
    3. Maureen says

      December 02, 2012 at 7:16 pm

      I love it! It fits the space perfectly!

      Reply
    4. Anne @ DesignDreamsbyAnne says

      November 20, 2012 at 6:17 pm

      Obviously I've been missing in blogland! LOVE your new look!! Following you on FB and HomeTalk now as well. Looking good!

      Have a happy Thanksgiving xox

      Reply
      • Jami says

        November 20, 2012 at 8:01 pm

        Thank you, Anne!! I'll definitely look for you on FB and HT, too. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Tricia says

      November 20, 2012 at 1:24 pm

      Thanks for the mention! You pendant light is beautiful!!! The shape of it is perfect also! It would go with my pendant over my kitchen table. Wanna trade? 🙂

      Reply
      • Jami says

        November 20, 2012 at 7:52 pm

        Ahh, yours is very sweet, Tricia! I looked for something with ribs because of your post. 🙂

        Reply
    6. kim holley says

      November 20, 2012 at 10:13 am

      I love the look and I just might have to step out with this one in my own kitchen. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Jami Boys headshot

    Hi, I'm Jami and I'm so glad you're here! My desire is to help you live a simple homemade life through delicious whole food recipes, easy organic gardening and preserving your harvest.

    Read More →

    Popular Posts

    • Easy, Soft 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread Tutorial
    • roasted cabbage wedges2_featuredroasted cabbage wedges_featured image
      Roasted Cabbage Wedges with Onion Dijon Sauce
    • Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread Recipe (Ready in 1 Day)
    • Original Brown Paper Floor Tutorial: A DIY Alternative to Wood Floors
    • How to Freeze Green Beans without Blanching
      How To Freeze Green Beans The Easy Way Without Blanching
    • Cucumbers on trellis_featured
      5 Reasons To Grow Cucumbers On A Trellis (And Taking Up Less Space Isn't One Of Them)

    ALL OUR CATEGORIES

    • Mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy & Disclosure
    • Terms of Use & Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Collaboration & Advertising

    Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Disclaimer: All Content Provided On An Oregon Cottage Is For Informational Purposes Only. The Owner Of This Blog Makes No Representations As To The Accuracy Or Completeness Of Any Information On This Site Or Found By Following Any Link On This Site.

    Copyright © 2009-2023 An Oregon Cottage | No Content On This Site, Including Text And Photos, May Be Reused In Any Fashion Without Written Permission.