Monday, December 3, 2012

Faux la, la, la, la


Oscar Wilde said, "Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative."

One thing I can't be accused of is decorating for Christmas the same way year after year. I don't always throw the baby out with the bath water, but I do change things up and add some unexpected delights to the vignettes I carry over from a previous year.

This year, I wanted a different centerpiece for the dining room table. I had picked up a clear glass globe at a thrift store for 99 cents last summer. Unfortunately, I didn't remember to photograph it before I started its transformation to a faux mercury glass tree.


The weather was so incredible this weekend that I set up shop outdoors and worked on my tree creation and a few other projects I'd had sitting around. 62 degrees in Nebraska in December isn't unheard of, but it's a bit uncommon.





In contrast to the high gloss of the mercury glass, I wanted the base of the tree to be rougher. I poked around the potting shed and found a terra cotta pot that was the perfect size. Cleaned it off with a wire brush and transformed it with a mixture of gesso and a paint sample with the name of  "Marble Glass."




I wanted the pot to look rustic and distressed, as a contrast to the sparkle of the globe, so I dry brushed the creamy paint mixture.  The pot also has a couple of chips and a crack in the rim. I think they call that character.

A flameless votive inside the pot adds a soft glow to the globe.


One of my milk glass cake stands on top of a vintage oval mirror, several small mercury glass ornaments, a few glitter stars and some acrylic ice crystals round out the centerpiece.


The sparkle and shine in the center of the dining room table is a nice complement to the arrangement on top of the buffet--one of those vignettes for which I retained a few elements from the previous year. I'll share that with you later.

Have you tried making your own mercury glass? Isn't it fun?

Make it a great day!
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8 comments:

  1. Dear Ann this is lovely and so creative. You inspire me to take a new view of some of those simple household items and see what I can create. Thanks for sharing. God Bless!

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  2. Clever you! I have never thought that this could be done at home - love it.

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  3. What a great idea...I have seen this on pinterest with glass jars...I love the mercury look very vintage looking...

    XO

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  4. I'm inspired... you're inspiring. Now I'm off to find a can of spray paint.

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  5. I have never tried to recreate mercury glass but after seeing this DIY I think I will have to try it! Your centerpiece came out perfectly.

    Thanks doll,
    The Glamorous Housewife

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  6. This is such a fun and creative project! Looks great- thanks for sharing!

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  7. How cute! And all with a can of spray paint! mercury glass is one of those interesting looks that have allured me from childhood..maybe because it's so shiny!!
    thanks so much for sharing with us for Pearls and Lace thursday!
    Blessings,
    Doni

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  8. No, I have not tried making my own mercury glass by it is now on my must try list! Yours came out fabulous, it makes a wonderful centerpiece. I really liked how you parked it with the painted planter. It is warm here too (40's), where is our snow???? Hope you are having a great holiday season so far, Laura

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